Operation management system, operation management method, and operation management program

Abstract

We provide a traffic management system, traffic management method, and traffic management program suitable for bus operations. [Solution] The operation management system includes: a setting unit that sets multiple location areas surrounded by multiple location information points in a continuous sequence in the direction of travel of the bus at the entrance and exit of a traffic facility where the bus is parked; an acquisition unit that acquires bus location information relating to the position of the bus running with a positioning sensor and bus time information relating to the time when the position is measured; a determination unit that determines whether the bus has passed through a location area based on the travel trajectory consisting of multiple bus positions recorded in the bus location information; and a recording unit that, if the determination unit determines that the bus has passed through a location area, records the bus's travel time based on the time recorded in the corresponding bus time information when the bus's position was measured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an operation management system, an operation management method, and an operation management program.

Background Art

[0002] There is a need to manage the working hours of crew members on board a vehicle. For taxis, there is a device that calculates the predicted travel time required for the journey from the current location to the destination, and subtracts the predicted travel time and the current working time from the maximum working time to calculate the remaining time that the crew member can work (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] However, buses, especially regular buses, etc. must travel along a determined route after leaving the depot and then return to the depot, and it is not possible to manage the remaining time like the crew members of taxis described in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] An operation management system according to one aspect includes: a setting unit that continuously sets a plurality of position areas surrounded by position information of a plurality of points in the traveling direction of a bus at an entrance and exit of a traffic facility where the bus parks; an acquisition unit that acquires bus position information regarding the position of the bus equipped with a positioning sensor and traveling, and bus time information regarding the time when the position is measured; a determination unit that determines whether the bus has passed through the position area based on a traveling locus composed of a plurality of positions of the bus recorded in the bus position information; and a recording unit that records the traveling time of the bus based on the time recorded in the bus time information corresponding to the time when the position of the bus is measured when the determination unit determines that the bus has passed through the position area. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a diagram (schematic diagram) illustrating a traffic management system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram illustrating a traffic management system according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating an example of a location region. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the location area (first location area) when traffic facilities are installed on opposite sides of the same road. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates an example of a location area (a first location area set at the entrance / exit of a transportation facility, and a second location area set away from that entrance / exit (first location area)). [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the content recorded by the recording unit. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating a traffic management method according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] One embodiment will be described below.

[0008] [Overview of Operation Management System 100] First, an overview of the operation management system 100 according to one embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a traffic management system 100 according to one embodiment.

[0009] The operation management system 100 is a device that manages the operation of vehicles, including buses and trucks. Below, we will use bus 300 as an example and describe the device that manages the operation of bus 300. The operation management system 100 may be one or more computers, such as a server, desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet, and smartphone.

[0010] The operation management system 100 sets up multiple geofences (location areas 400) in a continuous sequence in the direction of travel of the bus 300 at the entrances 513 of the transportation facilities 510, such as the depot and information center, where the bus 300 is parked. As illustrated in Figure 1, the operation management system 100 sets up two geofences (location areas 400) at the entrances 513 of the transportation facilities 510: one set up with multiple points R1, R2, R3, and R4 defined by location information, and another set up with multiple points R5, R6, R7, and R8 defined by location information. A geofence (location area 400) is an area enclosed by the location information of multiple points. That is, a geofence (location area 400) may be, for example, an area enclosed by multiple points (points indicated by latitude and longitude (location information)) that are indicated by latitude and longitude.

[0011] Bus 300 is equipped with a positioning sensor 301. The positioning sensor 301 can measure its position based on receiving signals from satellites, for example, using GPS and GNSS. The positioning sensor 301 can also acquire the time when measuring its position. Therefore, bus 300 equipped with the positioning sensor 301 can generate bus position information regarding the position of the vehicle as it moves, and bus time information regarding the time when the position is measured. Bus 300 (positioning sensor 301) transmits bus information (bus position information and bus time information).

[0012] The operation management system 100 acquires bus time information (bus location information and bus time information) from the bus 300 (positioning sensor 301). Based on the travel trajectory 310 consisting of multiple locations of the bus 300 recorded in the bus location information, the operation management system 100 determines whether the bus 300 has passed through a geofence (location area 400). In other words, the operation management system 100 compares the travel trajectory 310 of the bus 300 (multiple locations based on the bus location information) with the geofence (location area 400) defined by the multiple locations based on the location information, and determines whether the travel trajectory 310 of the bus 300 has passed through the geofence (location area 400).

[0013] When the operation management system 100 determines that the travel trajectory 310 (positions P1, P2, P3) of bus 300 has passed through a geofence (position area 400), it records the times t1, t2, and t3 when the bus 300 passed through that geofence (position area 400) as the travel time (departure time or arrival time). In other words, when the operation management system 100 determines that the travel trajectory 310 (positions P1, P2, P3) of the bus 300 has passed through a geofence (position area 400), it identifies the times t1, t2, and t3 when the bus 300 passed through that geofence (position area 400) as the departure time or arrival time, based on the time recorded in the bus time information. In the example shown in Figure 1, the bus 300 is entering the depot based on the progression of its travel trajectory 310, so the operation management system 100 identifies the times t1, t2, and t3 as the arrival time.

