Information processing system, information processing program, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing system that can improve the efficiency of accounting work related to expressway toll settlement. The information processing system includes a means for acquiring toll information for the roads traveled, and a means for estimating a driving route based on pre-stored toll information for each road and the toll information.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing program, and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, the process for paying highway tolls when using a chartered bus through a travel agency is as follows: (1) Before traveling, the user (traveler) pays the travel agency the normal tolls (highway tolls) for the expressways that will be passed along the route. (2) During the trip, when the chartered bus travels on the expressway, the ETC corporate card is used to pass through the toll gate. At this time, the toll fee payment is not confirmed on the spot. (3) After the trip, the charter bus operator estimates the amount of discount (estimated discount amount) that will be applied to the bulk / frequent use discount, deducts a portion of the amount (for example, half of the estimated discount amount) from the regular highway toll, and bills the travel agency. For example, if the regular highway toll is 10,000 yen and the estimated discount is 2,000 yen, the chartered bus operator will charge the travel agency 9,000 yen, which is the regular highway toll of 10,000 yen minus half of the estimated discount (1,000 yen). In this case, the travel agency will receive 10,000 yen from the user (traveler) and pay 9,000 yen to the chartered bus operator, making a profit of 1,000 yen. (4) At a later date, the chartered bus operator will receive an invoice from the expressway company for the amount including the bulk / frequent use discount (expressway toll after discount application). For example, if the highway toll after discount is 8,000 yen, the chartered bus operator will receive 9,000 yen from the travel agency and pay 8,000 yen to the highway company, making a profit of 1,000 yen. As a result of this trend, profits from discounts are sometimes shared between charter bus operators and travel agencies.

[0003] However, under the above process, before receiving an invoice from the expressway company with the discounted toll, the chartered bus operator needs to estimate the approximate discount amount and deduct a portion of it from the regular toll before billing the travel agency.As will be explained below, the task of calculating the approximate discount amount was a heavy burden on the chartered bus operator's accounting staff.

[0004] That is, the approximate discount amount is calculated as follows: (i) First, the accounting staff inserts the ETC corporate card used by the chartered bus into a dedicated device and obtains information on the entrance interchange (boarding IC) and exit interchange (disembarking IC) for the day's trip, as well as toll information. (ii) Next, the accounting staff extracts routes (candidate routes) connecting the boarding interchange and the disembarking interchange using a route search, and estimates the route the chartered bus will take from among the candidate routes by comparing the tolls for each candidate route with the tolls obtained from the ETC card. At this point, estimation can be difficult if there are many candidate routes. (iii) The accounting staff then divides the estimated driving route into road sections and determines whether each road section is eligible for the bulk / frequent use discount. This involves cross-checking the documents to determine whether a section is eligible for the bulk / frequent use discount, which is a time-consuming task. (iv) Next, the accountant calculates the regular toll for each section eligible for the discount, then multiplies it by the discount rate for each road company to determine the discount amount. Then, by adding up the discount amounts for all eligible sections, the approximate discount amount can finally be calculated.

[0005] Accounting staff perform the above tasks (i) to (iv) for each trip every day. As a result, chartered bus operators end up spending a lot of time and effort on reimbursing highway tolls. Travel agencies also need to follow the same procedures as chartered bus operators to verify whether the amount invoiced by the chartered bus operator is the amount deducted by the bulk / frequent use discount. Therefore, reimbursing highway tolls has been a difficult process for both the billing party (chartered bus operators) and the party being billed (travel agencies).

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for calculating a toll by acquiring information about a vehicle's travel route and determining whether the travel route passes through a charging point. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-152508 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the technology in Patent Document 1 calculates the normal toll from driving route information, but does not estimate the route traveled by the vehicle from the toll information. Therefore, in order to calculate the discount amount for the large-volume / high-frequency discount, it is still necessary to perform the above steps (i) to (iv), which does not reduce the burden on accounting staff.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system, an information processing program, and an information processing method that can improve the efficiency of accounting work related to highway toll settlement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The information processing system according to the present invention comprises: A means for acquiring toll information for the roads traveled; means for estimating a travel route based on pre-stored toll information for each road and the toll information; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, accounting work related to the settlement of highway tolls can be made more efficient. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed by the information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed by the information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process for estimating a driving route based on fee information and toll information for each road. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process for dividing a travel route into sections for each road and determining whether each section is eligible for a discount. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process for calculating a discount amount by multiplying the toll for a discounted section by a discount rate, and estimating an approximate discount amount by adding up the discount amounts for each discounted section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, components having equivalent functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description of the components having the same reference numerals will not be repeated.

