Traffic management device, system, program, and traffic management method

Abstract

Reduce the burden on people with hearing impairments. [Solution] An operation management device 20 automatically operates a plurality of vehicles VH. When the operation management device 20 identifies a reservation holder 11 who has reserved a route on which the plurality of vehicles VH are operated as being hearing impaired based on reservation data including attributes of the reservation holder 11, the operation management device 20 determines whether one or more remote operators OP who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle have a sign language operator who can sign, based on operator data including attributes of each of the one or more remote operators OP, and includes a control unit that selects a vehicle to be allocated from the plurality of vehicles VH to the route reserved by the reservation holder 11 according to the determination result.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a traffic management device, a system, a program, and a traffic management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle operation management system in which a remote monitor manages the operation status of a vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-45502 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If a passenger in an autonomous vehicle is hearing impaired, they may be unable to hear or have difficulty hearing sounds, making it difficult for them to hear announcements made on the vehicle's in-car broadcasts. If a malfunction occurs in an autonomous vehicle, a remote operator who remotely monitors the vehicle may provide instructions to the passengers of the vehicle via voice announcements or other means. In such cases, the voice announcements from the remote operator are difficult for the hearing impaired to hear. Furthermore, in many cases, communication between the vehicle passengers and the remote operator is verbal. Even in such cases, it is difficult for the hearing impaired to communicate verbally with the remote operator. If announcements are not conveyed to the hearing impaired, or if the hearing impaired cannot communicate with the remote operator, the hearing impaired will become anxious because they do not understand what is happening, which increases the burden on the hearing impaired when using an autonomous vehicle.

[0005] The purpose of the present disclosure is to reduce the burden on people with hearing impairments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The traffic management device according to the present disclosure includes: An operation management device that operates a plurality of vehicles by automatic driving, When it is determined that a person who has made a reservation for a route on which the plurality of vehicles are operated is hearing impaired based on reservation data including the attributes of the person, the control unit determines whether or not one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle have a sign language operator who can sign, and selects a vehicle to be allocated from the plurality of vehicles to the route reserved by the person who has made a reservation based on operator data including the attributes of each of the one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle, and based on the determination result.

[0007] The program according to the present disclosure is A computer that functions as an operation management device that operates multiple vehicles by automatic driving, When it is determined that a person who has made a reservation for a route on which the plurality of vehicles are operated is a hearing impaired person based on reservation data including attributes of the person who made a reservation, it is determined whether or not one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle have a sign language operator who can sign; selecting a vehicle to be allocated to the route reserved by the reserving user from among the plurality of vehicles according to the determination result; Execute an operation including:

[0008] The traffic management method according to the present disclosure includes: A traffic management method for operating a plurality of vehicles by automatic driving, Identifying by a control unit whether a person who has made a reservation for a route on which the plurality of vehicles are operated is hearing impaired based on reservation data including attributes of the person who has made a reservation; When the control unit identifies the reservation holder as a hearing impaired person, it determines whether or not one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle have a sign language operator who can sign, based on operator data including attributes of each of the one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle; The control unit selects, according to the result of the determination, from among the plurality of vehicles, a vehicle to be allocated to the route reserved by the reservation user. Includes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, the burden on the hearing impaired is reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an operation management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a server device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the operation management device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0013] The configuration of a system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0014] The system 10 according to this embodiment includes at least one operation management device 20, at least one server device 30, a plurality of vehicles VH, and at least one terminal device 40. The system 10 is used to provide mobility services such as MaaS. "MaaS" is an abbreviation for Mobility-as-a-Service.

[0015] The traffic management device 20 is capable of communicating with the server device 30 and the terminal device 40 via a network 50 such as the Internet. The traffic management device 20 may also be capable of communicating with each vehicle VH via the network 50.

[0016] The server device 30 is capable of communicating with not only the fleet management device 20 but also each vehicle VH via the network 50. The server device 30 may be capable of communicating with the terminal device 40 via the network 50.

[0017] The traffic management device 20 is installed in a facility such as a data center for acquiring, storing, and processing data such as vehicle data D1 and reservation data D2, and is operated by a traffic management manager who manages the system 10. The vehicle data D1 is data including information indicating the type of equipment installed in each vehicle VH. The reservation data D2 is data including attributes At1 of the reservation holder 11 who intends to use a route on which multiple vehicles VH operate. In this embodiment, the attribute At1 included in the reservation data D2 registers whether the reservation holder 11 has a hearing impairment. In this embodiment, the hearing impairment includes total deafness, which means the inability to hear sound, and hearing loss, which means the inability to hear sound. The attribute At1 may also register the level of hearing loss of the reservation holder 11. The traffic management device 20 is, for example, a computer such as a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system. The traffic management device 20 may be installed in a control room of the system 10 and used by the traffic management manager. Alternatively, the traffic management device 20 installed in the control room may be shared by two or more traffic management managers. In this embodiment, the operation management device 20 automatically operates a plurality of vehicles VH along a predetermined route.

[0018] The server device 30 is installed in a facility such as a data center. In this embodiment, the server device 30 is installed in a remote monitoring center RC for remotely monitoring the automatic operation of each vehicle VH. In this embodiment, at the remote monitoring center RC, one or more remote operators OP provide remote support for the automatic operation of each vehicle VH. The server device 30 is a computer such as a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system. The server device 30 acquires, stores, and processes operator data D3 at the remote monitoring center RC. The operator data D3 is data including an attribute At2 of each of one or more remote operators OP. In this embodiment, the attribute At2 registers whether each remote operator OP is a sign language operator OP' who can sign language.