[0014] Furthermore, when a bus 300 departs from the depot, the operation management system 100 identifies the departure time as the time specified in the above-described case (in the case of entering the depot) as illustrated in Figure 1. The operation management system 100 may, for example, determine whether the bus 300 is departing from or entering the depot based on the bus 300's travel trajectory 310 (the direction of movement of the bus 300's position recorded in the bus position information). The operation management system 100 may also define the series of times from the departure time to the entry time of the same bus 300 as the bus 300's travel time (operating time).

[0015] [Details of the Operation Management System 100] Next, a description of the operation management system 100 according to one embodiment will be given in detail. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a traffic management system 100 according to one embodiment.

[0016] The operation management system 100 includes, for example, a communication unit 121, a storage unit 122, a display unit 123, a control unit 110, and the like. The communication unit 121, the storage unit 122, and the display unit 123 may be an embodiment of an output unit. The control unit 110 includes, for example, a setting unit 111, an acquisition unit 112, a determination unit 113, a recording unit 114, and the like. The control unit 110 may be configured by, for example, an arithmetic processing unit of the operation management system 100. The control unit 110 (for example, an arithmetic processing unit or the like) may realize the functions of each unit (for example, the setting unit 111, the acquisition unit 112, the determination unit 113, the recording unit 114, and the like) by appropriately reading and executing various programs and the like stored in the storage unit 122 and the like. That is, the functions of each unit may be realized by computer implementation.

[0017] The communication unit 121 is, for example, a communication interface capable of transmitting and receiving various information to and from a device (external device) outside the operation management system 100. The external device may be, for example, a server 200 (see FIG. 1), a bus 300 (vehicle), a user terminal (not shown), and the like.

[0018] The storage unit 122 may store various information and programs, for example. An example of the storage unit 122 may be a memory, a solid state drive, a hard disk drive, and the like. Note that the storage unit 122 may be, for example, a storage area and a server on the cloud.

[0019] The display unit 123 is, for example, a display capable of displaying various characters, symbols, images, and the like.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the position area 400. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the position area 400 (first position area 401) when traffic facilities 510 are installed facing each other across the same road 520. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the position area 400 (the first position area 401 set at the entrance / exit 513 of the traffic facility 510 and the second position area 402 set away from the entrance / exit 513 (the first position area 401)).

[0021] The setting unit 111 sets multiple geofences (location areas 400) surrounded by multiple location information points at the entrance 513 of the traffic facility 510 where the bus 300 is parked, in a continuous sequence in the direction of travel of the bus 300 (see Figure 1). The location area 400 is an area enclosed by the location information of multiple points. The setting unit 111 may, for example, set multiple points indicated by latitude and longitude as the location area 400, and set multiple areas enclosed by those multiple points (points indicated by latitude and longitude (location information)). The entrance / exit 513 may serve as both an exit and an entrance, or it may be either an exit or an entrance. Furthermore, the setting unit 111 may set one or more location areas 400 (geofences) on a road 520 adjacent to (connecting to) an entrance / exit 513 of a traffic facility 510 (see Figure 3). In this case, the road 520 on which the location areas 400 are set may be included in the "entrance / exit of a traffic facility" of this disclosure.

[0022] The setting unit 111 may set traffic facility identification information for each of the multiple location areas 400 to identify whether or not they are the same traffic facility 510. That is, the setting unit 111 may set the same traffic facility identification information for multiple location areas 400 that are set to the same traffic facility 510. In this case, the setting unit 111 may associate the location information of each of the multiple points that define the location area 400 with the traffic facility identification information set for each of the multiple location areas 400 and use this as first information.

[0023] The setting unit 111 may set a plurality of first position areas 401 (see Figures 3 and 5) that are set consecutively with the entrances and exits 513 of the traffic facility 510, as a plurality of position areas 400, and a second position area 402 (see Figure 5) at a position away from the first position areas 401. That is, the setting unit 111 may set a plurality of first position areas 401 and one or more second position areas 402 as a plurality of position areas 400. In this case, the setting unit 111 may set a plurality of first position areas 401 and at least one second position area 402 along a predetermined direction of travel of the bus 300. The setting unit 111 may set a plurality of different second position areas 402 at different points (on different routes of the bus 300). The setting unit 111 may set a plurality of first position areas 401 consecutively in the direction of travel of the bus 300. In this case, the setting unit 111 may set the plurality of first position areas 401 (adjacent first position areas 401) to be touching, or it may set the plurality of first position areas 401 (adjacent first position areas 401) to be spaced a predetermined distance apart. The predetermined distance may be a set distance such as 5m, 10m, 15m, 20m, and 30m.

[0024] As illustrated in Figure 4, if there are multiple traffic facilities 510 facing each other across the road 520, the setting unit 111 may set a first position area 401 at each of the entrances 513 of the multiple traffic facilities 510. Traffic facilities 510 may be arranged facing each other across the same road 520 (for example, facing each other on the right and left sides of the road 520 with respect to the direction of vehicle travel). In this case, as an example, the setting unit 111 may set multiple position areas 400 (for example, multiple first position areas 401) at each of the entrances 513 of the traffic facility 510 on the right side of the road 520 and the entrances 513 of the traffic facility 510 on the left side of the road 520. The setting unit 111 may identify the traffic facility 510 on the right side of the road 520 and the traffic facility 510 on the left side of the road 520 as the same traffic facility.