[0014] (Configuration of information processing system) 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. In the diagram, functional units that perform various functions can be said to be means that perform the respective functions.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system 1 includes a terminal device 2 and a server 3. The terminal device 2 and the server 3 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a network 4 such as the Internet. The network 4 may be either a wired line or a wireless line, and the type and form of the line are not important. At least a portion of the terminal device 2 and the server 3 are realized by a computer.

[0016] First, we will explain the terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 is used by a user (for example, an accountant at a chartered bus business or a logistics company), and is, for example, an electronic device such as a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, a notebook computer, or a desktop computer.

[0017] 1, the terminal device 2 has a terminal communication unit 21, a terminal control unit 22, a terminal storage unit 23, a terminal input unit 24, a terminal display unit 25, and an ETC card information reading unit 26. The units 21 to 26 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other.

[0018] The terminal communication unit 21 is a communication interface between the terminal device 2 and the network 4. The terminal communication unit 21 transmits and receives information between the terminal device 2 and the server 3 via the network 4.

[0019] The terminal control unit 22 is a control means that performs various processes of the terminal device 2. The terminal control unit 22 may be realized by a processor in the terminal device 2 executing a predetermined program, or may be implemented in hardware.

[0020] The terminal storage unit 23 is a data storage such as an internal memory or an external memory (such as an SD memory card). The terminal storage unit 23 stores various data handled by the terminal control unit 22. Note that the terminal storage unit 23 does not necessarily have to be provided within the terminal device 2, and part or all of the terminal storage unit 23 may be provided within another device (for example, on the cloud) that is communicatively connected to the terminal device 2 via the network 4.

[0021] The terminal input unit 24 is an interface for the user to input information to the terminal device 2, and is, for example, a touch panel or microphone in a mobile terminal, or a touch pad, keyboard, or mouse in a notebook computer.

[0022] The terminal display unit 25 is an interface that outputs various information to the user from the terminal device 2, and is, for example, a video display means such as a liquid crystal display. Specifically, for example, the terminal display unit 25 may display a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for receiving operations from the user.

[0023] The ETC card information reader 26 is a well-known card reader that reads the usage history recorded on the ETC card. By inserting the ETC card removed from the onboard device into the card reader, toll information (usage history information) for the roads the vehicle has traveled can be read. The toll information may include information on the entrance and exit interchanges used, as well as the toll (usage fee) before the application of any ex-post discounts. Note that, in this specification, ex-post discounts may include the bulk / high-frequency discounts available using the ETC corporate card, or may include other discounts (for example, "subject to partial discounts and fee adjustments" as described in Article 6, Paragraph 3, Item 5 of the ETC Usage Inquiry Service Terms of Use (https: / / www.etc-meisai.jp / rules.html)). The toll information may also include the date of use.

[0024] Next, the server 3 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the server 3 has a server communication unit 31, a server control unit 32, and a server storage unit 33. The units 31 to 33 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other. In the figure, the functional units that perform each function can be said to be means for performing each function.

[0025] Of these, the server communication unit 31 is a communication interface between the server 3 and the network 4. The server communication unit 31 transmits and receives information between the server 3 and the terminal device 2 via the network 4.

[0026] The server storage unit 33 is, for example, a fixed data storage such as a hard disk. The server storage unit 33 stores various data handled by the server control unit 32. For example, the server storage unit 33 includes a route network information database 33a including transportation network information, a map information database 33b including map information, and a road toll information database 33c.

