Vehicle-based shuttle management system and vehicles

Abstract

We provide a vehicle-based transportation management system and vehicles that reduce user anxiety and enable safe transportation. [Solution] The vehicle shuttle management system 1 comprises a vehicle 100 and a user terminal 10 that communicates with the vehicle 100. The user terminal 10 includes a terminal communication unit 11 that communicates with the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 includes a communication device 150 that communicates with the user terminal 10, and a vehicle control unit 124 that, when the communication device 150 receives shuttle information from the user terminal 10, including at least information about the destination and the vehicle 100, determines whether or not there is a child inside the vehicle, and if it determines that there is a child inside the vehicle, causes the vehicle control unit 124 to send a shuttle start notification to the user terminal 10, and when it determines that the vehicle 100 has arrived at the destination, determines whether or not there is a child inside the vehicle, and if it determines that there is no child inside the vehicle, causes the vehicle control unit 124 to send a shuttle completion notification to the user terminal 10.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle pick-up and drop-off management system and a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, accidents have occurred where children in a vehicle are left unattended in the vehicle. For example, as a technique for suppressing the occurrence of this type of accident, a technique for managing pick-up and drop-off locations, pick-up and drop-off times, etc. based on information related to pick-up and drop-off transmitted from the guardians of children has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] <0六十六]] However, in the above-described technique, for example, there is a problem that a user (guardian of a child) cannot confirm the running state of the vehicle picking up and dropping off the child or whether the child has been reliably picked up by a person in charge at a kindergarten or the like.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle pick-up and drop-off management system and a vehicle that reduce user anxiety and enable safe pick-up and drop-off.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] Embodiment 1; One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a vehicle-based shuttle management system in which a vehicle and a user terminal communicate, wherein the user terminal comprises a terminal communication unit that communicates with the vehicle, and the vehicle comprises a communication device that communicates with the user terminal, and a vehicle control unit that, when the communication device receives shuttle information from the user terminal including at least information about the destination and the vehicle, determines whether or not a child is present in the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is present in the vehicle, causes the vehicle to send a shuttle start notification to the user terminal, and when it determines that the vehicle has arrived at the destination, determines whether or not a child is present in the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is not present in the vehicle, causes the vehicle to send a shuttle completion notification to the user terminal.

[0007] Embodiment 2; One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a vehicle comprising a communication device for communicating with a user terminal and a vehicle control unit, wherein the vehicle control unit, when the communication device receives pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal, including at least information about the pick-up / drop-off destination and the vehicle, determines whether or not a child is present in the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is present in the vehicle, transmits a pick-up / drop-off commencement notification to the user terminal; and when it determines that the vehicle has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination, determines whether or not a child is present in the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is not present in the vehicle, causes the vehicle control unit to transmit a pick-up / drop-off completion notification to the user terminal.

[0008] Embodiment 3; One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a vehicle shuttle management system in which a vehicle and a user terminal communicate, wherein the user terminal comprises a terminal communication unit for communicating with the vehicle, the vehicle comprises a controller and a communication device for communicating with the user terminal, the controller includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors, and the one or more processors, when the communication device receives shuttle information from the user terminal including at least information about the destination and the vehicle, determine whether or not a child is present in the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is present in the vehicle, cause the user terminal to send a shuttle start notification, and when it determines that the vehicle has arrived at the destination, determine whether or not a child is present in the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is not present in the vehicle, cause the user terminal to send a shuttle completion notification. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, there is an effect of reducing user anxiety and enabling safe transportation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of a vehicle shuttle management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows the configuration of a user terminal for a vehicle shuttle management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of information to be displayed on a user terminal of a vehicle shuttle management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of information to be displayed on a user terminal of a vehicle shuttle management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of information to be displayed on a user terminal of a vehicle shuttle management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle in a vehicle arrival and departure management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing the flow of processing of a vehicle arrival and departure management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing the flow of processing of a vehicle arrival and departure management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle in a vehicle arrival and departure management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a user terminal of a vehicle arrival and departure management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a diagram showing the configuration of an operator terminal of a vehicle arrival and departure management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing an example of information to be displayed on an operator terminal of a vehicle arrival and departure management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle in a vehicle arrival and departure management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This is a diagram showing the flow of processing of a vehicle arrival and departure management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] <Embodiment> The vehicle arrival and departure management system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 1 to 14.

[0012] <First Embodiment> The vehicle arrival and departure management system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0013] <Configuration of Vehicle Arrival and Departure Management System 1> As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle arrival and departure management system 1 includes a user terminal 10 and a vehicle 100. The user terminal 10 and the vehicle 100 are communicably connected via the network N. As the network N, for example, the Internet can be exemplified. In this embodiment, the user terminal 10 is, for example, a terminal carried by a guardian or the like (hereinafter referred to as "user") who requests the pick-up and drop-off of a kindergarten child, and examples thereof include a smartphone, a tablet, and the like. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is, for example, a vehicle that picks up and drops off a kindergarten child and travels to a pick-up and drop-off location (e.g., a kindergarten), and examples thereof include a vehicle owned by a friend of the user.

[0014] <Configuration of the user terminal 10> As shown in FIG. 2, the user terminal 10 includes a terminal communication unit 11, an input unit 12, a display unit 13, and a terminal control unit 14.

[0015] The terminal communication unit 11 communicates with the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the terminal communication unit 11 is, for example, a known wireless communication module and functions as an interface for communicating with the vehicle 100 via the network N. In this embodiment, when pick-up and drop-off information is input from the terminal control unit 14 described later, for example, the terminal communication unit 11 transmits the input pick-up and drop-off information to the vehicle 100 via the network N. The pick-up and drop-off information will be described later. In this embodiment, when the terminal communication unit 11 receives a pick-up and drop-off start notification from the vehicle 100 via the network N, for example, it outputs the received pick-up and drop-off start notification to the terminal control unit 14 described later. In this embodiment, when the terminal communication unit 11 receives a pick-up and drop-off completion notification from the vehicle 100 via the network N, for example, it outputs the received pick-up and drop-off completion notification to the terminal control unit 14 described later. In this embodiment, for example, when the terminal communication unit 11 receives detection information from the vehicle 100 via the network N, it outputs the received detection information to the terminal control unit 14, which will be described later. Detection information will be discussed later.

[0016] In this embodiment, the input unit 12 is, for example, a capacitive touch panel, which detects user operations. In this embodiment, the input unit 12 detects, for example, the user's touch operation when inputting transportation information. In this embodiment, the input unit 12 outputs information regarding detected user operations to the terminal control unit 14, which will be described later.

[0017] In this embodiment, the display unit 13 is, for example, a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel, which displays information input from the terminal control unit 14, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the display unit 13 displays, for example, a screen for inputting pick-up / drop-off information. In this embodiment, the display unit 13 displays, for example, a pick-up / drop-off start notification, a pick-up / drop-off completion notification, detection information, etc.