[0019] The multiple vehicles VH include vehicles VH1 to VHn, where n is a natural number. The number of vehicles VH may be determined arbitrarily. In this embodiment, each vehicle VH operates as an on-demand bus, but is not limited to this. The vehicle may be a taxi or the like as long as it can transport the reservation holder 11 to the destination P1 in response to a reservation from the reservation holder 11. Each vehicle VH can transport one or more passengers. Each vehicle VH may be any type of automobile, such as a gasoline vehicle, a diesel vehicle, a hydrogen vehicle, an HEV, a PHEV, a BEV, or an FCEV. "HEV" is an abbreviation for hybrid electric vehicle. "PHEV" is an abbreviation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. "BEV" is an abbreviation for battery electric vehicle. "FCEV" is an abbreviation for fuel cell electric vehicle. In this embodiment, each vehicle VH is a MaaS-dedicated vehicle, but may also be an AV with an arbitrary level of automated driving. "AV" is an abbreviation for autonomous vehicle. The level of automation is, for example, any one of Level 1 to Level 5 in the SAE classification. "SAE" is an abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers. In this embodiment, each vehicle VH is equipped with an information processing device 14. The information processing device 14 is, for example, a computer on which autonomous driving control software is installed, and a device that can be equipped with sensors such as a camera and LIDAR, but is not limited to this and may be any device. The information processing device 14 is mounted on any part of the vehicle VH, such as the rooftop of the vehicle VH. In this embodiment, the information processing device 14 acquires position data of the vehicle VH, or information indicating the names of stops where the vehicle VH has stopped or the departure and arrival status of the vehicle VH, and transmits the acquired information to the operation management device 20 as operation status data D4.

[0020] The terminal device 40 is held by a reservation person 11 who makes a reservation for use of a route on which multiple vehicles VH operate. The terminal device 40 is, for example, a mobile device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet, or a PC. "PC" is an abbreviation for personal computer. In this embodiment, the reservation person 11 is a hearing-impaired person 11'.

[0021] Network 50 may include the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or a combination thereof. "WAN" is an abbreviation for wide area network. "MAN" is an abbreviation for metropolitan area network. Network 50 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or a combination thereof. A wireless network may be, for example, an ad-hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network.

[0022] An overview of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0023] In the system 10, the operation management device 20 functions as a mobility service platform. In summary, the operation management device 20 accepts reservations from multiple reservation holders, including the reservation holder 11. The operation management device 20 operates multiple vehicles VH on demand based on each reservation. For example, the operation management device 20 selects a vehicle VH′ to be allocated to the reservation holder 11 from the multiple vehicles VH in accordance with the reservation from the reservation holder 11, and operates the vehicle VH′ by autonomous driving. In this embodiment, information indicating reservations from multiple reservation holders, including the reservation holder 11, is managed by the operation management device 20 as reservation data D2. The reservation data D2 includes, for example, basic information indicating the destination P1, boarding location P2, and boarding date and time T1 input by each reservation holder, as well as information indicating attributes At1 of each reservation holder. The attribute At1 registers whether each reservation holder has a hearing impairment. The attribute At1 may also register the level of hearing loss of each reservation holder. In this embodiment, the reserving person 11 operates the terminal device 40 to reserve the use of a route on which the vehicle VH operates. Specifically, the reserving person 11 inputs into the terminal device 40 the desired destination P1', the boarding location P2', the boarding date and time T1', and an attribute At1' of the reserving person 11 that the reserving person 11 has a hearing impairment. The terminal device 40 transmits the information input by the reserving person 11 to the operation management device 20 as reservation data D2'.

[0024] In this embodiment, at the remote monitoring center RC, one or more remote operators OP remotely support the automatic operation of each vehicle VH. That is, the remote operator OP can monitor and remotely control each vehicle VH during automatic operation. The one or more remote operators OP may include remote operators other than remote operators OP1 and OP2. The remote operator OP also responds to inquiries from passengers received while remotely supporting the operation of each vehicle VH. Furthermore, if a malfunction such as a breakdown occurs in a vehicle VH, the remote operator OP provides guidance to passengers of that vehicle VH.

[0025] The operation management device 20 identifies the reservation holder 11 as a hearing-impaired person 11' based on the reservation data D2' transmitted from the terminal device 40. The operation management device 20 determines whether one or more remote operators OP include a sign language operator OP' who can sign based on operator data D3 including attributes At2 of each of the one or more remote operators OP. In this embodiment, the operator data D3 is transmitted from, for example, the server device 30 to the operation management device 20. Based on the determination result, the operation management device 20 selects a vehicle VH' to be allocated from among multiple vehicles VH to the route reserved by the reservation holder 11. In this embodiment, the operation management device 20 selects a vehicle VH' to be allocated from among multiple vehicles VH to the route reserved by the reservation holder 11. In this embodiment, the selection of the vehicle VH' to be allocated by the operation management device 20 is performed based on vehicle data D1. The vehicle data D1 includes information indicating the type of equipment installed in each of the multiple vehicles VH for each vehicle. The types of equipment installed in the vehicle VH include a first device d1 and a second device d2. The first device d1 is a device that supports communication between the reservation person 11 and the sign language operator OP' using sign language. Specifically, the first device d1 includes an imaging device that photographs the reservation person 11 and a display device that displays an image or video of the sign language operator OP'. The imaging device is, for example, a camera or a monitor. The display device is, for example, a display. The second device d2 is a device that supports communication between the reservation person 11 and the remote operator OP without using sign language. Specifically, the second device d2 is a writing tool or a writing tablet. When it is determined that the sign language operator OP' is present, the operation management device 20 refers to the vehicle data D1 and selects the first vehicle VH1 equipped with the first device d1 as the vehicle VH' to be dispatched. On the other hand, when it is determined that the sign language operator OP' is not present, the operation management device 20 refers to the vehicle data D1 and selects the second vehicle VH2 equipped with the second device d2 as the vehicle VH' to be dispatched.