[0025] As illustrated in Figure 5, the setting unit 111 may set the second position area 402 on the road 520 connected to the entrance / exit 513 of the bus 300 traffic facility 510 where the first position area 401 is set. In other words, the setting unit 111 may set the second position area 402 on the road 520 (the road connected to the entrance / exit 513) in the direction of travel (travel route) of the bus 300 after the bus 300 has passed the first position area 401 (the entrance / exit 513 of the traffic facility 510). In this case, the setting unit 111 may set the second position area 402 to a position that the bus 300 passes through after moving a predetermined time from the first position area 401. That is, the setting unit 111 may set the second position area 402 to a position (on the road 520) after the bus 300 has passed through the first position area 401 and traveled along the direction of travel (travel path) of the bus 300 for a predetermined time, or to a position (on the road 520) that the bus passes through after traveling for that predetermined time. The setting unit 111 may set a predetermined time as the time from when the positioning sensor 301 changes from the off state to the on state until positioning becomes possible. After the positioning sensor 301 changes from the off (stopped) state to the on (started) state, it takes time before positioning becomes possible. This time until startup can be obtained, for example, by conducting experiments in advance. Also, the positioning sensor 301 changes from the off state to the on state in response to the engine start of the bus 300, and changes from the off state to the on state by the crew manually or by automatic control when the bus 300 departs from the transportation facility 510. The setting unit 111 may assume that the time when the positioning sensor 301 turns on from an off state is based on the representative position of the traffic facility 510 or the position of the first position area 401, and then set a second position at a position (on the road 520) that the bus 300 will pass after traveling for a predetermined time (the time when positioning becomes possible) until the positioning sensor 301 is activated, as obtained through experiments, etc. In this case, the setting unit 111 may determine the distance from the first position area 401 to the second position area 402 based on the bus 300's travel speed (for example, average travel speed) obtained in advance and the time until the positioning sensor 301 is activated (a predetermined time), and set the second position area 402 at a position at that distance (a position beyond that distance).

[0026] The acquisition unit 112 acquires bus position information relating to the position of the bus 300, which is equipped with a positioning sensor 301 and is traveling, and bus time information relating to the time when the position is measured.

[0027] Here, the bus 300 is equipped with a positioning sensor 301. The positioning sensor 301 can measure its position based on receiving signals from satellites, for example, by utilizing a positioning system such as GPS and GNSS. The positioning sensor 301 can also acquire the time when measuring its position. Therefore, the bus 300 equipped with the positioning sensor 301 can generate bus position information regarding the position of the vehicle while it is in motion, and bus time information regarding the time when the position is measured. The bus 300 (positioning sensor 301) may generate bus position information and bus time information (bus information) during a series of bus journeys, for example, from the start of the bus 300's engine until it stops, that is, from the activation of the positioning sensor 301 until it stops. The bus 300 (positioning sensor 301) transmits the bus position information and bus time information (bus information) to the operation management system 100 or the server 200, for example. Furthermore, bus 300 may include bus identification information to identify itself in the bus information, and may also include crew identification information to identify the crew in the bus information. In other words, the acquisition unit 112 acquires bus information.

[0028] The acquisition unit 112 acquires bus information from an external device, for example, via the communication unit 121. The external device here may be a bus 300 (positioning sensor 301) and a server 200, etc. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 112 may acquire bus information from an external memory that stores bus information, for example, if the external memory is connected to an interface (not shown) of the operation management system 100.

[0029] The determination unit 113 determines whether the bus 300 has passed through the location area 400 based on the travel trajectory 310 consisting of multiple positions of the bus 300 recorded in the bus location information. The determination unit 113 compares the travel trajectory 310 of the bus 300 (multiple positions based on the bus location information (trajectory of positions)) with the location area 400 defined by the multiple positions based on the location information, and determines whether the travel trajectory 310 of the bus 300 has passed through the location area 400. Furthermore, if multiple position areas 400 are set consecutively in the direction in which the bus 300 exits and enters (the direction of travel of the bus 300) at a single entrance / exit 513, the determination unit 113 may determine whether all of the multiple position areas 400 have been passed.

[0030] When the determination unit 113 determines that the bus 300 has passed through the location area 400, the recording unit 114 records the travel time of the bus 300 based on the time recorded in the corresponding bus time information when the position of the bus 300 was measured. In other words, when the recording unit 114 determines that the travel trajectory 310 of the bus 300 has passed through the location area 400, it identifies the time when the bus 300 passed through that location area 400 based on the time recorded in the bus time information, and records the identified time as the travel time of the bus 300.

[0031] The recording unit 114 may record the following (i) departure time and the following (ii) arrival time. (i) Based on the determination result of the determination unit 113, the recording unit 114 determines that the bus 300 has departed when the bus 300 passes through each of the multiple location areas 400 from inside the traffic facility 510 to outside the traffic facility 510, and records the time when the bus 300 passes through at least one of the multiple location areas 400 as the departure time of the bus 300, based on the bus time information. (ii) Based on the determination result of the determination unit 113, the recording unit 114 determines that the bus 300 has entered the depot when the bus 300 passes through each of the multiple location areas 400 from outside the traffic facility 510 to inside the traffic facility 510, and records the time when the bus 300 passes through at least one of the multiple location areas 400, based on the bus time information, as the time the bus 300 has entered the depot. The recording unit 114 may determine whether the bus 300 is leaving the depot or entering the depot based on the movement progression (direction of movement of the travel trajectory 310) of the bus 300's position (the time corresponding to that position) recorded in the bus position information and bus time information.