[0018] In this embodiment, the terminal control unit 14 controls the processing of the entire user terminal 10 according to a control program and an application program stored in a ROM (not shown), for example. In this embodiment, for example, if the terminal control unit 14 determines that a user has launched an application program to request transportation based on information about the user's touch operation input from the input unit 12, it displays a transportation information input screen, as shown in Figure 3, on the display unit 13. In this embodiment, examples of transportation information include destination information and transportation vehicle information. In this embodiment, the pick-up / drop-off destination information refers to information about the facility to which the child is picked up or dropped off, and examples include "○○ Kindergarten" and location information (e.g., address information). In this embodiment, the transportation vehicle information refers to information about the vehicle 100 that transports the children to their destination, and examples include, for example, a vehicle ID. The pick-up and drop-off information may also include, for example, pick-up and drop-off date and time information, information on the number of children being picked up and dropped off, and facial photographs of the children riding in vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the terminal control unit 14, for example, based on information regarding the user's touch operation input from the input unit 12, outputs the transportation information input by the user to the terminal communication unit 11 when it determines that the input of transportation information has been completed. In this embodiment, for example, when a pick-up / drop-off start notification is received from the terminal communication unit 11, the terminal control unit 14 displays a pick-up / drop-off start notification on the display unit 13, as shown in Figure 4, such as "8:15 Picked up the child and started pick-up / drop-off to XX Kindergarten. Estimated arrival time is 8:50." In this embodiment, for example, when a pick-up completion notification is received from the terminal communication unit 11, the terminal control unit 14 displays a pick-up completion notification on the display unit 13, such as "8:49 The child was dropped off and the pick-up to XX Kindergarten has been completed," as shown in Figure 5.

[0019] In this embodiment, for example, when detection information is input from the terminal communication unit 11, the terminal control unit 14 displays the detection information on the display unit 13. The detection information that the terminal control unit 14 displays on the display unit 13 will be described later.

[0020] <Vehicle 100 composition> As shown in Figure 6, the vehicle 100 according to this embodiment is configured to include a controller 110, a communication device 150, an imaging device 160, and a display device 170. The configuration of controller 110 will be described later.

[0021] In this embodiment, the communication device 150 is, for example, a known wireless communication module, which functions as an interface for communicating with the user terminal 10 via the network N. In this embodiment, the communication device 150 outputs, for example, the pick-up / drop-off information received from the user terminal 10 to the controller 110. In this embodiment, the communication device 150 transmits, for example, a pick-up / drop-off start notification, a pick-up / drop-off completion notification, and detection information input from the controller 110 to the user terminal 10.

[0022] In this embodiment, the imaging device 160 is, for example, a camera that images all the seats of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the imaging device 160 outputs the captured video information to the controller 110, for example. The imaging device 160 may be, for example, a camera included in a monitoring system if the vehicle 100 is equipped with a monitoring system for monitoring the condition of the occupants.

[0023] In this embodiment, the display device 170 is, for example, a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, which displays image information and the like input from the controller 110.

[0024] <Configuration of Controller 110> The controller 110 comprises one or more processors and one or more memories that are communicably connected to one or more processors. As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, the controller 110 is configured to include a processor 120 and a memory 130. The configuration of processor 120 will be described later.

[0025] Memory 130 is composed of ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., which are not shown in the diagram. Memory 130 stores, for example, a control program and various data input from the processor 120. In this embodiment, memory 130 pre-stores, for example, map information.

[0026] <Processor 120 Configuration> As shown in Figure 6, the processor 120 is configured to include a location information acquisition unit 121, an occupant determination unit 122, a driving state monitoring unit 123, and a vehicle control unit 124. The various parts of the processor 120, the memory 130, and the communication device 150 perform input and output of various types of information via the bus line BL.

[0027] In this embodiment, the location information acquisition unit 121 acquires location information and time information of the vehicle 100 based on radio waves received from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites, for example. In this embodiment, the location information acquisition unit 121 outputs the acquired location information and time information to the driving status monitoring unit 123 and the vehicle control unit 124, which will be described later, for example, via the bus line BL.

[0028] The occupant determination unit 122 determines whether or not there are children (kindergarteners) inside the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, for example, when a determination request is input from the vehicle control unit 124 (described later) via the bus line BL, the occupant determination unit 122 performs video analysis of the video information input from the imaging device 160 and determines whether or not a child is present inside the vehicle 100. The occupant determination unit 122 may, for example, determine whether or not a child is present in the vehicle based on the facial photograph information and the video information input from the imaging device 160, if the pick-up / drop-off information includes facial photograph information of a child. In this embodiment, the occupant determination unit 122 outputs the determination result to the vehicle control unit 124, which will be described later, for example, via the bus line BL.

[0029] In this embodiment, the driving condition monitoring unit 123 monitors, for example, the driving condition of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the driving status monitoring unit 123 starts monitoring the driving status of the vehicle 100 when it receives, for example, a request to start monitoring, driving route information to the pick-up / drop-off destination, and estimated arrival time information from the vehicle control unit 124 (described later) via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, the driving condition monitoring unit 123 determines whether any of the following abnormal conditions have occurred: for example, a deviation from the driving route to the pick-up / drop-off destination, a prolonged stop of the vehicle 100, or a delay in the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, for example, when a monitoring start request is input from the vehicle control unit 124 (described later), the driving status monitoring unit 123 determines whether the vehicle 100 is traveling at a location deviating from the driving route to the pick-up / drop-off destination, based on the driving route information to the pick-up / drop-off destination and the location information of the vehicle 100 input from the location information acquisition unit 121. In this embodiment, for example, when a monitoring start request is input from the vehicle control unit 124 (described later), the driving status monitoring unit 123 determines whether the vehicle 100 has been stopped for a predetermined time or longer (for example, 10 minutes or more) based on the location information of the vehicle 100 input from the location information acquisition unit 121. In this embodiment, for example, when a monitoring start request is input from the vehicle control unit 124 (described later), the driving status monitoring unit 123 calculates the estimated arrival time at the pick-up / drop-off location based on the driving route information to the pick-up / drop-off location, the location information of the vehicle 100 input from the location information acquisition unit 121, and the legal speed limit of the driving route. In this embodiment, the driving condition monitoring unit 123 determines, for example, whether the difference between the calculated estimated arrival time and the estimated arrival time input from the vehicle control unit 124 (the estimated arrival time calculated at the start of the pick-up / drop-off) is greater than or equal to a predetermined time. In other words, the driving status monitoring unit 123 determines whether the time of arrival at the pick-up / drop-off destination will be delayed by a predetermined amount of time (for example, 10 minutes or more) from the scheduled arrival time notified to the user in the pick-up / drop-off start notification. In this embodiment, the driving status monitoring unit 123 performs the above-mentioned determinations (determinations regarding deviation from the driving route to the pick-up / drop-off destination, prolonged stopping of vehicle 100, and delays in vehicle 100) every 30 seconds, and outputs the results of each determination to the vehicle control unit 124, which will be described later, via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, the driving status monitoring unit 123 stops monitoring the driving status of the vehicle 100 when, for example, a request to stop monitoring is input from the vehicle control unit 124 (described later) via the bus line BL.