[0026] According to this embodiment, when the reservation person 11 is a hearing-impaired person 11′, it is determined whether or not a sign language operator OP′ who can sign is present among one or more remote operators OP who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle. Then, based on the determination result, a vehicle VH′ to be allocated is selected from multiple vehicles VH. Specifically, when it is determined that a sign language operator OP′ is present, a first vehicle VH1 equipped with a first device d1 that supports communication between the reservation person 11 and the sign language operator OP′ using sign language is selected as the vehicle to be allocated VH′. On the other hand, when it is determined that a sign language operator OP′ is not present, a second vehicle VH2 equipped with a second device d2 that supports communication between the reservation person 11 and the remote operator OP without using sign language is selected as the vehicle to be allocated VH′. In other words, when the reservation person 11 is hearing-impaired, the communication means between the remote operator OP and the reservation person 11 in the vehicle VH′ is changed to a means different from the usual means. Therefore, a means suitable for the reservation person 11 is provided as a means of communication between the reservation person 11 and the remote operator OP. This makes it easier for the reservation person 11 to communicate with the remote operator OP, reduces the anxiety of hearing-impaired people when riding in an autonomously driven vehicle, and improves the convenience of hearing-impaired people when riding in an autonomously driven vehicle. As a result, the burden on hearing-impaired people is reduced.

[0027] The configuration of the operation management device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0028] The operation management device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0029] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. "CPU" is an abbreviation for central processing unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. An example of the programmable circuit is an FPGA. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for field-programmable gate array. An example of the dedicated circuit is an ASIC. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 21 controls each part of the traffic management device 20 and executes processing related to the operation of the traffic management device 20.

[0030] The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination thereof. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM or ROM. "RAM" is an abbreviation for random access memory. "ROM" is an abbreviation for read only memory. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. "SRAM" is an abbreviation for static random access memory. "DRAM" is an abbreviation for dynamic random access memory. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. "EEPROM" is an abbreviation for electrically erasable programmable read only memory. The storage unit 22 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores data used in the operation of the traffic management device 20 and data obtained by the operation of the traffic management device 20. In this embodiment, the storage unit 22 may store vehicle data D1, reservation data D2, or operator data D3.

[0031] The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication unit 23 receives data used in the operation of the traffic management device 20 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the traffic management device 20. In this embodiment, the communication unit 23 communicates with the server device 30 and the terminal device 40. The communication unit 23 may also communicate with each vehicle VH. For example, the control unit 21 may receive vehicle data D1 from each vehicle VH via the communication unit 23. The control unit 21 may receive reservation data D2 from the terminal device 40 via the communication unit 23. The control unit 21 may also receive operator data D3 from the server device 30 via the communication unit 23.

[0032] The functions of the traffic management device 20 are realized by executing a program according to this embodiment on a processor serving as the control unit 21. That is, the functions of the traffic management device 20 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the traffic management device 20, thereby causing the computer to function as the traffic management device 20. That is, the computer functions as the traffic management device 20 by executing the operations of the traffic management device 20 in accordance with the program.

[0033] The program can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include flash memory, magnetic recording devices, optical disks, magneto-optical recording media, and ROMs. The program can be distributed by selling, transferring, or lending portable media such as SD cards, DVDs, or CD-ROMs that store the program. "SD" is an abbreviation for Secure Digital. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program can also be distributed by storing it in the storage of a server and transferring it from the server to another computer. The program can also be provided as a program product.

[0034] A computer temporarily stores a program stored on a portable medium or transferred from a server in its main storage device. The computer then reads the program stored in the main storage device using a processor and executes processing in accordance with the read program. The computer may also read the program directly from a portable medium and execute processing in accordance with the program. The computer may also execute processing in accordance with the received program each time a program is transferred from a server to the computer. Processing may also be executed through a so-called ASP-type service that achieves its functions by issuing execution instructions and obtaining results without transferring the program from the server to the computer. "ASP" is an abbreviation for application service provider. A program is information used for processing by a computer and includes something equivalent to a program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to a computer but has properties that specify computer processing falls under the category of "something equivalent to a program."

[0035] Some or all of the functions of the traffic management device 20 may be realized by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 21. In other words, some or all of the functions of the traffic management device 20 may be realized by hardware.

[0036] The configuration of the server device 30 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0037] The server device 30 includes a server control unit 31, a server storage unit 32, and a server communication unit 33.

[0038] The server control unit 31 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. The server control unit 31 controls each unit of the server device 30 and executes processes related to the operation of the server device 30.

[0039] The server storage unit 32 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM or ROM. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The server storage unit 32 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The server storage unit 32 stores data used in the operation of the server device 30 and data obtained by the operation of the server device 30. In this embodiment, the server storage unit 32 may also store operator data D3.

[0040] The server communication unit 33 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The server communication unit 33 receives data used in the operation of the server device 30 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the server device 30. In this embodiment, the server communication unit 33 communicates with the fleet management device 20 and each vehicle VH. The server control unit 31 may receive vehicle data D1 from the vehicle VH via the server communication unit 33. The server control unit 31 may build the vehicle data D1 as a database in the server storage unit 32. The server communication unit 33 may communicate with the terminal device 40.

[0041] Some or all of the functions of the server device 30 may be realized by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the server control unit 31. In other words, some or all of the functions of the server device 30 may be realized by hardware.

[0042] The operation of the traffic management device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. This operation corresponds to the traffic management method according to this embodiment.

[0043] In step S1, the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 determines whether the reservation holder 11 who has made a reservation for use of a route on which multiple vehicles VH are operated is a hearing-impaired person 11' based on reservation data D2' including attributes At1' of the reservation holder 11. The reservation data D2' may be acquired by any procedure, but is acquired, for example, by the following means.