[0032] Regarding (i) above, the recording unit 114 may, for example, if the second position area 402 is not set, record the time when the bus 300 passes through the first position area 401 when it leaves the transportation facility 510 as the departure time. The recording unit 114 may, for example, since multiple first position areas 401 are set, record the time when the bus 300 passes through any of the multiple first position areas 401, or the earliest time when it is recorded that the bus 300 has passed through any of the multiple first position areas 401, as the departure time.

[0033] Furthermore, with respect to (i) above, the recording unit 114 may, for example, record the time when the bus 300 leaves the transportation facility 510 and passes through the second location area 402 as the departure time, if the second location area 402 is set. Alternatively, with respect to (i) above, the recording unit 114 may, for example, when a second position area 402 is set, record as the departure time the time when the bus 300 passes through any of the multiple first position areas 401 and second position areas 402, or the earliest time when it is recorded that the bus 300 has passed through any of the multiple first position areas 401 and second position areas 402.

[0034] Regarding (ii) above, the recording unit 114 may, for example, record the time when the bus 300 passes through the first position area 401 when it enters the depot from the transportation facility 510 as the entry time. The recording unit 114 may, for example, since multiple first position areas 401 are set, record the time when the bus 300 passes through any of the multiple first position areas 401, or the latest time when it is recorded that the bus 300 has passed through any of the multiple first position areas 401, as the entry time.

[0035] The recording unit 114 may record the time from the departure time to the time of return to the depot, which is recorded immediately after the departure time, as the operating time of the bus 300 (the time the bus 300 travels). That is, for example, the recording unit 114 may record the operating time of the bus 300 as the time the bus 300 travels as described above. In a series of trips by the same bus 300 from the time it leaves the transportation facility 510 until it returns to the transportation facility 510, the recording unit 114 records the departure time and return time of the bus 300 as described above. The recording unit 114 records the time from the departure time to the return time as the operating time of the same bus 300 (the time the bus 300 travels).

[0036] The recording unit 114 may record the operating time of the bus 300 as the working time of the crew member on board the bus 300. That is, for example, when the recording unit 114 records the operating time of the bus 300 as described above, it may use the bus identification information of the bus 300 and the crew identification information of the crew member on board the bus 300 to record the operating time of the bus 300 as the working time of the crew member on board the bus 300.

[0037] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents recorded by the recording unit 114.

[0038] As illustrated in Figure 6, the recording unit 114 may record information such as entry / exit type, time, vehicle number, crew, and transportation facilities 510. The recording unit 114 records whether the entry / exit type is an exit or an entry, and records the time at that time (exit time and entry time). Based on the bus information (bus identification information), the recording unit 114 may record the identification information (ID) of the bus 300 that is departing or entering the depot. Based on the bus information (crew identification information), the recording unit 114 may record the identification information (ID) of the crew member on board the bus 300, or the name of the crew member associated with that crew identification information. Note that the bus information may include bus identification information, crew information, bus location information, and bus time information. Furthermore, when the setting unit 111 sets up multiple location areas 400, the recording unit 114 may also record, based on the traffic facility information (first information) set for each of the multiple location areas 400, the identification information (ID) of the traffic facility 510, or the name of the traffic facility associated with that traffic facility identification information, indicating which location area 400 of the bus 300 that departs from and enters the depot has passed through.

[0039] The recording unit 114 may also record the result of calculating the crew member's salary based on the crew member's working hours. In other words, the recording unit 114 may, for example, use the crew member's working hours recorded as described above to create a record of the crew member's work (for example, attendance records). As a specific example, if the crew member is paid by the hour, the recording unit 114 may calculate the salary amount by multiplying the working hours by the hourly wage. As a specific example, the recording unit 114 may pre-determine a formula for calculating the salary amount using the driving time, and the value obtained by substituting the driving time recorded as described above into that formula may be used as the salary amount. The recording unit 114 may calculate the crew member's salary amount according to their working hours using various methods, not limited to the example described above. The recording unit 114 may store (record) the calculated crew member's salary information in the storage unit 122. In this case, the recording unit 114 may store (record) the crew member's salary (salary information) in the storage unit 122 in association with the crew member's identification information.

[0040] For example, when the setting unit 111 sets a first position area 401 at the entrance / exit 513 of each of the multiple traffic facilities 510 when there are multiple traffic facilities 510 facing each other across the road 520, the recording unit 114 does not need to record the operating time (travel time) of the bus 300 when the bus 300 moves from one of the multiple traffic facilities 511 across the road 520 to the other traffic facility 512 within a predetermined time (see arrow A in Figure 4), or it may be recorded as the operating time (travel time) of the bus 300. The predetermined time here may be various pre-set times, such as 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 8 minutes, 10 minutes, etc., for traffic facilities 510 arranged opposite each other on the same road 520 (for example, on the right and left sides (upper and lower sides of road 520 in Figure 4) with respect to the direction of travel of vehicles traveling on road 520), when a bus 300 moves from one traffic facility 511 on the right (or left) side of road 520 to the other traffic facility 512 on the left (or right) side of road 520. As illustrated in Figure 4, when multiple traffic facilities 511 and 512 are arranged in a positional relationship that faces the road 520, shortening the aforementioned predetermined time relatively (extremely shortening) will produce the following effects, for example. In other words, the operation management system 100 (control unit 110) can determine whether the bus 300 performed a regular service visiting each stop, or whether the bus 300 simply moved directly from one transportation facility 511 to the other transportation facility 512, by checking whether the travel time of the bus 300 from one transportation facility 511 to the other transportation facility 512 is within a predetermined time. For example, if the bus 300 moves from one transportation facility 511 to the other transportation facility 512 in a relatively short time of 30 seconds or less (predetermined time), the operation management system 100 (control unit 110) can determine that the bus 300 simply moved directly from one transportation facility 511 to the other transportation facility 512. As a result, the operation management system 100 (control unit 110) can not only accurately grasp the crew's working hours, but also easily determine, for example, whether or not the bus 300 needs refueling, and thus streamline preparations for the next operation.