[0030] In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124 controls the processing of the entire vehicle 100 according to a control program stored in the memory 130, for example. In this embodiment, for example, when pick-up / drop-off information is input from the communication device 150, the vehicle control unit 124 calculates a driving route from the current location of the vehicle 100 to the pick-up / drop-off destination based on the pick-up / drop-off destination information included in the pick-up / drop-off information, the location information of the vehicle 100 input from the location information acquisition unit 121, and the map information stored in the memory 130. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124 displays, for example, the calculated driving route, map information, and image information showing the current position of the vehicle 100 on the display device 170. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124 calculates a route that passes through the pick-up / drop-off destination, for example, if a travel route has already been set. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124 calculates, for example, the estimated time of arrival (scheduled arrival time) of the vehicle 100 at the pick-up / drop-off destination based on the calculated driving route information and the legal speed limit of the driving route.

[0031] When the communication device 150 receives pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal 10, including at least information about the pick-up / drop-off destination and the vehicle 100, the vehicle control unit 124 determines whether or not there is a child inside the vehicle, and if it determines that there is a child inside the vehicle, it causes the vehicle control unit 124 to send a pick-up / drop-off start notification to the user terminal 10. In this embodiment, for example, when transportation information is input from the communication device 150, the vehicle control unit 124 outputs a determination request to the passenger determination unit 122 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124 receives a determination result from the occupant determination unit 122 indicating that a child is present inside the vehicle, it outputs a pick-up / drop-off start notification to the communication device 150, which includes information regarding the pick-up / drop-off start time, information regarding the estimated arrival time, a message to the user, etc., as shown in Figure 4. The vehicle control unit 124 may, for example, output a pick-up / drop-off start notification to the communication device 150, which may include additional information about the driving route.

[0032] When the vehicle control unit 124 determines that the vehicle 100 has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off location, it determines whether there is a child inside the vehicle. If it determines that there is no child inside the vehicle, it sends a pick-up / drop-off completion notification to the user terminal 10. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124 determines, for example, whether or not the vehicle 100 has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination based on the location information of the vehicle 100 input from the location information acquisition unit 121. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124 determines, for example, that the vehicle 100 has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off location if the vehicle 100 is within 50m of the pick-up / drop-off location. In this embodiment, for example, when the vehicle control unit 124 determines that the vehicle 100 has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination, it outputs a determination request to the passenger determination unit 122 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124 receives a determination result from the occupant determination unit 122 indicating that there are no children inside the vehicle, it outputs a pick-up completion notification to the communication device 150, which includes information regarding the pick-up completion time and a message to the user, as shown in Figure 5.

[0033] In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124, for example, starts monitoring the driving status of the vehicle 100 if it determines that a child is present inside the vehicle, and stops monitoring the driving status of the vehicle 100 if it determines that there is no child inside the vehicle. In this embodiment, for example, if the occupant determination unit 122 inputs a determination result indicating the presence of a child inside the vehicle, the vehicle control unit 124 outputs a request to start monitoring, information on the route to the pick-up / drop-off destination, and calculated estimated arrival time information to the driving status monitoring unit 123 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, if the occupant determination unit 122 inputs a determination result indicating that there are no children inside the vehicle, the vehicle control unit 124 outputs a monitoring stop request to the driving status monitoring unit 123 via the bus line BL.

[0034] If the vehicle control unit 124 detects any of the following abnormal conditions, such as deviation from the route to the pick-up / drop-off destination, prolonged stopping of vehicle 100, or delay of vehicle 100, it will notify the user terminal 10 of the detected information. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124 receives a determination result from the driving status monitoring unit 123 via the bus line BL indicating that the vehicle 100 has deviated from the driving route to the pick-up / drop-off destination, it outputs detection information such as "8:30 Vehicle 100 has deviated from the driving route." to the communication device 150 and displays a message such as "Please contact the pick-up / drop-off requester regarding the reason for the deviation from the driving route." on the display device 170. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124 receives a determination result from the driving status monitoring unit 123 via the bus line BL indicating that the vehicle 100 has been stopped for a long time, it outputs detection information such as "8:30 We have detected that vehicle 100 has been stopped without moving for more than 10 minutes. The stopping location is near the XX intersection." to the communication device 150, and also displays a message such as "Please contact the passenger requesting transportation regarding the reason for the long-term stop." on the display device 170. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124 receives a determination result from the driving status monitoring unit 123 via bus line BL indicating that a delay has occurred in the vehicle 100, it outputs detection information such as "8:30 The arrival time at the pick-up / drop-off location is expected to be delayed by 10 minutes or more from the scheduled arrival time notified in the pick-up / drop-off start notification." to the communication device 150, and also displays a message such as "Please contact the pick-up / drop-off requester to explain the reason for the delay." on the display device 170.

[0035] <Processing flow for vehicle 100> The processing flow of vehicle 100 will be explained using Figure 7.

[0036] The vehicle control unit 124 determines whether or not it has received pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal 10 via the communication device 150 (step S110). If the vehicle control unit 124 determines via the communication device 150 that it has not received pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal 10 ("NO" in step S110), it returns to the standby state. If the vehicle control unit 124 determines that it has received pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal 10 via the communication device 150 (YES in step S110), it proceeds to step S120.

[0037] The vehicle control unit 124 calculates the route to the pick-up / drop-off destination based on the pick-up / drop-off destination information included in the pick-up / drop-off information acquired in step S110, the location information of the vehicle 100, and the map information (step S120), and then proceeds to step S130.

[0038] The vehicle control unit 124 calculates the time of arrival at the pick-up / drop-off destination (estimated arrival time) based on the travel route calculated in step S120 (step S130), and then proceeds to step S140.

[0039] The vehicle control unit 124 outputs a determination request to the occupant determination unit 122 and determines whether or not a determination result indicating the presence of a child in the vehicle compartment has been input from the occupant determination unit 122 (step S140). If the vehicle control unit 124 determines that the occupant determination unit 122 has input a determination result indicating that there are no children in the vehicle ("NO" in step S140), it returns to the standby state. If the vehicle control unit 124 determines that it has received a determination result from the occupant determination unit 122 indicating that a child is present inside the vehicle ("YES" in step S140), it proceeds to step S150.