[0044] In this embodiment, the terminal device 40 of the reserving person 11 accepts input of reservation data D2′ by the reserving person 11. Specifically, the terminal device 40 accepts, via an input unit such as a touch screen or a microphone, an operation by the reserving person 11 to input the desired destination P1′, boarding location P2′, and boarding date and time T1′, as well as an attribute At1′ of the reserving person 11 indicating that the reserving person 11 is a hearing-impaired person 11′. The terminal device 40 may also accept an operation by the reserving person 11 to input the level of hearing loss. The terminal device 40 transmits information indicating each item input by the reserving person 11 as reservation data D2′ to the traffic management device 20. The control unit 21 of the traffic management device 20 receives the reservation data D2′ transmitted from the terminal device 40 via the communication unit 23 and acquires the received reservation data D2′. The control unit 21 stores the acquired reservation data D2′ in the storage unit 22.

[0045] The control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 reads out the reservation data D2' stored in the memory unit 22, and identifies the reservation person 11 as a hearing-impaired person 11' based on the read-out reservation data D2'. If the reservation person 11 is identified as a hearing-impaired person 11' in step S1, processing in step S2 is performed. On the other hand, if the reservation person 11 is identified as not a hearing-impaired person 11' in step S1, the flow in FIG. 4 ends.

[0046] In step S2, the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 determines whether or not there is a sign language operator OP' who can speak sign language among the one or more remote operators OP, based on the operator data D3. The operator data D3 is data including the attribute At2 of each of the one or more remote operators OP. As described above, in this embodiment, whether or not each remote operator OP can speak sign language is registered as the attribute At2.

[0047] The operator data D3 may be acquired by any procedure, but in this embodiment, for example, it is acquired by the following procedure. One or more remote operators OP each input information indicating whether they can speak sign language as registration information to a server device 30 installed in the remote monitoring center RC. The server device 30 accepts the input of the registration information by each remote operator OP as input of the attribute At2. Specifically, the server device 30 accepts an operation by each remote operator OP to input, as registration information, that the remote operator OP can speak sign language, via an input unit such as a touch screen or a microphone. The server device 30 includes the registration information input by the remote operator OP as the attribute At2 in the operator data D3. The server device 30 transmits the operator data D3 to the traffic management device 20 via the server communication unit 33. The control unit 21 of the traffic management device 20 receives the operator data D3 transmitted from the server device 30 via the communication unit 23 and acquires the received operator data D3. The control unit 21 stores the acquired operator data D3 in the storage unit 22.

[0048] The control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 reads out the operator data D3 stored in the memory unit 22, and determines whether or not there is a sign language operator OP' who can speak sign language among one or more remote operators OP, based on the attribute At2 included in the read-out operator data D3.

[0049] If it is determined in step S2 that a sign language operator OP' is present, the process of step S3 is performed. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that a sign language operator OP' is not present, the process of step S4 is performed.

[0050] In step S3, the control unit 21 of the traffic management device 20 selects the first vehicle VH1 equipped with the first device d1 as the vehicle VH' to be allocated to the route reserved by the reservation person 11. The first device d1 is a device that supports communication via sign language between the reservation person 11 and the sign language operator OP'. Specifically, the control unit 21 of the traffic management device 20 refers to the vehicle data D1 and selects the vehicle VH equipped with the first device d1 as equipment as the first vehicle VH1. As described above, the vehicle data D1 includes information indicating the type of equipment installed in each vehicle VH for each vehicle. In this embodiment, the first device d1 includes an imaging device that captures an image of the reservation person 11 and a display device that displays an image or video of the sign language operator OP'. The imaging device includes, for example, a camera or a monitor. The display device includes, for example, a display. However, the first device d1 is not limited to these and may be any device that supports communication via sign language between the reservation person 11 and the sign language operator OP'. The first device d1 is mounted so as to be accessible from any one of one or more seats in the ride-hailing vehicle VH'.

[0051] In step S4, the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 selects the second vehicle VH2 equipped with the second device d2 as the vehicle to be allocated VH'. The second device d2 is a device that supports communication between the reservation person 11 and the remote operator OP without using sign language. Specifically, the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 refers to the vehicle data D1 and selects the vehicle VH equipped with the second device d2 as the equipment as the second vehicle VH2. In this embodiment, the second device d2 includes a writing device or a writing tablet. However, the second device d2 is not limited to a writing device and may be any device that supports communication between the reservation person 11 and the remote operator OP without using sign language. The second device d2 is equipped so as to be usable from any one or more seats in the vehicle to be allocated VH'.

[0052] In step S5, the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 determines whether the reserving person 11 has boarded the allocated vehicle VH'. The determination of whether the reserving person 11 has boarded the allocated vehicle VH' may be performed using any procedure. In this embodiment, the control unit 21 determines whether the reserving person 11 has boarded the allocated vehicle VH' based on the result of identifying one or more passengers boarding the allocated vehicle VH' by facial recognition. Specifically, the reserving person 11 registers a facial image F of the reserving person 11 when inputting reservation data D2' into the terminal device 40. The terminal device 40 transmits the facial image F registered by the reserving person 11 to the operation management device 20 together with the reservation data D2'. The control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 receives the facial image F of the reserving person 11 and the reservation data D2' transmitted from the terminal device 40 via the communication unit 23, and acquires the received facial image F and reservation data D2'. The control unit 21 stores the acquired face image F in the storage unit 22 in association with the reservation data D2'.