[0027] Transportation network information is information that defines transportation networks such as railroads and buses, as well as road networks. Transportation network information includes transportation route information, timetable information, fare information, etc. Road network information is expressed by combining data on nodes, which are nodes on the road network representation, such as intersections, and data on links, which are road sections between the nodes.

[0028] The map information includes map data such as national and regional road maps, and map object information associated with the map data. The map object information includes shape information about the shapes of facilities displayed on the map, note information about notes displayed on the map, symbol information about symbols displayed on the map, etc. The map information may also include route map information about public transportation route maps.

[0029] The above traffic network information and map information may be updated at predetermined times.

[0030] The road toll information database 33c stores, for each road (for example, a toll road), road identification information (such as the road name) and information on the road's usage fee (toll fee) (such as a price list), in association with each other. Here, the road usage fee (toll fee) information stored in the road toll information database 33c may include information on discounts other than ex-post discounts (for example, information on time-of-day discounts, etc.).

[0031] In addition, the server memory unit 33 does not necessarily have to be located within the server 3, and part or all of the server memory unit 33 may be located within another device that is communicatively connected to the server 3 via the network 4.

[0032] The server control unit 32 has a toll information acquisition unit 32a, a driving route estimation unit 32b, an estimated discount amount estimation unit 32c, an estimated discount amount output unit 32d, an approval acceptance unit 32e, an invoice issuance unit 32f, a driving log acquisition unit 32g, and an image acquisition unit 32h. Each of these units 32a to 32h may be realized by a processor in the server 3 executing a predetermined program, or may be implemented in hardware.

[0033] The toll information acquisition unit 32a acquires toll information for the road on which the target vehicle has traveled. As an example, referring to FIG. 3, when a user inserts an ETC card removed from the onboard device of the target vehicle into the ETC card information reading unit 26 of the terminal device 2 and reads toll information for the road on which the target vehicle has traveled from the ETC card, the read toll information may be transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the server 3 using an API, and the toll information received by the server 3 may be acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a. As a variation, instead of reading toll information (including a combination of the entrance interchange, the exit interchange, and the toll before the application of the ex-post discount) from the ETC card using the ETC card information reading unit 26, the user may input the toll information (including the combination of the entrance interchange, the exit interchange, and the toll before the ex-post discount is applied) manually by operating the terminal input unit 24 or by uploading a data file such as a CSV file. The input toll information may be transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the server 3 using the API, and the toll information received by the server 3 may be acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a. As another example, referring to Figure 4, when the cloud console 50 is displayed on the terminal display unit 25, the user operates the terminal input unit 24 to input the target vehicle and target date in the input area 51 in the cloud console 50, the terminal control unit 22 identifies the ETC card information that has been pre-registered in association with the target vehicle, and uses the ETC card information to inquire about the target vehicle's usage history (tolls for the roads on which the target vehicle traveled) on the target date to an ETC usage inquiry service (not shown), and outputs the usage history information (toll information) obtained from the ETC usage inquiry service in a list in the output area 52 in the cloud console 50, and when the user selects from the list the expense for which they wish to settle, the selected toll information is sent from the terminal device 2 to the server 3, and the toll information received by the server 3 is acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a.

[0034] The driving route estimation unit 32b estimates the driving route that the target vehicle actually traveled (passed) on, based on the toll information for each road pre-stored in the road toll information database 33c and the toll information acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a. Here, the information on the estimated driving route may include information on one interchange that the target vehicle passed through, or information on a train consisting of multiple interchanges that the target vehicle passed through.

[0035] 6, the driving route estimation unit 32b extracts routes (candidate routes) connecting the entrance interchange to the exit interchange by route search, based on the information on the entrance interchange and the exit interchange included in the toll information acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a, with reference to the route network information database 33a and the map information database 33b including map information. Next, the driving route estimation unit 32b calculates the toll for each extracted candidate route with reference to the road toll information database 33c. The driving route estimation unit 32b then compares the toll for each candidate route with the toll included in the acquired toll information, and estimates that the candidate route with the matching toll is the driving route actually traveled (passed) by the target vehicle.