[0040] The vehicle control unit 124 outputs a notification to the communication device 150 to initiate transport, and also outputs a request to start monitoring to the driving status monitoring unit 123 (step S150), and then proceeds to the driving status monitoring process (step S200). The driving condition monitoring process (step S200) will be described later.

[0041] After the driving status monitoring process (step S200) is performed, the vehicle control unit 124 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination based on the location information of the vehicle 100 obtained from the location information acquisition unit 121 (step S160). If the vehicle control unit 124 determines, based on the location information of the vehicle 100 obtained from the location information acquisition unit 121, that the vehicle 100 has not arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination (NO in step S160), it returns to step S200 and continues processing. If the vehicle control unit 124 determines, based on the location information of the vehicle 100 obtained from the location information acquisition unit 121, that the vehicle 100 has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination (YES in step S160), it proceeds to step S170.

[0042] The vehicle control unit 124 determines whether or not a result indicating that there are no children inside the vehicle has been input from the occupant determination unit 122 (step S170). If the vehicle control unit 124 determines that the occupant determination unit 122 has input a result indicating that a child is present inside the vehicle ("NO" in step S170), it returns to the standby state. If the vehicle control unit 124 determines that the occupant determination unit 122 has input a result indicating that there are no children inside the vehicle (YES in step S170), it proceeds to step S180.

[0043] The vehicle control unit 124 outputs a notification of completion of pick-up / drop-off to the communication device 150 and outputs a request to stop monitoring to the driving status monitoring unit 123 (step S180), thereby ending the process.

[0044] <Processing flow for monitoring the driving status of vehicle 100> The driving status monitoring process flow of vehicle 100 will be explained using Figure 8.

[0045] The vehicle control unit 124 determines whether or not a result indicating that the vehicle 100's position has deviated from the route to the pick-up / drop-off destination has been input from the driving status monitoring unit 123 (step S210). If the vehicle control unit 124 determines that it has received a result from the driving status monitoring unit 123 indicating that the position of the vehicle 100 has not deviated from the driving route to the pick-up / drop-off destination (step S210 "NO"), it proceeds to step S220. If the vehicle control unit 124 determines that the driving status monitoring unit 123 has received a result indicating that the position of the vehicle 100 has deviated from the driving route to the pick-up / drop-off destination (step S210 "YES"), it proceeds to step S240.

[0046] The vehicle control unit 124 determines whether or not a result indicating that the vehicle 100 has been stopped for a long period of time has been input from the driving condition monitoring unit 123 (step S220). If the vehicle control unit 124 determines that the driving status monitoring unit 123 has received a result indicating that the vehicle 100 has not been stopped for a long period of time ("NO" in step S220), it proceeds to step S230. If the vehicle control unit 124 determines that it has received a result from the driving status monitoring unit 123 indicating that the vehicle 100 has been stopped for a long period of time (YES in step S220), it proceeds to step S240.

[0047] The vehicle control unit 124 determines whether or not a result indicating that the scheduled arrival time of the vehicle 100 will be delayed has been input from the driving status monitoring unit 123 (step S230). If the vehicle control unit 124 determines that the driving status monitoring unit 123 has received a determination result indicating that the scheduled arrival time of the vehicle 100 will not be delayed ("NO" in step S230), it proceeds to step S160 shown in Figure 7. If the vehicle control unit 124 determines that it has received a determination result from the driving status monitoring unit 123 indicating that the scheduled arrival time of the vehicle 100 will be delayed (YES in step S230), it proceeds to step S240.

[0048] The vehicle control unit 124 outputs the detection information to the communication device 150 and displays a message on the display device 170 (step S240), and then proceeds to step S160 shown in Figure 7.

[0049] <Effects and Actions> As described above, the vehicle shuttle management system 1 according to this embodiment is configured to include a user terminal 10 and a vehicle 100. The user terminal 10 is equipped with a terminal communication unit 11 that communicates with the vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 includes a communication device 150 that communicates with a user terminal 10, and a vehicle control unit 124 that, when the communication device 150 receives pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal 10, including at least information about the pick-up / drop-off destination and vehicle 100, determines whether or not there is a child inside the vehicle, and if it determines that there is a child inside the vehicle, causes the vehicle control unit 124 to send a pick-up / drop-off start notification to the user terminal 10, and when it determines that vehicle 100 has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination, determines whether or not there is a child inside the vehicle, and if it determines that there is no child inside the vehicle, causes the vehicle control unit 124 to send a pick-up / drop-off completion notification to the user terminal 10. In other words, when vehicle 100 receives transportation information from a user requesting transportation for a child, it determines whether or not a child is in the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is in the vehicle, it sends a transportation start notification to the user terminal 10. This allows users, for example, to confirm that their child has boarded vehicle 100 at a designated meeting place, providing them with peace of mind. Furthermore, the pick-up / drop-off start notification includes information on the estimated arrival time of vehicle 100 at the pick-up / drop-off location, allowing users to understand the pick-up / drop-off status. When vehicle 100 arrives at the pick-up / drop-off location, it determines whether or not a child is in vehicle 100. If it determines that no child is in vehicle 100, it sends a pick-up / drop-off completion notification to user terminal 10. This allows the vehicle-based pick-up and drop-off management system 1 to prevent children from being left unattended in the vehicle for extended periods. Furthermore, the vehicle-based pick-up and drop-off management system 1 can reduce user anxiety by notifying the user of the start and completion of the pick-up and drop-off, allowing them to confirm that the child has arrived safely at the pick-up and drop-off location.

[0050] In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124 of the vehicle transport management system 1 starts monitoring the driving status of the vehicle 100 when it determines that a child is inside the vehicle. If it detects any abnormal condition such as deviation from the route to the destination, prolonged vehicle stoppage, or vehicle delay, it notifies the user terminal 10 of the detection information. In other words, the vehicle control unit 124 of the vehicle shuttle management system 1 monitors the driving status of the vehicle 100 during shuttle service. For example, if the position of the vehicle 100 deviates from the route to the destination, it determines that the vehicle 100 is in an abnormal state and notifies the user (user terminal 10) that the vehicle 100 is in an abnormal state. This allows the user to immediately recognize that vehicle 100, which is being transported, is in an abnormal state. If vehicle 100 determines that the vehicle is in an abnormal condition, it displays a message on the display device 170 prompting the driver to contact the user regarding the cause of the abnormal condition. This allows the vehicle transport management system 1 to, for example, make a malicious driver aware that the driving status of vehicle 100 is being monitored, thereby deterring crime. Furthermore, if a user receives a notification from, for example, the driver of vehicle 100 stating, "We detoured due to road construction," they can understand the cause of the abnormal condition, thereby reducing the user's anxiety.

[0051] <Second Embodiment> A vehicle shuttle management system 1A according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 14. Note that components that are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment have similar functions, and therefore, a detailed explanation of them will be omitted.