[0053] The control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 acquires an image of one or more passengers aboard the dispatched vehicle VH'. Specifically, the control unit 21 receives an image of the interior of the dispatched vehicle VH', taken by a sensor such as a camera provided in the information processing device 14' mounted on the dispatched vehicle VH', from the information processing device 14' via the communication unit 23. The control unit 21 determines whether the facial image F of the reserving person 11 matches the face of a person aboard the dispatched vehicle VH' in the received image using facial recognition technology. If a match is determined, the control unit 21 determines that the reserving person 11 has boarded the dispatched vehicle VH'. Here, instead of the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 making the determination using facial recognition, the information processing device 14' may make the determination using facial recognition. As a variation of this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 may acquire the ID' of the reserving person 11 in advance instead of the facial image F of the reserving person 11, and may determine that the reserving person 11 has boarded the allocated vehicle VH' by comparing the IDs presented by one or more passengers boarding the allocated vehicle VH' with the previously acquired ID'. "ID" is an abbreviation for "identifier." Here, instead of the control unit 21 comparing the IDs to make the determination, the information processing device 14' may compare the IDs to make the determination. Alternatively, as another variation of this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 may determine that the reserving person 11 has boarded the allocated vehicle VH' based on the determination that the allocated vehicle VH' has arrived at the boarding location P2' at the boarding date and time T1' indicated in the reservation data D2'. The control unit 21 determines that the dispatched vehicle VH' has arrived at the boarding location P2' at the boarding date and time T1' indicated in the reservation data D2' based on the location data of the dispatched vehicle VH' indicated in the operation status data D4' transmitted from the information processing device 14' installed in the dispatched vehicle VH', or the name of the stop where the dispatched vehicle VH' has stopped or information indicating the departure and arrival status of the dispatched vehicle VH'.

[0054] The process of step S5 is repeated until the control unit 21 determines that the reservation person 11 has boarded the allocated vehicle VH'. When the control unit 21 determines in step S5 that the reservation person 11 has boarded the allocated vehicle VH', the process of step S6 is performed.

[0055] In step S6, the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 controls to output a guidance G for instructing the reservation holder 11 to sit in an available seat X using the first device d1 or the second device d2. The guidance G includes a voice guidance G1 or a text or sign guidance G2. The guidance G may be output by any means. For example, the control unit 21 controls an output device, such as a speaker, provided in the dispatch vehicle VH′ to output a message M1, "Please take a seat X," as the guidance G1, by voice. In this embodiment, the speaker serving as the output device is a directional speaker. However, the speaker is not limited to a directional speaker and may be a general-purpose speaker. Alternatively, the control unit 21 controls an output device, such as a signage provided in the dispatch vehicle VH′, to output the message M1 in text as the guidance G2. Alternatively, a light-emitting element or the like may be provided in the seat X as the output device, and the control unit 21 controls the light-emitting element to blink. As a result, the control unit 21 performs control to output a sign-based guidance G2 as guidance G. The reservation holder 11 recognizes this visual information and is guided to seat X. Furthermore, in addition to guidance G, the control unit 21 may perform control to output a message M2 as an in-car announcement to passengers around the reservation holder 11, requesting them to vacate seat X.

[0056] As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 detects that a hearing-impaired person has boarded the vehicle and notifies the autonomous vehicle guidance G in a manner different from the usual manner. Therefore, when a hearing-impaired person boards the vehicle, the means of communication with the remote monitoring operator is changed to a means different from the usual means.

[0057] According to this embodiment, a means suitable for the hearing-impaired is provided as a means of communication between the hearing-impaired and the remote operator OP in an autonomously driven vehicle. That is, when a hearing-impaired person boards a vehicle, a sign language operator OP' capable of sign language is assigned as the remote operator OP, and a vehicle VH equipped with a first device d1 such as a camera and a monitor is dispatched as the dispatched vehicle VH'. Alternatively, if a sign language operator OP' cannot be assigned, a vehicle VH equipped with a second device d2 such as a device capable of written communication, such as a writing device or a writing tablet, is dispatched as the dispatched vehicle VH'. Therefore, even if the reservation person 11 is hearing-impaired, communication with the remote operator OP is facilitated. This reduces the anxiety of hearing-impaired persons, such as hard-of-hearing persons, and improves the convenience of hearing-impaired persons when boarding an autonomously driven vehicle. In this way, the burden on the hearing-impaired is reduced.

[0058] As a modified example of this embodiment, the attribute At1 of each reservation person included in the reservation data D2 may further register the hearing loss level of each reservation person. When it is determined in step S5 that the reservation person 11 has boarded the dispatched vehicle VH', the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 may identify the hearing loss level of the reservation person 11 based on the reservation data D2'. The control unit 21 may perform control to adjust the output format of the guidance G according to the identified hearing loss level. Specifically, when the guidance G is audio guidance G1, the control unit 21 may perform control to adjust the output format of the guidance G by increasing the volume of the guidance G1 as the hearing loss level registered as the attribute At1 included in the reservation data D2 increases. Hearing loss levels are generally classified into four levels based on the audible sound volume in dB: "mild hearing loss," which means the inability to hear sounds between 25 dB and 40 dB; "moderate hearing loss," which means the inability to hear sounds between 40 dB and 70 dB; "severe hearing loss," which means the inability to hear sounds between 70 dB and 90 dB; and "profound hearing loss," which means the inability to hear sounds above 90 dB. "dB" is an abbreviation for decibel. Here, hearing sounds below 25 dB is considered "normal." If the hearing loss level is "mild," the control unit 21 sets the volume of the guidance G1 to 40 dB or higher. If the hearing loss level is "moderate," the control unit 21 sets the volume of the guidance G1 to 70 dB or higher. If the hearing loss level is "severe hearing loss" or "profound hearing loss," the control unit 21 sets the volume of the guidance G1 to 90 dB or higher. Here, if the level of hearing loss is "severe hearing loss" or "profound hearing loss," the control unit 21 may set the volume of the guidance G1 to 90 dB or more, or may add vibration instead of setting the volume of the guidance G1 to 90 dB or more. This is because if the volume is set too high, fellow passengers with normal hearing may perceive it as noise. Alternatively, if the level of hearing loss of the reservation person 11 is "severe hearing loss" or "profound hearing loss," it is thought that the reservation person 11 will not be able to hear the volume even if it is set to 90 dB or more.