[0041] The recording unit 114 may control the output unit to output the recorded and calculated content as described above. The output unit may be, for example, the communication unit 121, the storage unit 122, and the display unit 123. In other words, the recording unit 114 may, for example, control the communication unit 121 to transmit the recorded and calculated content as described above to an external device. The external device here may be, for example, a server 200 and a user terminal (not shown) located in the transportation facility 510. The user terminal may be, for example, a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet, or smartphone. The recording unit 114 may, for example, control the storage unit 122 to store the recorded and calculated content as described above. The recording unit 114 may, for example, control the display unit 123 to display the recorded and calculated content as described above.

[0042] [Additional information] Additional aspects of the operation management system 100 of the above-described embodiment will now be explained.

[0043] The operation management system 100 may acquire information (first information) that associates the location information of each of the multiple points defining the location area 400 with the traffic facility identification information set for each of the multiple location areas 400. Furthermore, the operation management system 100 may acquire bus information. The operation management system 100 (determination unit 113) may determine, based on the first information and bus information, which location area 400 of the transportation facility 510 the bus 300 has passed through, based on a driving trajectory 310 consisting of multiple locations recorded in the bus information (bus location information) of the same bus 300. If the operation management system 100 (recording unit 114) determines that the bus 300 has passed through the location area 400, it records the travel time of the bus 300 based on the time recorded in the corresponding bus time information when the location of the bus 300 was measured. In this case, the operation management system 100 (recording unit 114) may identify the traffic facility 510 at the time the bus 300 passed through the location area 400 based on the first information (traffic facility identification information), and record the travel time for each of the multiple buses 300 identified based on the bus information (bus identification information) for each of the multiple traffic facilities 510.

[0044] In other words, the operation management system 100 is A first setting unit (setting unit 111) sets multiple location areas 400, enclosed by multiple location information points, in a continuous manner in the direction of travel of the bus 300, at the entrance 513 of the traffic facility 510 where the bus 300 is parked, A second setting unit (setting unit 111) sets traffic facility identification information for identifying traffic facilities 510 for each of the multiple location areas 400 set by the first setting unit, and generates first information that associates the location information of each of the multiple points defining each of the multiple location areas 400 (each of the multiple location areas 400) with the traffic facility identification information set for each of the multiple location areas 400, An acquisition unit 112 acquires bus information including bus position information relating to the position of a bus 300 that is traveling equipped with a positioning sensor 301, bus time information relating to the time when the position is measured, and bus information that identifies the bus 300. Based on the bus identification information, a determination unit 113 determines, based on the bus location information of the same bus 300, which is identified as the same bus 300, and the first information, which of the multiple transportation facilities 510 has passed through a location area 400 set at the entrance / exit 513 of the transportation facility 510. When the determination unit 113 determines that the same bus 300 has passed through the location area 400, the recording unit 114 records, based on bus information (bus time information), the time when the same bus 300 passed through the location area 400 for each transportation facility 510 where the location area 400 is set (and for each bus among the multiple buses 300), as the travel time of the same bus 300. It may be provided.

[0045] [Operation management method] Next, a method for managing operations according to one embodiment will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a traffic management method according to one embodiment.

[0046] In step ST101, the setting unit 111 sets multiple location areas 400, each enclosed by multiple location information points, in a continuous sequence in the direction of travel of the bus 300 at the entrance / exit 513 of the traffic facility 510 where the bus 300 is parked. The setting unit 111 may set a second position area 402 at a location away from the first position area 401, in addition to the first position area 401 which is set in a plurality of positions 400 in a plurality of positions consecutive to the entrances and exits 513 of the traffic facility 510. The setting unit 111 may set the first position area 401 at each entrance / exit 513 of each of the multiple traffic facilities 510 if there are multiple traffic facilities 510 facing each other across the road 520. The setting unit 111 may set the second position area 402 on the road 520 connected to the entrance / exit 513 of the bus 300's traffic facility 510 where the first position area 401 is set. The setting unit 111 may also set the second position area 402 to a position that the bus 300 passes through after moving a predetermined time from the first position area 401. The setting unit 111 may set the predetermined time to be the time from when the positioning sensor 301 changes from an off state to an on state until when positioning becomes possible.

[0047] In step ST102, the acquisition unit 112 acquires bus position information relating to the position of the bus 300 that is traveling equipped with the positioning sensor 301, and bus time information relating to the time when the position is measured.

[0048] In step ST103, the determination unit 113 determines whether the bus 300 has passed through the location area 400 based on the travel trajectory 310 consisting of multiple locations of the bus 300 recorded in the bus location information acquired in step ST102.