[0036] In the example shown in Figure 6, two candidate routes (candidate routes) connecting the entrance interchange to the exit interchange are extracted by route search, and the toll for the first candidate route (route 1) is 5,820 yen and the toll for the second candidate route (route 2) is 5,410 yen. If the toll information acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a (toll information acquired from an ETC card or ETC usage inquiry service) contains a toll of 5,820 yen, the driving route estimation unit 32b estimates that the first candidate route (route 1), which has the same toll, is the driving route that the target vehicle actually traveled (passed through).

[0037] In this way, even if there are many routes (candidate routes) connecting the entrance interchange to the exit interchange, the driving route estimation unit 32b can automatically estimate the driving route that the target vehicle actually traveled (passed).

[0038] The estimated discount amount estimation unit 32c divides the driving route estimated by the driving route estimation unit 32b into sections for each road, determines whether each section is eligible for a discount, and if so, calculates the discount amount by multiplying the toll for that section by the discount rate, and adds up the discount amounts for each discounted section to estimate the estimated discount amount.

[0039] For example, referring to Fig. 7, the approximate discount amount estimation unit 32c refers to the route network information database 33a, divides the driving route (route 1) estimated by the driving route estimation unit 32b into four sections, i.e., the Shuto Expressway, the Aqua Line, the Aqua Line Link Road, and the Tateyama Expressway, and determines whether each section is eligible for the large-volume / high-frequency discount. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the approximate discount amount estimation unit 32c determines that the Aqua Line and the Tateyama Expressway are eligible for the discount, and that the Shuto Expressway and the Aqua Line Link Road are not eligible for the discount.

[0040] 8, the approximate discount amount estimation unit 32c refers to the route network information database 33a or an external database, and identifies the discount rate for each of the Aqua Line and Tateyama Expressway that have been determined to be eligible for a discount. For example, if the discount rate varies depending on the monthly usage fee, the approximate discount amount estimation unit 32c refers to an external database that stores the monthly usage fee, identifies the monthly usage fee, and calculates the discount rate from the identified monthly usage fee. Next, the estimated discount amount estimation unit 32c multiplies the toll for the Aqua Line (Ukishima to Kisarazu Kaneda section), which is subject to the discount, of 2,200 yen by the discount rate of 20%, to calculate the discount amount for that section, which is 440 yen, and multiplies the toll for the Tateyama Expressway (Kisarazu JCT to Ichihara section), which is subject to the discount, of 2,100 yen by the discount rate of 15%, to calculate the discount amount for that section, which is 315 yen, and adds the discount amount for the Aqua Line and the discount amount for the Tateyama Expressway to estimate the estimated discount amount to be 755 yen.

[0041] The estimated discount amount output unit 32d outputs the estimated discount amount estimated by the estimated discount amount estimating unit 32c to the user. As an example, referring to FIG. 3, in a case where toll information read by the ETC card information reading unit 26 is transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the server 3 using an API, the estimated discount amount output unit 32d may transmit the estimated discount amount (and information about the driving route) estimated by the estimated discount amount estimating unit 32c to the terminal device 2 as an API response, and output it to the user via the terminal display unit 25. As another example, referring to FIG. 4, in a case where the user selects an expense for which they wish to settle from the list output in the cloud console 50, and the selected toll information is transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the server 3, referring to FIG. 5, the estimated discount amount output unit 32d may transmit a control signal to the terminal device 2 for outputting the estimated discount amount (and information about the driving route) estimated by the estimated discount amount estimating unit 32c, and display the estimated discount amount (and information about the driving route) in the cloud console 50 displayed on the terminal display unit 25.

[0042] The estimated discount amount output unit 32d may make the cloud console 50 displaying the estimated discount amount (and information on the travel route) viewable by other users authorized by the user (for example, a travel agency if the user is a chartered bus operator, or a shipper or a primary contractor if the user is a loading and unloading contractor in the logistics industry). In this case, other users authorized by the user can also access the cloud console 50 and check the basis for the estimated discount amount, which can improve the efficiency of accounting work on the other users' side.