[0059] As another example of this variation, if the guidance G is a text guidance G2, the control unit 21 of the traffic management device 20 may adjust the output format of the guidance G by controlling the display time of the guidance G2 to be longer as the hearing loss level registered as the attribute At1 included in the reservation data D2 increases. Specifically, the control unit 21 may adjust the output format of the guidance G by controlling the display time of the guidance G2 to be increased by N seconds for each increase in the hearing loss level. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may adjust the output format of the guidance G by controlling the number of times the guidance G2 is displayed as the hearing loss level increases. Specifically, the control unit 21 may increase the number of times the guidance G2 is displayed by n times for each increase in the hearing loss level registered as the attribute At1 included in the reservation data D2. If the guidance G is a sign guidance G2 and is output by blinking a light-emitting element provided as an output device in the seat X, the control unit 21 may increase the number of times the guidance G2 is displayed by increasing the blinking cycle per unit time for each increase in the hearing loss level.

[0060] With this configuration, the volume of the guidance G1 is increased, or the display time or number of times of guidance G2 is increased, depending on the degree of hearing loss of the reservation holder 11. This makes it easier for the reservation holder 11 to notice the guidance G. This further reduces the anxiety of hearing-impaired persons when riding in an autonomously driven vehicle, and further improves the convenience of hearing-impaired persons when riding in an autonomously driven vehicle. As a result, the burden on the hearing-impaired person is further reduced.

[0061] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, two or more blocks shown in the block diagrams may be integrated, or one block may be divided. Two or more steps shown in the flowcharts may be executed in parallel or in a different order, instead of being executed in chronological order as described, depending on the processing capabilities of the device executing each step, or as needed. Other modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0062] For example, if the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 determines in step S5 that the reserving person 11 has boarded the vehicle, the control unit 21 may further determine whether the reserving person 11 has boarded near a device such as the first device d1 or the second device d2. Whether the reserving person 11 has boarded near a device may be determined using any procedure, for example, the following procedure. The control unit 21 acquires an image of the interior of the dispatched vehicle VH′. Specifically, the control unit 21 receives, as an image of the interior of the dispatched vehicle VH′, an image of one or more passengers boarding the dispatched vehicle VH′ taken by a sensor such as a camera provided in the information processing device 14′ mounted on the dispatched vehicle VH′ from the information processing device 14′ via the communication unit 23. The control unit 21 analyzes the received image to determine whether the reserving person 11 has boarded near a device. Then, if the control unit 21 determines that the reserving person 11 has not boarded near a device, the control unit 21 may perform the processing of step S6.

[0063] Furthermore, the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 may identify the level of hearing loss of the reservation holder 11 and, in addition to adjusting the output format of the guide G according to the identified level of hearing loss, may also perform control to similarly adjust the output format of the normal in-vehicle announcements or signage. When the reservation holder 11 is identified in step S1 as a hearing-impaired person 11', the control unit 21 of the operation management device 20 may perform control to increase the volume of the normal in-vehicle announcements or control to lengthen the display time of the signage. Alternatively, when the reservation holder 11 is identified in step S1 as a hearing-impaired person 11', the control unit 21 may perform control to adjust the output format of the outside-vehicle announcement that notifies passengers outside the vehicle that the dispatched vehicle VH' is arriving. Specifically, the control unit 21 may perform control to increase the volume of the announcement outside the dispatched vehicle VH' when the distance between the boarding location P2' and the dispatched vehicle VH' becomes less than a threshold at the boarding date and time T1' indicated in the reservation data D2', that is, when the dispatched vehicle VH' approaches the boarding location P2'. The control unit 21 may determine whether the dispatched vehicle VH' is approaching the boarding location P2' at the boarding date and time T1' indicated in the reservation data D2', based on the position data of the dispatched vehicle VH' indicated in the operation status data D4' transmitted from the information processing device 14', or the name of the stop where the dispatched vehicle VH' has stopped, or information indicating the departure and arrival status of the dispatched vehicle VH'.

[0064] For example, the operation management device 20 may be installed in each vehicle VH as a conductor system, for example. In addition, although the operation management device 20 and the server device 30 are separate devices in this embodiment, the functions of both the operation management device 20 and the server device 30 may be realized by a single control device.