[0049] In step ST104, if the recording unit 114 determines in step ST103 that the bus 300 has passed through the position area 400, it records the travel time of the bus 300 based on the time recorded in the bus time information acquired in step ST102, which corresponds to when the position of the bus 300 was measured.

[0050] The recording unit 114 may record the following (i) departure time and the following (ii) arrival time. The recording unit 114 may also record the time from the departure time to the arrival time recorded immediately after the departure time as the operating time of the bus 300 (the time the bus 300 travels). (i) Based on the determination result of the determination unit 113, the recording unit 114 determines that the bus 300 has departed when the bus 300 passes through each of the multiple location areas 400 from inside the traffic facility 510 to outside the traffic facility 510, and records the time when the bus 300 passes through at least one of the multiple location areas 400 as the departure time of the bus 300, based on the bus time information. (ii) Based on the determination result of the determination unit 113, the recording unit 114 determines that the bus 300 has entered the depot when the bus 300 passes through each of the multiple location areas 400 from outside the traffic facility 510 to inside the traffic facility 510, and records the time when the bus 300 passes through at least one of the multiple location areas 400, based on the bus time information, as the time the bus 300 has entered the depot.

[0051] In step ST105, the recording unit 114 records the operating time of bus 300 recorded in step ST104 as the working time of the crew member on board bus 300. The recording unit 114 calculates the crew member's salary based on their working time.

[0052] [Regarding functions and circuitry] Next, the functions and circuitry of the aforementioned operation management system 100 will be described. Each part of the operation management system 100 may be implemented as a function of a computer's processing unit or the like. The operation management system 100 may, for example, implement the functions of the setting unit 111, acquisition unit 112, determination unit 113, and recording unit 114 with a single control unit 110 (e.g., a processing unit, etc.), or it may implement the functions of the setting unit 111, acquisition unit 112, determination unit 113, and recording unit 114 in a distributed manner with multiple different control units 110 (e.g., processing units, etc.). The setting unit 111, acquisition unit 112, determination unit 113, and recording unit 114 (control unit 110) of the aforementioned operation management system 100 may be implemented as setting functions, acquisition functions, determination functions, and recording functions (control functions) by a computer's processing unit or the like. The operation management program can implement the above-described functions on a computer. The operation management program may be recorded on a computer-readable, non-temporary, tangible recording medium such as memory, a solid-state drive, a hard disk drive, or an optical disc. The storage medium may be rephrased as, for example, a non-temporary, tangible, computer-readable medium that stores the operation management program. The operation management program may also be transmitted online. The operation management program can be implemented as a product (computer program product) by the control unit 110 (for example, an arithmetic processing unit). Furthermore, as described above, each part of the operation management system 100 may be implemented by a computer's arithmetic processing unit, etc. Such arithmetic processing unit, etc., is composed of, for example, an integrated circuit. For this reason, each part of the operation management system 100 may be implemented as a circuit that constitutes an arithmetic processing unit, etc. That is, the setting unit 111, acquisition unit 112, determination unit 113, and recording unit 114 (control unit 110) of the operation management system 100 may be implemented as a setting circuit, acquisition circuit, determination circuit, and recording circuit (control circuit) that constitute a computer's arithmetic processing unit, etc. Furthermore, the communication unit 121, storage unit 122, and display unit 123 (output unit) of the operation management system 100 may be implemented as a communication function, storage function, and display function (output function) including the functions of a processing unit, for example. Also, the communication unit 121, storage unit 122, and display unit 123 (output unit) of the operation management system 100 may be implemented as a communication circuit, storage circuit, and display circuit (output circuit) by being composed of an integrated circuit, for example. Furthermore, the communication unit 121, storage unit 122, and display unit 123 (output unit) of the operation management system 100 may be configured as a communication device, storage device, and display device (output device) by being composed of multiple devices, for example.

[0053] The operation management system 100 can be configured to combine one or any multiple of the above-mentioned parts. In this disclosure, the term "information" is used, but the term "information" can be replaced with "data," and the term "data" can be replaced with "information."

[0054] [Aspects and Effects of This Embodiment] Next, an embodiment of this model and the effects of each embodiment will be described. Note that the embodiments described below are examples as of the time of filing, and this embodiment is not limited to the embodiments described below. In other words, this embodiment is not limited to the embodiments described below, and may be realized by appropriately combining the parts described above. Furthermore, lower-level embodiments may be referenced in any of the higher-level embodiments. Furthermore, the effects of this embodiment described below are merely examples, and the effects achieved by each embodiment are not limited to those described below. Also, each embodiment may achieve, for example, at least one of the effects described below.

[0055] (Aspect 1) One embodiment of the operation management system includes: a setting unit that sets multiple location areas enclosed by multiple location information points in a continuous manner in the direction of travel of the bus at the entrance and exit of a traffic facility where the bus is parked; an acquisition unit that acquires bus location information relating to the position of the bus running with a positioning sensor and bus time information relating to the time when the position is measured; a determination unit that determines whether the bus has passed through a location area based on the travel trajectory consisting of multiple bus positions recorded in the bus location information; and a recording unit that, if the determination unit determines that the bus has passed through a location area, records the bus's travel time based on the time recorded in the corresponding bus time information when the bus's position was measured. This allows the operation management system to record the bus's travel time based on the bus's location, specifically the time it passed through a designated location area that is an entrance or exit to a transportation facility.