[0043] The approval receiving unit 32e receives approval from the user for the estimated discount amount estimated by the estimated discount amount estimating unit 32c. For example, referring to Fig. 5, the approval receiving unit 32e displays an "Approve" button 55 in the cloud console 50 displaying the estimated discount amount, and when the user operates the terminal input unit 24 to click (or touch) the "Approve" button, information approving the estimated discount amount is transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the server 3, and the approval receiving unit 32e may accept this as approval from the user.

[0044] When the approval receiving unit 32e receives approval from the user, the invoice issuing unit 32f issues an invoice (for example, an invoice to a travel agency if the user is a chartered bus operator, or an invoice to a shipper / subcontractor if the user is a loading / unloading / subcontracting company in the logistics industry) based on the estimated discount amount estimated by the estimated discount amount estimating unit 32c.

[0045] The travel log acquisition unit 32g acquires a travel log (GPS log) of the target vehicle from, for example, an external server (not shown) that provides a navigation service. In this case, the travel route estimation unit 32b estimates the travel route that the target vehicle actually traveled (passed) by taking into account the travel log acquired by the travel log acquisition unit 32g. As a result, even if there are multiple candidate routes (candidate routes) connecting the entrance interchange and the exit interchange whose tolls match the tolls acquired from the ETC card or the ETC usage inquiry service, the accuracy of estimating the travel route that the target vehicle actually traveled (passed) can be improved by comparing each candidate route with the travel log acquired by the travel log acquisition unit 32g.

[0046] The video acquisition unit 32h acquires video recorded by the drive recorder of the target vehicle from, for example, an external server (not shown) that provides a navigation service with a drive recorder function. In this case, the driving route estimation unit 32b performs image analysis on the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 32h, identifies the entrance interchange and exit interchange used by the target vehicle or the interchange passed through (or the road itself used by the target vehicle) from guide signs and the like shown in the video, and estimates the driving route by further taking into consideration information on the identified interchange (or road). As a result, even if there are multiple candidate routes (candidate routes) connecting the entrance interchange to the exit interchange whose toll matches the toll obtained from the ETC card or ETC usage inquiry service, the accuracy of estimating the driving route actually traveled (passed) by the target vehicle can be improved by comparing each candidate route with the information identified from the video.

[0047] As a modified example, the toll information acquisition unit 32a may acquire toll information for the road on which the target vehicle traveled from video captured by a drive recorder acquired by the video acquisition unit 32h, instead of acquiring it from an ETC card or an ETC usage inquiry service. For example, the toll information acquisition unit 32a may perform image analysis on the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 32h to identify text information (e.g., the names of interchanges (entrance interchanges used, exit interchanges, and interchanges passed through) and road names displayed on guide signs) appearing in the video, and then refer to the route network information database 33a to identify toll information based on the names of the entrance interchanges and exit interchanges identified from the text information appearing in the video. In this case, the toll information acquisition unit 32a may improve the accuracy of identifying the toll information by taking into account the names of the interchanges passed through and the names of the roads identified from the text information appearing in the video.

[0048] (Example of operation) Next, an example of the operation of the information processing system 1 configured as above will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing system 1.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 2, first, the toll information acquisition unit 32a of the server 3 acquires toll information for the road on which the target vehicle has traveled (step S10). As an example, referring to Fig. 3, when a user inserts an ETC card removed from the onboard device of the target vehicle into the ETC card information reading unit 26 of the terminal device 2 and reads toll information for the road on which the target vehicle has traveled from the ETC card, the read toll information may be transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the server 3 using an API, and the toll information received by the server 3 may be acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a. As a variant example, when a user operates the terminal input unit 24 to directly input toll information (including a combination of the entrance interchange, the exit interchange, and the toll before the application of the ex-post discount) itself by manually inputting it or uploading a data file such as a CSV file, the input toll information may be transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the server 3 using the API, and the toll information received by the server 3 may be acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a. As another example, referring to Figure 4, when the cloud console 50 is displayed on the terminal display unit 25, the user operates the terminal input unit 24 to input the target vehicle and target date in the input area 51 in the cloud console 50, the terminal control unit 22 identifies the ETC card information that has been pre-registered in association with the target vehicle, and uses the ETC card information to inquire about the target vehicle's usage history (tolls for the roads on which the target vehicle traveled) on the target date to an ETC usage inquiry service (not shown), and outputs the usage history information (toll information) obtained from the ETC usage inquiry service in a list in the output area 52 in the cloud console 50, and when the user selects from the list the expense for which they wish to settle, the selected toll information is sent from the terminal device 2 to the server 3, and the toll information received by the server 3 is acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a.