[0052] <Configuration of Vehicle-Based Shuttle Management System 1A> As shown in Figure 9, the vehicle shuttle management system 1A consists of a user terminal 10A, a vehicle 100A, and a staff terminal 20. The user terminal 10A, the vehicle 100A, and the staff terminal 20 are interconnected via network N, enabling mutual communication. In this embodiment, the user terminal 10A is, for example, a terminal carried by the user (a parent requesting the pick-up and drop-off of a child), and examples include smartphones and tablets. In this embodiment, vehicle 100A is a vehicle that carries children to a destination (for example, a kindergarten), and an example of such a vehicle could be one owned by a friend of the user. In this embodiment, the staff terminal 20 is, for example, a terminal carried by a staff member responsible for receiving children at a kindergarten, and can be exemplified by a smartphone or tablet.

[0053] <Configuration of User Terminal 10A> As shown in Figure 10, the user terminal 10A is configured to include a terminal communication unit 11A, an input unit 12, a display unit 13, and a terminal control unit 14A.

[0054] The terminal communication unit 11A communicates with the vehicle 100A and the operator's terminal 20. In this embodiment, the terminal communication unit 11A is, for example, a known wireless communication module and functions as an interface for communicating with the vehicle 100A and the personnel terminal 20 via the network N. The terminal communication unit 11A transmits the PIN and pick-up / drop-off information to the vehicle 100A and the staff member's terminal 20. In this embodiment, for example, when a PIN and pick-up / drop-off information are input from the terminal control unit 14A (described later), the terminal communication unit 11A transmits the input PIN and pick-up / drop-off information to the vehicle 100A and the staff member terminal 20, respectively, via the network N. In this embodiment, for example, when the terminal communication unit 11A receives a pick-up / drop-off start notification from the vehicle 100A via the network N, it outputs the received pick-up / drop-off start notification to the terminal control unit 14A, which will be described later. In this embodiment, for example, when the terminal communication unit 11A receives a pick-up completion notification from the vehicle 100A via the network N, it outputs the received pick-up completion notification to the terminal control unit 14A, which will be described later. In this embodiment, for example, when the terminal communication unit 11A receives detection information from the vehicle 100A via the network N, it outputs the received detection information to the terminal control unit 14A, which will be described later.

[0055] In this embodiment, the terminal control unit 14A controls the processing of the entire user terminal 10A according to a control program and an application program stored in a ROM (not shown), for example. In this embodiment, for example, if the terminal control unit 14A determines that a user has launched an application program to request transportation based on information about the user's touch operation input from the input unit 12, it displays a transportation information input screen, as shown in Figure 3, on the display unit 13. In this embodiment, examples of transportation information include destination information and transportation vehicle information. In this embodiment, the pick-up / drop-off destination information refers to information about the facility to which the child is picked up or dropped off, and examples include, for example, "○○ Kindergarten" or location information (for example, address information). In this embodiment, the transportation vehicle information refers to information about the vehicle 100A that transports the children to their destination, and examples include the vehicle ID. The pick-up and drop-off information may also include, for example, pick-up and drop-off date and time, number of children being picked up and dropped off, and photos of the children. In this embodiment, the terminal control unit 14A generates a PIN code when it determines, for example, that the input of pick-up / drop-off information has been completed based on information about the user's touch operation input from the input unit 12. In this embodiment, the aforementioned PIN is, for example, a string of characters using alphanumeric characters, and the terminal control unit 14A generates a different PIN each time it outputs pick-up / drop-off information to the terminal communication unit 11A. In this embodiment, the terminal control unit 14A outputs the generated PIN and pick-up / drop-off information to the terminal communication unit 11A, for example, via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when a pick-up / drop-off start notification is received from the terminal communication unit 11A, the terminal control unit 14A displays a pick-up / drop-off start notification on the display unit 13, as shown in Figure 4, such as "8:15 Picked up the child and started pick-up / drop-off to XX Kindergarten. Estimated arrival time is 8:50." In this embodiment, for example, when a pick-up completion notification is received from the terminal communication unit 11A, the terminal control unit 14A displays a pick-up completion notification on the display unit 13, such as "8:49 The child was dropped off and the pick-up to XX Kindergarten has been completed," as shown in Figure 5. In this embodiment, for example, when detection information is input from the terminal communication unit 11A, the terminal control unit 14A displays the detection information on the display unit 13.

[0056] <Configuration of the 담당자 (person in charge) terminal 20> As shown in Figure 11, the operator terminal 20 is configured to include a terminal communication unit 21, an input unit 22, a display unit 23, and a terminal control unit 24.

[0057] In this embodiment, the terminal communication unit 21 is, for example, a known wireless communication module that functions as an interface for communicating with the vehicle 100A and the user terminal 10A via the network N. In this embodiment, for example, when the terminal communication unit 21 receives a PIN and pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal 10A via the network N, it outputs the received PIN and pick-up / drop-off information to the terminal control unit 24, which will be described later. In this embodiment, for example, when the terminal communication unit 21 receives a request to transmit a PIN from the vehicle 100A via the network N, it outputs the received PIN transmission request to the terminal control unit 24, which will be described later. In this embodiment, for example, when a PIN is entered from the terminal control unit 24 (described later), the terminal communication unit 21 transmits the entered PIN to the vehicle 100A via the network N. In this embodiment, for example, when the terminal communication unit 21 receives a pick-up / drop-off start notification from the vehicle 100A via the network N, it outputs the received pick-up / drop-off start notification to the terminal control unit 24, which will be described later. In this embodiment, for example, when the terminal communication unit 21 receives a pick-up completion notification from the vehicle 100A via the network N, it outputs the received pick-up completion notification to the terminal control unit 24, which will be described later.

[0058] In this embodiment, the input unit 22 is, for example, a capacitive touch panel, which detects user operation. In this embodiment, the input unit 22 detects, for example, the user's touch operation when entering a PIN. In this embodiment, the input unit 22 outputs information regarding detected user operations to the terminal control unit 24, which will be described later.

[0059] In this embodiment, the display unit 23 is, for example, a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, which displays information input from the terminal control unit 24, which will be described later.

[0060] In this embodiment, the terminal control unit 24 controls the processing of the entire user terminal 20 according to a control program and an application program stored in a ROM (not shown), for example. In this embodiment, for example, when a PIN is entered from the terminal communication unit 21, the terminal control unit 24 displays the entered PIN on the display unit 23. In this embodiment, for example, when a request to transmit a PIN is received from the terminal communication unit 21, the terminal control unit 24 displays a PIN input screen on the display unit 23, as shown in Figure 12. In this embodiment, the terminal control unit 24, for example, based on information regarding touch operations input from the input unit 22, outputs the entered PIN to the terminal communication unit 21 when it determines that the PIN input has been completed. In this embodiment, for example, when a pick-up / drop-off start notification is received from the terminal communication unit 21, the terminal control unit 24 displays a pick-up / drop-off start notification on the display unit 23, such as "8:15 We have boarded the child and started picking up the child to XX Kindergarten. The estimated arrival time is 8:50." In this embodiment, for example, when a pick-up completion notification is received from the terminal communication unit 21, the terminal control unit 24 displays a pick-up completion notification such as "8:49 The child was dropped off and the pick-up to XX Kindergarten has been completed" on the display unit 23.