[0056] Generally speaking, it might be possible to record the bus's travel time based on the actual travel time. However, considering the definition and other considerations of "bus travel time," such as the start and end points of the journey and the time adjustments made before departure, there are many different ways of thinking about it, making it impossible to uniformly define the bus's travel time. In this regard, the operation management system of this embodiment sets a location area at the entrance and exit of a transportation facility, and identifies the bus's travel time based on the time when the trajectory of the position (travel trajectory) measured by a positioning sensor installed on the bus passes through that location area. As a result, the operation management system of this embodiment can uniquely determine the bus's travel time using the bus's position.

[0057] (Aspect 2) In one embodiment of the operation management system, the setting unit may set a second location area at a location separate from the first location area, in addition to a first location area that is set consecutively at the entrances and exits of the transportation facility, as a plurality of location areas. As a result, even if it takes time for the positioning sensor to activate, the fleet management system can identify a bus's departure (and arrival) as occurring when its trajectory passes through the second position area, and can identify the time of that passage (departure time (and arrival time)) as the bus's travel time. In other words, the fleet management system can reliably determine the bus's travel time using the bus's position.

[0058] (Aspect 3) In one embodiment of the operation management system, the setting unit may set a first position area at the entrance and exit of each of the multiple traffic facilities when there are multiple traffic facilities facing each other across a road. This allows the operation management system to identify the travel time of each bus (each of the buses) belonging to each of the multiple transportation facilities. Furthermore, if a single transportation facility has multiple entrances and exits, the operation management system can set a location area (first location area) for each of the multiple entrances and exits, and can identify the travel time of each bus belonging to that transportation facility.

[0059] (Aspect 4) In one embodiment of the operation management system, the setting unit may set the second location area on a road connected to the entrance / exit of a bus traffic facility where the first location area is set. As a result, even if the activation time of the positioning sensor takes time, the operation management system can determine the travel time of the bus by setting a second position area on the road traveled by the bus after it has left the entrance / exit of the transportation facility, away from the first position area set at the entrance / exit of the transportation facility, for example, based on the time when the bus passes through the second position area (and the first position area).

[0060] (Aspect 5) In one embodiment of the operation management system, the setting unit may set the second position area to a position that the bus passes through after moving a predetermined time from the first position area. This allows the operation management system to set a second location area (on the road) at a position where the bus will pass after a predetermined time has elapsed, taking into account the activation time of the positioning sensor, even if the activation time of the positioning sensor takes time. In other words, the operation management system can determine the bus's travel time based on the time when the trajectory of the position measured by the positioning sensor installed on the bus (travel trajectory) passes through the location area (e.g., the second location area).

[0061] (Aspect 6) In one embodiment of the operation management system, the setting unit may set the predetermined time to the time from when the positioning sensor changes from an off state to an on state until when positioning becomes possible. This allows the operation management system to determine the bus's travel time based on the time when the trajectory of the position measured by the positioning sensors installed on the bus (travel trajectory) passes through a location area (e.g., a second location area).

[0062] (Aspect 7) In one embodiment of the operation management system, the recording unit may record the following: (i) departure time and (ii) arrival time. (i) Based on the determination result of the determination unit, the operation management system determines that the bus has departed when the bus passes through each of the multiple location areas in the direction from inside the transportation facility to outside the transportation facility, and records the time when the bus passes through at least one of the multiple location areas, based on the bus time information, as the bus departure time. (ii) Based on the determination result of the determination unit, the operation management system determines that the bus is entering the depot when the bus passes through each of the multiple location areas from outside the traffic facility to inside the traffic facility, and records the time when the bus passes through at least one of the multiple location areas, based on the bus time information, as the bus's time of entering the depot. This allows the operation management system to determine the departure time and arrival time of a bus according to the direction of travel of the bus (the direction in which the bus's trajectory extends), thereby enabling the system to identify the departure and arrival times. In this case, if only one location area is set, there is a risk that it will not be possible to determine whether the bus is leaving or entering the depot based solely on its passage through that location area. In this regard, the operation management system of this embodiment can set multiple location areas, and for example, if two location areas are set, it can generate two patterns (multiple passage patterns) depending on the order in which the bus passes through these multiple location areas. Therefore, the operation management system of this embodiment can immediately determine whether the bus is leaving or entering the depot based on the two patterns (multiple passage patterns) of the order in which the bus passes through the multiple location areas.

[0063] Furthermore, if there are multiple times corresponding to when the bus's trajectory passes through a location area (the time the bus passes through the location area (passing time)), the operation management system may use the earliest of the multiple passing times as the departure time in (i) above, and the latest of the multiple passing times as the arrival time in (ii) above. As a result, when the operation management system records the crew's working hours as described in (Aspect 9) below and calculates the crew's salary as described in (Aspect 10) below, it can record departure and arrival times that result in longer working hours for the crew, thus creating records that are advantageous to the crew.

[0064] (Pattern 8) In one embodiment of the operation management system, the recording unit may record the bus's operating time from the departure time to the return time, which is recorded immediately after the departure time. This allows the operation management system to record the departure time and the return time based on the series of movements from the departure to the return of the bus. Furthermore, the operation management system can record the time from the departure time to the return time as the bus's travel time, i.e., its operating time.

[0065] (Aspect 9) In one embodiment of the operation management system, the recording unit may record the bus's operating time as the working time of the crew member on board the bus. This allows the operation management system to record the crew's working hours (e.g., attendance records).