[0065] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below as examples, however, it should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to these examples. [Appendix 1] An operation management device that operates a plurality of vehicles by automatic driving, An operation management device that includes a control unit that, when it is determined that a person who has made a reservation for a route on which multiple vehicles are operated is hearing impaired based on reservation data including attributes of the person who has made a reservation, determines whether one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle have a sign language operator who can sign, and selects a vehicle to be allocated from multiple vehicles to the route reserved by the person who made the reservation, based on the determination result. [Appendix 2] The control unit of the operation management device described in Appendix 1 selects, as the dispatch vehicle, a first vehicle equipped with a first device that supports communication via sign language between the reservation person and the sign language operator when it is determined that a sign language operator is present, and selects, as the dispatch vehicle, a second vehicle equipped with a second device that supports communication without sign language between the reservation person and the remote operator when it is determined that a sign language operator is not present. [Appendix 3] the first device or the second device is mounted so as to be accessible from one or more seats in the ride-dispatch vehicle; The control unit determines whether the person who made the reservation has boarded the dispatched vehicle, and if it is determined that the person has boarded, controls the operation management device to output guidance to have the person who made the reservation sit in an available seat on the first device or the second device. [Appendix 4] the first device includes an imaging device that photographs the person making the reservation and a display device that displays an image or video of the sign language operator; 4. The traffic management device according to claim 1, wherein the second device includes a writing device. [Appendix 5] 5. The operation management device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit identifies one or more passengers riding in the dispatched vehicle by facial recognition, and determines whether the person who made the reservation has boarded the dispatched vehicle based on the identification result. [Appendix 6] The reservation data includes the reservation holder's hearing loss level as an attribute. 6. An operation management device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, wherein the control unit, when it is determined that the person making the reservation has boarded the dispatched vehicle, identifies the level of hearing loss of the person making the reservation based on the reservation data, and performs control to adjust the output format of the guidance according to the identified level of hearing loss. [Appendix 7] The guidance is provided by voice, 7. The operation management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit adjusts the output format by increasing the volume of the voice guidance as the level of hearing loss increases. [Appendix 8] The guidance is in the form of letters or signs, 8. The traffic management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit adjusts the output format by lengthening the display time of the text or sign guidance or increasing the number of times it is displayed as the level of hearing loss increases. [Appendix 9] An operation management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 8; a terminal device of the reservation user, which accepts input of reservation data in which the reservation user's attribute is registered as being hearing impaired, and transmits the input reservation data to the operation management device; A system comprising: [Appendix 10] A computer that functions as an operation management device that operates multiple vehicles by automatic driving, When it is determined that a person who has made a reservation for a route on which multiple vehicles are operated is hearing impaired based on reservation data including attributes of the person who has made a reservation, it is determined whether or not one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle have a sign language operator who can sign; According to the result of the determination, a vehicle to be allocated to the route reserved by the reservation user is selected from among a plurality of vehicles. A program that performs an action including: [Appendix 11] The program of claim 10, wherein selecting a vehicle to be dispatched includes, when it is determined that a sign language operator is present, selecting a first vehicle equipped with a first device that supports communication via sign language between the reservation person and the sign language operator as the vehicle to be dispatched, and when it is determined that a sign language operator is not present, selecting a second vehicle equipped with a second device that supports communication without sign language between the reservation person and the remote operator as the vehicle to be dispatched. [Appendix 12] the first device or the second device is mounted so as to be accessible from one or more seats in the ride-dispatch vehicle; The operation is Determining whether the reservation holder has boarded the dispatched vehicle; When it is determined that the person making the reservation has boarded the dispatched vehicle, outputting a guide for the person making the reservation to sit in an available seat using the first device or the second device. 12. The program of claim 10 or 11, further comprising: [Appendix 13] 13. The program of any one of Supplementary Note 10 to Supplementary Note 12, wherein the determining includes identifying one or more passengers riding in the ride-hailing vehicle by facial recognition, and determining whether the reservation holder has boarded the ride-hailing vehicle based on the identification result. [Appendix 14] The reservation data includes the reservation holder's hearing loss level as an attribute. The operation is When it is determined that the reservation person has boarded the dispatched vehicle, identifying the level of hearing loss of the reservation person based on the reservation data; Adjusting the output format of the guidance depending on the level of hearing loss identified; 14. The program of any one of appendices 10 to 13, further comprising: [Appendix 15] The guidance is provided by voice, 15. The program of any one of appendices 10 to 14, wherein adjusting the output format includes increasing the volume of the announcement as the level of hearing loss increases. [Appendix 16] The guidance is in the form of letters or signs, 16. The program of any one of appendices 10 to 15, wherein adjusting the output format includes increasing the duration or frequency of displaying the guidance as the level of hearing loss increases. [Appendix 17] A traffic management method for operating a plurality of vehicles by automatic driving, Identifying by the control unit whether the person making a reservation for a route on which a plurality of vehicles are operated is hearing impaired based on reservation data including attributes of the person making the reservation; When the control unit identifies the reservation holder as a hearing impaired person, it determines whether or not one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle have a sign language operator who can sign, based on operator data including the attributes of each of the one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle; The control unit selects a vehicle to be allocated to the route reserved by the reservation user from among a plurality of vehicles according to the determination result. Operation management methods including. [Appendix 18] The operation management method described in Appendix 17, wherein selecting a vehicle to be dispatched includes, when the control unit determines that a sign language operator is present, selecting as the vehicle to be dispatched a first vehicle equipped with a first device that supports communication via sign language between the reservation person and the sign language operator, and when the control unit determines that a sign language operator is not present, selecting as the vehicle to be dispatched a second vehicle equipped with a second device that supports communication without sign language between the reservation person and the remote operator. [Appendix 19] the first device or the second device is mounted so as to be accessible from one or more seats in the ride-dispatch vehicle; Determining by the control unit whether the person making the reservation has boarded the vehicle to be dispatched; and when it is determined by the control unit that the person making the reservation has boarded the vehicle to be dispatched, performing control to output guidance for the person making the reservation to sit in an available seat using the first device or the second device. 19. The operation management method according to claim 17 or 18, further comprising: [Appendix 20] The operation management method according to any one of Supplementary Note 17 to Supplementary Note 19, wherein determining whether the reservation holder has boarded the dispatched vehicle includes identifying, by the control unit, one or more passengers boarding the dispatched vehicle through facial recognition and making a determination based on the identification results. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10 Systems 11 Reservation holders 20 Operation control device 21 Control section 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 30 Server device 31 Server control unit 32 Server storage unit 33 Server Communication Department 40 Terminal Equipment 50 Network VH, VH1, VH2, VH3, VH4, VHn vehicles OP, OP1, OP2 Remote Operator RC Remote Monitoring Center

Claims

1. An operation management device that operates a plurality of vehicles by automatic driving, an operation management device including a control unit that, when it is determined that a person who has made a reservation for a route on which the plurality of vehicles are operated is hearing impaired based on reservation data including attributes of the person who made the reservation, determines whether one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle have a sign language operator who can sign, and selects a vehicle to be allocated from the plurality of vehicles to the route reserved by the person who made the reservation, based on the determination result;

2. The operation management device of claim 1, wherein the control unit, when it determines that the sign language operator is present, selects as the dispatch vehicle a first vehicle equipped with a first device that supports communication via sign language between the reservation person and the sign language operator, and when it determines that the sign language operator is not present, selects as the dispatch vehicle a second vehicle equipped with a second device that supports communication without sign language between the reservation person and the remote operator.