[0061] <Configuration of Vehicle 100A> As shown in Figure 13, the vehicle 100A according to this embodiment is configured to include a controller 110A, a communication device 150A, an imaging device 160, and a display device 170. The configuration of controller 110A will be described later.

[0062] In this embodiment, the communication device 150A is, for example, a known wireless communication module, and functions as an interface for communicating with the user terminal 10A and the personnel terminal 20 via the network N. In this embodiment, the communication device 150A outputs, for example, the PIN and pick-up / drop-off information received from the user terminal 10A to the controller 110A. In this embodiment, the communication device 150A transmits, for example, a pick-up / drop-off start notification, a pick-up / drop-off completion notification, and detection information input from the controller 110A to the user terminal 10A. In this embodiment, the communication device 150A transmits, for example, a password transmission request received from the controller 110A to the employee terminal 20.

[0063] <Configuration of Controller 110A> The controller 110A comprises one or more processors and one or more memories that are communicably connected to one or more processors. As shown in Figure 13, in this embodiment, the controller 110A is configured to include a processor 120A and a memory 130.

[0064] <Configuration of Processor 120A> As shown in Figure 13, the processor 120A is configured to include a location information acquisition unit 121, an occupant determination unit 122, a driving state monitoring unit 123, and a vehicle control unit 124A. The various parts of the processor 120A, the memory 130, and the communication device 150A perform input and output of various types of information via the bus line BL.

[0065] In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124A controls the processing of the entire vehicle 100A according to a control program stored in the memory 130, for example. In this embodiment, for example, when pick-up / drop-off information is input from the communication device 150A, the vehicle control unit 124A calculates the driving route from the current location of the vehicle 100A to the pick-up / drop-off destination based on the pick-up / drop-off destination information included in the pick-up / drop-off information, the location information of the vehicle 100A input from the location information acquisition unit 121, and the map information stored in the memory 130. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124A displays, for example, the calculated driving route, map information, and image information showing the current position of the vehicle 100A on the display device 170. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124A calculates, for example, the estimated time of arrival (scheduled arrival time) of the vehicle 100A at the pick-up / drop-off destination based on the calculated driving route information and the legal speed limit of the driving route.

[0066] When the communication device 150A receives pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal 10A, including at least information about the pick-up / drop-off destination and vehicle 100A, the vehicle control unit 124A determines whether or not there is a child inside the vehicle, and if it determines that there is a child inside the vehicle, it causes the user terminal 10A to send a pick-up / drop-off commencement notification. In this embodiment, for example, when transportation information is input from the communication device 150A, the vehicle control unit 124A outputs a determination request to the passenger determination unit 122 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, when a PIN is entered from the communication device 150A, the vehicle control unit 124A stores the entered PIN in the memory 130. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124A receives a determination result from the occupant determination unit 122 indicating that a child is present inside the vehicle, it outputs a pick-up / drop-off start notification to the communication device 150A, which includes information regarding the pick-up / drop-off start time, information regarding the estimated arrival time, and a message to the user, as shown in Figure 4. The vehicle control unit 124A may, for example, output a pick-up / drop-off start notification with additional driving route information to the communication device 150A.

[0067] The vehicle control unit 124A determines that vehicle 100A has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off location, and if it determines that the PIN received from the staff terminal 20 is correct, it sends a pick-up / drop-off completion notification to the user terminal 10A and the staff terminal 20. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124A determines, for example, whether or not the vehicle 100A has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination based on the location information of the vehicle 100A input from the location information acquisition unit 121. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124A determines, for example, that vehicle 100A has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off location if the vehicle 100A is within 50m of the pick-up / drop-off location. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124A determines that vehicle 100A has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination, it outputs a determination request to the occupant determination unit 122. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124A determines, based on the determination result of the occupant determination unit 122, that there are no children in the vehicle, it outputs a request to transmit a PIN to the communication device 150A. In this embodiment, for example, when a PIN is entered from the communication device 150A, the vehicle control unit 124A determines whether the entered PIN (the PIN received from the staff terminal 20) matches the PIN stored in the memory 130. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124A, for example, outputs a pick-up completion notification to the communication device 150A if it determines that the entered PIN (PIN received from the operator terminal 20) and the PIN stored in the memory 130 (PIN received from the user terminal 10A) match. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124A outputs a pick-up completion notification to the communication device 150A, which includes information regarding the pick-up completion time and a message to the user, as shown in Figure 5.

[0068] In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 124A, for example, starts monitoring the driving status of vehicle 100A if it determines that a child is present inside the vehicle, and stops monitoring the driving status of vehicle 100A if it determines that there is no child inside the vehicle. In this embodiment, for example, if the occupant determination unit 122 inputs a determination result indicating the presence of a child inside the vehicle, the vehicle control unit 124A outputs a request to start monitoring, information on the route to the pick-up / drop-off destination, and calculated estimated arrival time information to the driving status monitoring unit 123 via the bus line BL. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124A receives a determination result from the occupant determination unit 122 indicating that there are no children inside the vehicle, it outputs a monitoring stop request to the driving status monitoring unit 123 via the bus line BL.

[0069] If the vehicle control unit 124A detects any of the following abnormal conditions, such as deviation from the route to the pick-up / drop-off destination, prolonged stopping of vehicle 100A, or delay of vehicle 100A, it will notify the user terminal 10A of the detected information. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124A receives a determination result from the driving status monitoring unit 123 via the bus line BL indicating that the position of vehicle 100A has deviated from the driving route to the pick-up / drop-off destination, it outputs detection information such as "8:30 Vehicle 100A has deviated from the driving route." to the communication device 150A and displays a message such as "Please contact the pick-up / drop-off requester regarding the reason for the deviation from the driving route." on the display device 170. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124A receives a determination result from the driving status monitoring unit 123 via the bus line BL indicating that vehicle 100A has been stopped for a long time, it outputs detection information such as "8:30 Vehicle 100A has been detected to be stopped without moving for more than 10 minutes. The stopping location is near the XX intersection." to the communication device 150A, and also displays a message such as "Please contact the passenger requester regarding the reason for the long-term stop." on the display device 170. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle control unit 124A receives a determination result from the driving status monitoring unit 123 via the bus line BL indicating that a delay has occurred in the vehicle 100A, it outputs detection information such as "8:30 The arrival time at the pick-up / drop-off location is expected to be delayed by 10 minutes or more from the scheduled arrival time notified in the pick-up / drop-off start notification." to the communication device 150A, and also displays a message such as "Please contact the pick-up / drop-off requester to explain the reason for the delay." on the display device 170.