[0050] As a variation of step S10, the video acquisition unit 32h of the server 3 may acquire video recorded by the drive recorder of the target vehicle from, for example, an external server (not shown) that provides a navigation service with a drive recorder function, and the toll information acquisition unit 32a may perform image analysis of the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 32h to identify text information (such as the names of interchanges (entrance interchange used, exit interchange, and passed interchange) and road names displayed on guide signs) that appears in the video, and may then refer to the route network information database 33a to identify toll information based on the identified names of the entrance interchange and exit interchange. In this case, the toll information acquisition unit 32a may improve the accuracy of identifying the toll information by taking into account the names of the passed interchanges and road names identified from the text information that appears in the video.

[0051] Next, the driving route estimation unit 32b estimates the driving route that the target vehicle actually traveled (passed) based on the toll information for each road pre-stored in the road toll information database 33c and the toll information acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a (step S20). For example, referring to Fig. 6, the driving route estimation unit 32b refers to the route network information database 33a and the map information database 33b including map information based on the information on the entrance interchange and the exit interchange included in the toll information acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a, and extracts candidate routes (Route 1 and Route 2 in the example shown in Fig. 6) connecting the entrance interchange to the exit interchange by route search. Next, the driving route estimation unit 32b refers to the road toll information database 33c and calculates the toll for each of the extracted candidate routes (Route 1 and Route 2). Then, the driving route estimation unit 32b compares the toll of each candidate route with the toll included in the acquired toll information, and estimates that the candidate route with the matching toll (route 1 in the example shown in Figure 6) is the driving route that the target vehicle actually traveled (passed).

[0052] In step S20, the driving log acquisition unit 32g acquires the driving log (GPS log) of the target vehicle, for example, from an external server (not shown) that provides a navigation service, and the driving route estimation unit 32b may estimate the driving route that the target vehicle actually traveled (passed) by taking into account the driving log acquired by the driving log acquisition unit 32g.

[0053] In step S20, the image acquisition unit 32h acquires the image recorded by the drive recorder of the target vehicle from, for example, an external server (not shown) that provides a navigation service with a drive recorder function, and the driving route estimation unit 32b performs image analysis of the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 32h to identify the entrance interchange and exit interchange used by the target vehicle, or the interchange passed through (or the road used itself), and may further take into consideration information about the identified interchange (or road) to estimate the driving route that the target vehicle actually traveled (passed through).

[0054] Next, the approximate discount amount estimation unit 32c divides the driving route estimated by the driving route estimation unit 32b into sections by road, determines whether each section is eligible for a discount, and if so, multiplies the toll for that section by a discount rate to calculate the discount amount, and adds up the discount amounts for each discounted section to estimate the approximate discount amount (step S30). For example, referring to FIG. 7, the approximate discount amount estimation unit 32c refers to the route network information database 33a and divides the driving route (Route 1) estimated by the driving route estimation unit 32b into four sections by road, namely, the Shuto Expressway, the Aqua Line, the Aqua Line Link Road, and the Tateyama Expressway, and determines whether each section is eligible for the large-volume / high-frequency discount. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the approximate discount amount estimation unit 32c determines that the Aqua Line and the Tateyama Expressway are eligible for a discount, but that the Shuto Expressway and the Aqua Line Link Road are not eligible for a discount. 8, the approximate discount amount estimation unit 32c refers to the route network information database 33a or an external database and identifies the discount rates for the Aqua Line and the Tateyama Expressway that have been determined to be eligible for the discount. The approximate discount amount estimation unit 32c then multiplies the toll of the Aqua Line (the section from Ukishima to Kisarazu Kaneda), which is eligible for the discount, by a discount rate of 20%, to calculate a discount amount of 440 yen for that section, multiplies the toll of the Tateyama Expressway (the section from Kisarazu JCT to Ichihara), which is eligible for the discount, by a discount rate of 15%, to calculate a discount amount of 315 yen for that section, and adds the discount amount for the Aqua Line and the discount amount for the Tateyama Expressway to estimate an approximate discount amount of 755 yen.