3. the first device or the second device is mounted so as to be accessible from one or more seats in the ride-dispatch vehicle; 3. The operation management device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit determines whether the person making the reservation has boarded the dispatched vehicle, and when it is determined that the person making the reservation has boarded, controls to output guidance to have the person making the reservation sit in a seat available on the first device or the second device.

4. the first device includes an imaging device that photographs the reservation person and a display device that displays an image or video of the sign language operator, The operation management device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the second device includes a writing device.

5. 4. The operation management device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit identifies one or more passengers riding in the dispatched vehicle by facial recognition, and determines whether the reservation person has boarded the dispatched vehicle based on the identification result.

6. The reservation data includes an attribute of the reservation user, and the reservation user's hearing loss level is registered in the attribute of the reservation user.

4. The operation management device according to claim 3, wherein when it is determined that the reservation holder has boarded the dispatched vehicle, the control unit identifies a level of hearing loss of the reservation holder based on the reservation data, and performs control to adjust the output format of the guidance in accordance with the identified level of hearing loss.

7. The guidance is a voice guidance, The operation management device according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit performs control to adjust the output format by increasing the volume of the voice guidance as the level of the hearing loss increases.

8. The guidance is in the form of letters or signs, The operation management device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit controls to adjust the output format by lengthening the display time of the guidance by the text or signs or by increasing the number of times the guidance is displayed as the level of hearing loss increases.

9. The operation management device according to claim 1; a terminal device of the reservation person, which accepts input of reservation data in which the reservation person's attribute is registered as being hearing impaired, and transmits the input reservation data to the operation management device; A system comprising:

10. A computer that functions as an operation management device that operates multiple vehicles by automatic driving, When it is determined that a person who has made a reservation for a route on which the plurality of vehicles are operated is a hearing impaired person based on reservation data including attributes of the person who has made a reservation, it is determined whether or not one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle are sign language operators based on operator data including attributes of each of the one or more remote operators; selecting a vehicle to be allocated to the route reserved by the reserving user from among the plurality of vehicles according to the determination result; A program that performs an action including:

11. The program of claim 10, wherein selecting the dispatch vehicle includes, when it is determined that the sign language operator is present, selecting as the dispatch vehicle a first vehicle equipped with a first device that supports communication via sign language between the reservation person and the sign language operator, and, when it is determined that the sign language operator is not present, selecting as the dispatch vehicle a second vehicle equipped with a second device that supports communication without sign language between the reservation person and the remote operator.

12. the first device or the second device is mounted so as to be accessible from one or more seats in the ride-dispatch vehicle; The operation is determining whether the reservation holder has boarded the dispatched vehicle; When it is determined that the person making the reservation has boarded the dispatched vehicle, outputting a guide for the person making the reservation to sit in a seat where the first device or the second device is available; The program of claim 11 further comprising:

13. The program of claim 12, wherein the determining step includes identifying one or more passengers riding in the ride-dispatch vehicle by facial recognition, and determining whether the reservation holder has boarded the ride-dispatch vehicle based on the identification result.

14. The reservation data includes an attribute of the reservation user, and the reservation user's hearing loss level is registered in the attribute of the reservation user. The operation is When it is determined that the reservation person has boarded the dispatched vehicle, identifying the level of hearing loss of the reservation person based on the reservation data; adjusting the output format of the guidance depending on the identified level of hearing loss; The program of claim 12 further comprising:

15. The guidance is a voice guidance, The program of claim 14 , wherein adjusting the output format includes increasing the volume of the announcement as the level of hearing loss increases.

16. The guidance is in the form of letters or signs, The program according to claim 14 , wherein adjusting the output format includes extending the display time of the guidance or increasing the number of times the guidance is displayed as the level of hearing loss increases.

17. A traffic management method for operating a plurality of vehicles by automatic driving, Identifying by a control unit whether a person who has made a reservation for a route on which the plurality of vehicles are operated is hearing impaired based on reservation data including attributes of the person who has made a reservation; When the control unit identifies the reservation holder as a hearing impaired person, it determines whether or not one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle have a sign language operator who can sign, based on operator data including attributes of each of the one or more remote operators who perform remote monitoring work for each vehicle; The control unit selects, according to the result of the determination, from among the plurality of vehicles, a vehicle to be allocated to the route reserved by the reservation user. Operation management methods including.

18. The operation management method of claim 17, wherein selecting the dispatch vehicle includes, when the control unit determines that the sign language operator is present, selecting as the dispatch vehicle a first vehicle equipped with a first device that supports communication via sign language between the reservation person and the sign language operator, and, when the control unit determines that the sign language operator is not present, selecting as the dispatch vehicle a second vehicle equipped with a second device that supports communication without sign language between the reservation person and the remote operator.

19. the first device or the second device is mounted so as to be accessible from one or more seats in the ride-dispatch vehicle; The control unit determines whether the reservation person has boarded the vehicle to be allocated, and when the control unit determines that the reservation person has boarded the vehicle to be allocated, the control unit controls to output a guidance to have the reservation person sit in an available seat using the first device or the second device. The traffic management method of claim 18, further comprising:

20. 20. The operation management method of claim 19, wherein determining whether the reservation holder has boarded the dispatched vehicle includes identifying, by the control unit, one or more passengers boarding the dispatched vehicle by facial recognition and making a determination based on the identification result.

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