[0070] <Processing flow for vehicle 100A> The processing flow of vehicle 100A will be explained using Figure 14.

[0071] The vehicle control unit 124A determines whether or not it has received a PIN and pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal 10A via the communication device 150A (step S310). If the vehicle control unit 124A determines via the communication device 150A that it has not received the PIN and pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal 10A ("NO" in step S310), it returns to the standby state. If the vehicle control unit 124A determines that it has received the PIN and pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal 10A via the communication device 150A (YES in step S310), it proceeds to step S320.

[0072] The vehicle control unit 124A calculates the travel route to the pick-up / drop-off destination based on the pick-up / drop-off destination information included in the pick-up / drop-off information acquired in step S310, the location information of the vehicle 100A, and the map information (step S320), and then proceeds to step S330.

[0073] The vehicle control unit 124A calculates the time of arrival at the pick-up / drop-off destination (estimated arrival time) based on the travel route calculated in step S320 (step S330), and then proceeds to step S340.

[0074] The vehicle control unit 124A outputs a determination request to the occupant determination unit 122, and determines whether or not the occupant determination unit 122 has input a determination result indicating that a child is present inside the vehicle (step S340). If the vehicle control unit 124A determines that the occupant determination unit 122 has input a determination result indicating that there are no children in the vehicle ("NO" in step S340), it returns to the standby state. If the vehicle control unit 124A determines that it has received a determination result from the occupant determination unit 122 indicating that a child is present in the vehicle ("YES" in step S340), it proceeds to step S350.

[0075] The vehicle control unit 124A outputs a notification of the start of pick-up / drop-off to the communication device 150A and outputs a request to start monitoring to the driving status monitoring unit 123 (step S350), and then proceeds to the driving status monitoring process (step S200). The driving condition monitoring process (step S200) is the same as described in the first embodiment above, so its explanation will be omitted.

[0076] After the driving status monitoring process (step S200) is performed, the vehicle control unit 124A determines whether or not the vehicle 100A has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination based on the location information of the vehicle 100A obtained from the location information acquisition unit 121 (step S360). If the vehicle control unit 124A determines, based on the location information of vehicle 100A obtained from the location information acquisition unit 121, that vehicle 100A has not arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination (NO in step S360), it returns to step S200 and continues processing. If the vehicle control unit 124A determines, based on the location information of vehicle 100A obtained from the location information acquisition unit 121, that vehicle 100A has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination ("YES" in step S360), it proceeds to step S370.

[0077] The vehicle control unit 124A determines whether or not a determination result indicating that there are no children in the vehicle compartment has been input from the occupant determination unit 122 (step S370). If the vehicle control unit 124A determines that the occupant determination unit 122 has input a result indicating that a child is present inside the vehicle ("NO" in step S370), it returns to the standby state. If the vehicle control unit 124A determines that the occupant determination unit 122 has input a result indicating that there are no children in the vehicle (YES in step S370), it proceeds to step S380.

[0078] The vehicle control unit 124A outputs a request to send a PIN to the communication device 150A, causing the person in charge terminal 20 to send the request to send a PIN (step S380), and then proceeds to step S390.

[0079] The vehicle control unit 124A determines whether the PIN received from the user terminal 10A matches the PIN received from the person in charge terminal 20 (step S390). If the vehicle control unit 124A determines that the PIN received from the user terminal 10A does not match the PIN received from the staff terminal 20 ("NO" in step S390), it returns to step S380 and continues processing. If the vehicle control unit 124A finds that the PIN received from the user terminal 10A matches the PIN received from the staff terminal 20 ("YES" in step S390), it proceeds to step S400.

[0080] The vehicle control unit 124A outputs a notification of completion of pick-up / drop-off to the communication device 150A and outputs a request to stop monitoring to the driving status monitoring unit 123 (step S400), thereby terminating the process.

[0081] <Effects and Actions> As described above, the vehicle shuttle management system 1A according to this embodiment is configured to include a vehicle 100A, a user terminal 10A, and a staff terminal 20. The terminal communication unit 11A of the user terminal 10A and the communication device 150A of the vehicle 100A further communicate with the staff terminal 20 carried by the person in charge of picking up the children at the pick-up / drop-off location. The terminal communication unit 11A of the user terminal 10A transmits the PIN and pick-up / drop-off information to the vehicle 100A and the staff member terminal 20. The vehicle control unit 124A of vehicle 100A determines that vehicle 100A has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off location, and if it determines that the PIN received from the operator terminal 20 is correct, it instructs the vehicle control unit 124A to send a pick-up / drop-off completion notification to the user terminal 10A. In other words, when vehicle 100A determines that it has arrived at the destination, it determines whether the PIN received from user terminal 10A matches the PIN entered by the person in charge at the destination into the person in charge terminal 20. If vehicle 100A determines that the PIN received from user terminal 10A matches the PIN entered by the person in charge at the pick-up / drop-off location into the person in charge terminal 20, it sends a pick-up / drop-off completion notification to user terminal 10A. This allows users to confirm that their child (preschooler) has been safely picked up by the person in charge at the pick-up / drop-off location. Furthermore, the vehicle-based pick-up and drop-off management system 1A improves the safety of pick-up and drop-off by preventing children from being left unattended in the vehicle for extended periods, as it confirms that no children are present inside the vehicle.

[0082] <Example 1> The user terminal 10 described above transmits the pick-up / drop-off information entered by the user to the vehicle 100 via the network N. However, for example, when the user approaches the vehicle 100 to put a child into the vehicle 100, the pick-up / drop-off information may be transmitted to the vehicle 100 using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth®.

[0083] <Modification 2> The vehicle control unit 124 described above may, after sending the pick-up / drop-off start notification, for example, send the location information of the vehicle 100 to the user terminal 10 every 5 minutes. This allows the user to track the location of vehicle 100 until the pick-up / drop-off is complete. Furthermore, even if a malicious driver deviates from the route to the kindergarten and drives vehicle 100 in a different direction, the user can still determine the location of vehicle 100.

[0084] <Variation 3> The vehicle control unit 124 described above may, for example, determine if the vehicle 100 has been stopped for a predetermined time or longer (for example, 10 minutes or more), perform a vehicle diagnostic on the vehicle 100 to determine whether or not a malfunction or other abnormality has occurred in the vehicle 100. If a malfunction or other abnormality occurs in the vehicle 100, the vehicle control unit 124 will send the results of the vehicle diagnosis to the user terminal 10. This allows users to understand the reason for the vehicle being stopped for an extended period.