[0055] Next, the estimated discount amount output unit 32d outputs the estimated discount amount estimated by the estimated discount amount estimation unit 32c to the user (step S40). As an example, referring to Fig. 3, when the toll information read by the ETC card information reading unit 26 is transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the server 3 using an API, the estimated discount amount output unit 32d may transmit the estimated discount amount (and information on the driving route) estimated by the estimated discount amount estimation unit 32c to the terminal device 2 as a response to the API, and output it to the user via the terminal display unit 25. As another example, referring to Figure 4, when a user selects the expense for which they wish to settle from the list output in the cloud console 50 and the selected toll information is sent from the terminal device 2 to the server 3, referring to Figure 5, the discount estimate output unit 32d may send a control signal to the terminal device 2 to output the discount estimate (and information on the driving route) estimated by the discount estimate estimation unit 32c, and display the discount estimate (and information on the driving route) in the cloud console 50 displayed on the terminal display unit 25.

[0056] Next, the approval receiving unit 32e receives approval from the user for the estimated discount amount estimated by the estimated discount amount estimating unit 32c (step S50). For example, referring to Fig. 5, the approval receiving unit 32e displays an "Approve" button 55 in the cloud console 50 displaying the estimated discount amount, and when the user operates the terminal input unit 24 to click (or touch) the "Approve" button, information approving the estimated discount amount is transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the server 3, and the approval receiving unit 32e may accept this as approval from the user.

[0057] When the approval receiving unit 32e receives approval from the user, the invoice issuing unit 32f issues an invoice (for example, an invoice to a travel agency if the user is a chartered bus operator, or an invoice to a shipper / subcontractor if the user is a loading / unloading / subcontracting company in the logistics industry) based on the estimated discount amount estimated by the estimated discount amount estimating unit 32c (step S60).

[0058] As mentioned in the Background Technology section, in the past, when calculating the discount amount (estimated discount amount) for large-volume / high-frequency discounts, accountants at chartered bus operators and logistics companies would obtain toll information from the ETC card used by the target vehicle, then use route search to extract routes connecting the boarding interchange and the disembarking interchange (candidate routes), and compare the toll for each candidate route with the toll obtained from the ETC card to estimate the target vehicle's driving route from among the candidate routes. However, when there were many candidate routes, this estimation was difficult.

[0059] In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the driving route estimation unit 32b can automatically estimate the driving route that the target vehicle actually traveled (passed) on, based on the pre-stored toll information for each road and the toll information acquired by the toll information acquisition unit 32a. This allows chartered bus operators and logistics companies to streamline accounting work related to expressway toll settlement.

[0060] Additionally, in the past, when calculating the discount amount (estimated discount amount) for the high-volume / high-frequency discount, the accounting staff would divide the estimated driving route into road sections, and by checking the documents, determine whether or not each road section was eligible for the high-volume / high-frequency discount. They would then calculate the regular highway toll for each discounted section, multiply it by the discount rate for each road company to determine the discount amount, and finally add up the discount amounts for all eligible sections to calculate the estimated discount amount.

[0061] In contrast, according to this embodiment, the approximate discount amount estimation unit 32c divides the driving route estimated by the driving route estimation unit 32b into sections for each road, determines whether each section is eligible for a discount, and if so, calculates the discount amount by multiplying the toll for that section by the discount rate, and automatically estimates the approximate discount amount by adding up the discount amounts for each discounted section. This enables chartered bus operators and logistics companies to further streamline accounting operations related to highway toll settlement.

[0062] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the approval receiving unit 32e receives approval from the user for the estimated discount amount estimated by the estimated discount amount estimating unit 32c, the invoice issuing unit 32f automatically issues an invoice based on the estimated discount amount estimated by the estimated discount amount estimating unit 32c, thereby further improving the efficiency of accounting work related to highway toll settlement.

[0063] At least a part of the information processing system 1 described in the above embodiment may be configured with hardware or software. When configured with hardware, a program that realizes at least a part of the functions of the information processing system 1 may be stored on a recording medium such as a flexible disk or a CD-ROM, and may be read and executed by a computer. The recording medium is not limited to removable recording media such as magnetic disks and optical disks, but may also be fixed recording media such as hard disk drives and memories.

[0064] In addition, a program that realizes at least some of the functions of the information processing system 1 may be distributed via a communication line (including wireless communication) such as the Internet. Furthermore, the program may be encrypted, modulated, or compressed and distributed via a wired line or wireless line such as the Internet, or stored on a recording medium.

[0065] Furthermore, the information processing system 1 may be operated by one or more information processing devices. When multiple information processing devices are used, one of the information processing devices may be a computer, and the computer may execute a predetermined program to realize the functions of at least one means of the information processing system 1.

[0066] In the method invention, all processes (steps) may be realized by automatic control using a computer. Alternatively, each process may be performed by a computer, with progress control between processes being performed manually. Furthermore, at least some of the processes may be performed manually.

[0067] Based on the above description, a person skilled in the art may conceive additional effects and various modifications of the present invention, but the aspects of the present invention are not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, modifications, and partial deletions are possible within the scope of the conceptual idea and spirit of the present invention, which is derived from the content defined in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Information Processing Systems 2. Terminal Device 21 Terminal communication unit 22 Terminal control unit 23 Terminal memory section 24 Terminal input section 25 Terminal display 26 ETC card information reader 3 Server 31 Server Communication Department 32 Server control unit 32a Toll information acquisition unit 32b Travel path estimation unit 32c Discount Estimation Section 32d Discount Estimate Output Section 32e Approval Reception Department 32f Billing Department 32g Driving log acquisition section 32h Video acquisition section 33 Server storage unit 33a Route Network Information Database 33b Map information database 33c Road Toll Information Database 4 Network

Claims

1. A means for acquiring toll information for the roads traveled; means for estimating a travel route based on pre-stored toll information for each road and the toll information; An information processing system comprising:

2. The toll information includes information on the entrance and exit interchanges used and the toll fare before applying a discount. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

3. The travel route includes information on one interchange that has been passed through, or information on a train consisting of multiple interchanges that have been passed through. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

4. A means for dividing the travel route into sections by road, determining whether each section is eligible for a discount, and if so, calculating the discount amount by multiplying the toll for that section by a discount rate, and adding up the discount amounts for each discount-eligible section to estimate an approximate discount amount. The information processing system according to claim 2 , further comprising:

5. means for outputting the estimated discount amount to a user; means for accepting approval from the user for the estimated discount amount; means for issuing an invoice based on the estimated discount amount upon receiving approval from the user; The information processing system according to claim 4, further comprising:

6. Further comprising means for acquiring a driving log, the estimating means estimates the travel route by further taking the travel log into consideration. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

7. Further comprising a means for acquiring video recorded by the drive recorder, the estimating means performs image analysis on the video to identify the entrance interchange and exit interchange used, or the interchange that the vehicle has passed through, and estimates the driving route by further taking into consideration information on the identified interchange. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

8. Computer, A means for acquiring toll information for the roads traveled; means for estimating a travel route based on pre-stored toll information for each road and the toll information; An information processing program that functions as a

9. An information processing system configured by a plurality of computers connected to each other in a communicable manner, A means for acquiring toll information for the roads traveled; means for estimating a travel route based on pre-stored toll information for each road and the toll information; In order to make the information processing system with An information processing program for causing at least one of the computers to function as at least one of the means.

10. In order to make the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 function using a plurality of computers connected in a communicable manner, An information processing program for causing at least one of the computers to function as at least one of the means in the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

11. An information processing program for causing a computer to function as at least one of the means in the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

12. 1. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising: acquiring toll information for the roads traveled; a step of estimating a travel route based on pre-stored fee information for each road and the toll information; An information processing method including:

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