[0085] <Modification 4> The vehicle 100A described above may, for example, transmit information about the start of pick-up / drop-off, information about the completion of pick-up / drop-off, and detection information to the operator terminal 20. This allows the person in charge at the pick-up / drop-off location to, for example, understand the status of the children's arrival and departure (estimated arrival time, etc.). Furthermore, the person in charge at the pick-up / drop-off location can, for example, know in advance if the vehicle will arrive at the location more than a certain amount of time later than the estimated arrival time.

[0086] <Modification 5> If the vehicle 100 deviates from the route to the pick-up / drop-off location, the display device 170 may further display the recalculated route to the pick-up / drop-off location and a warning message such as "Have you forgotten to stop by XX Kindergarten?". This allows vehicle 100 to alert the driver. Vehicle 100 can deter crime by making malicious drivers aware that the location information of vehicle 100 is being monitored.

[0087] <Variation 6> In the vehicle transportation management system 1A described above, the PIN was sent to the operator's terminal 20, but for example, the PIN could also be sent to a computer at the kindergarten that manages the attendance / absence of the children. For example, if the aforementioned computer determines that a child who was transported by vehicle 100A has attended, it transmits the PIN received from user terminal 10A to vehicle 100A. In other words, the vehicle-based transportation management system 1A can enable transportation management in conjunction with the kindergarten's system. As a result, the vehicle-based shuttle management system 1A can reduce user anxiety and enable safe shuttle services.

[0088] The vehicle transport management systems 1 and 1A of the present invention can be realized by recording the processing of the vehicle control units 124 and 124A described above onto a recording medium that can be read by a computer system, loading the program recorded on this recording medium into memory, and executing it. The term "computer system" here includes hardware such as the operating system and peripheral devices.

[0089] The computer systems described above include the homepage delivery environment (or display environment) if they utilize the WWW (World Wide Web) system. The above program may be transmitted from a computer system that stores this program in a memory device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. The transmission medium used to transmit the above program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) like the Internet or a communication line (communication line) like a telephone line.

[0090] The above program may be intended to implement some of the functions described above. The above program may be one that can achieve the aforementioned functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system, a so-called differential file (differential program).

[0091] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, all vehicle shuttle management systems that a person skilled in the art can implement by appropriately modifying the design based on the above-described vehicle shuttle management system as an embodiment of the present invention also fall within the scope of the present invention, insofar as they encompass the gist of the present invention. Within the scope of the concept of this invention, a person skilled in the art would be able to conceive of various modifications and alterations, and it is understood that such modifications and alterations also fall within the scope of this invention. For example, any embodiment described above that a person skilled in the art has modified by adding, deleting, or changing the design of components, or by adding, omitting, or changing the conditions of a process, is also included in the scope of the present invention, as long as it retains the essence of the present invention.

[0092] Furthermore, any other effects and advantages brought about by the embodiments described herein that are obvious from this specification or that can be appropriately conceived by those skilled in the art are naturally considered to be brought about by the present invention. Various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be removed from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

[0093] <Additional notes> [Additional note 1] A vehicle comprising a controller and a communication device for communicating with a user terminal, wherein the controller includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors, and the one or more processors, when the communication device receives pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal, including at least information about the pick-up / drop-off destination and the vehicle, determines whether or not a child is present in the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is present in the vehicle, causes the user terminal to send a pick-up / drop-off commencement notification; and when it determines that the vehicle has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination, determines whether or not a child is present in the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is not present in the vehicle, causes the user terminal to send a pick-up / drop-off completion notification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1; Vehicle-based shuttle management system 10; User terminal 11; Terminal Communication Unit 12; Input section 13;Display section 14; Terminal Control Unit 20; Terminal of person in charge 21; Terminal Communication Unit 22; Input section 23;Display section 24; Terminal Control Unit 100; Vehicle 110; Controller 120; processor 121;Location information acquisition unit 122; Crew determination unit 123; Driving condition monitoring unit 124; Vehicle Control Unit 130; memory 150; Communication device 160; Imaging device 170;Display device N; Network

Claims

1. A vehicle-based shuttle management system in which a vehicle and a user terminal communicate, The aforementioned user terminal is It is equipped with a terminal communication unit that communicates with the aforementioned vehicle, The aforementioned vehicle is A communication device that communicates with the aforementioned user terminal, When the communication device receives pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal, including at least information about the pick-up / drop-off destination and the vehicle, it determines whether or not a child is present in the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is present in the vehicle, it causes the user terminal to send a pick-up / drop-off commencement notification. When the vehicle determines that it has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off location, the vehicle control unit determines whether or not the child is inside the vehicle, and if it determines that the child is not inside the vehicle, it causes the vehicle control unit to send a pick-up / drop-off completion notification to the user terminal. A vehicle shuttle management system characterized by having the following features.

2. The vehicle transport management system according to claim 1, characterized in that when the vehicle control unit determines that the child is present inside the vehicle, it starts monitoring the vehicle's driving status, and when it detects any of the following abnormal conditions, such as deviation from the route to the destination, prolonged stopping of the vehicle, or delay of the vehicle, it notifies the user terminal of the detected information.

3. The terminal communication unit and the communication device further communicate with the staff terminal carried by the staff member at the pick-up / drop-off location. The terminal communication unit transmits the PIN and the pick-up / drop-off information to the vehicle and the staff member's terminal. The vehicle transport management system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vehicle control unit determines that the vehicle has arrived at the destination and, if it determines that the PIN received from the staff terminal is correct, causes the vehicle to send a transport completion notification to the user terminal.

4. A vehicle equipped with a communication device that communicates with a user terminal and a vehicle control unit, The vehicle control unit, When the communication device receives pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal, including at least information about the pick-up / drop-off destination and the vehicle, it determines whether or not a child is inside the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is inside the vehicle, it sends a pick-up / drop-off commencement notification to the user terminal. A vehicle characterized in that, when it is determined that the vehicle has arrived at the pick-up / drop-off destination, it determines whether or not the child is inside the vehicle, and if it is determined that the child is not inside the vehicle, it sends a pick-up / drop-off completion notification to the user terminal.

5. A vehicle-based shuttle management system in which a vehicle and a user terminal communicate, The aforementioned user terminal is It is equipped with a terminal communication unit that communicates with the aforementioned vehicle, The aforementioned vehicle is The system comprises a controller and a communication device that communicates with the user terminal, The controller includes one or more processors and one or more memories that are communicably connected to the one or more processors. The one or more processors described above are When the communication device receives pick-up / drop-off information from the user terminal, including at least information about the pick-up / drop-off destination and the vehicle, it determines whether or not a child is present in the vehicle, and if it determines that a child is present in the vehicle, it causes the user terminal to send a pick-up / drop-off commencement notification. A vehicle-based transportation management system characterized by determining whether the child is present inside the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle has arrived at the destination, and sending a transportation completion notification to the user terminal when it is determined that the child is not present inside the vehicle.

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