[0066] (Aspect 10) In one embodiment of the operation management system, the recording unit may record the result of calculating the crew member's salary amount based on the crew member's working hours. This allows the operation management system to calculate the amount of salary for crew members based on their working hours (e.g., attendance records) using various formulas.

[0067] (Aspect 11) In one embodiment of the operation management method, the computer performs the following steps: a setting step in which it sets multiple location areas enclosed by multiple location information points in a continuous sequence in the direction of travel of the bus at the entrance and exit of a traffic facility where the bus is parked; an acquisition step in which it acquires bus location information relating to the position of the bus, which is equipped with a positioning sensor, and bus time information relating to the time when the position is measured; a determination step in which it determines whether the bus has passed through a location area based on the travel trajectory consisting of multiple bus positions recorded in the bus location information; and, if it determines in the determination step that the bus has passed through a location area, a recording step in which it records the bus's travel time based on the time recorded in the corresponding bus time information when the bus's position was measured. As a result, the operation management method may have the same effect as the operation management system of the one embodiment described above.

[0068] (Aspect 11) One embodiment of the operation management program includes a setting function that sets multiple location areas enclosed by multiple location information points in a continuous sequence in the direction of travel of the bus at the entrance and exit of a traffic facility where the bus is parked; an acquisition function that acquires bus location information and bus time information regarding the time when the location is measured, based on the travel trajectory consisting of multiple bus locations recorded in the bus location information; and a determination function that, if the determination function determines that the bus has passed through the location area, records the bus's travel time based on the time recorded in the corresponding bus time information when the bus's location was measured. As a result, the operation management program may achieve the same effects as the operation management system of the aforementioned embodiment.

[0069] By using the above-mentioned disclosure, we can contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9, "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation." [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 100 Operation Management Systems 110 Control Unit 111 Settings Section 112 Acquisition Department 113 Judgment section 114 Records Section 121 Communications Department 122 Storage section 123 Display section 200 servers 300 buses (vehicles) 301 Positioning Sensor 310 Driving trajectory 400 position area 401 1st position area 402 2nd position area 510 Transportation facilities 511 One-way transportation facilities 512 Other transportation facilities 513 Entrances and exits to transportation facilities 520 Road

Claims

1. A setting unit sets multiple location areas enclosed by multiple location information points in a continuous sequence in the direction of travel of the bus at the entrance and exit of a transportation facility where the bus is parked, An acquisition unit that acquires bus position information relating to the position of a bus that is traveling equipped with a positioning sensor, and bus time information relating to the time when the position is measured, A determination unit that determines whether the bus has passed through the location area based on the travel trajectory consisting of multiple locations of the bus recorded in the bus location information, When the determination unit determines that the bus has passed through the position area, the recording unit records the bus's travel time based on the time recorded in the corresponding bus time information when the bus's position was measured. A traffic management system equipped with the following features.

2. The setting unit sets a second position area at a location away from the first position area, in addition to the first position area which is set consecutively at the entrances and exits of the transportation facility, as a plurality of position areas. The operation management system according to claim 1.

3. The setting unit sets the first position area at the entrance and exit of each of the multiple traffic facilities when there are multiple traffic facilities facing each other across a road. The operation management system according to claim 2.

4. The setting unit sets the second position area on the road connected to the entrance / exit of the bus traffic facility where the first position area is set. The operation management system according to claim 2.

5. The setting unit sets the second position region to a position that the bus passes through after moving a predetermined time from the first position region. The operation management system according to claim 2.

6. The setting unit sets the predetermined time as the time from when the positioning sensor changes from the off state to the on state until when positioning becomes possible. The operation management system according to claim 5.

7. The recording unit is, Based on the determination result of the determination unit, when the bus passes through each of the multiple location areas in the direction from inside the transportation facility to outside the transportation facility, it is determined that the bus has departed, and the time when the bus passes through at least one of the multiple location areas, based on the bus time information, is recorded as the bus's departure time. Based on the determination result of the determination unit, if the bus passes through each of the multiple location areas from outside the transportation facility to inside the transportation facility, it is determined that the bus has entered the depot, and the time when the bus passes through at least one of the multiple location areas, based on the bus time information, is recorded as the bus's time of entry into the depot. The operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The recording unit records the bus's operating time from the departure time to the return time, which is recorded immediately after the departure time. The operation management system according to claim 7.

9. The recording unit records the bus's operating time as the working time of the crew member on board the bus. The operation management system according to claim 8.

10. The recording unit records the result of calculating the crew member's salary amount according to the crew member's working hours. The operation management system according to claim 9.

11. Computers A setting step involves setting multiple location areas enclosed by multiple location information points in a continuous sequence in the direction of travel of the bus at the entrance and exit of a transportation facility where the bus will be parked. An acquisition step of acquiring bus position information relating to the position of a bus that is traveling equipped with a positioning sensor, and bus time information relating to the time when the position is measured, A determination step of determining whether the bus has passed through the location area based on the travel trajectory consisting of multiple locations of the bus recorded in the bus location information, If the determination step determines that the bus has passed through the location area, the recording step includes recording the bus's travel time based on the time recorded in the corresponding bus time information when the bus's position was measured. A method of managing operations to implement this.

12. On the computer, A setting function that allows setting multiple location areas enclosed by multiple location information points in the direction of the bus's travel at the entrance and exit of a transportation facility where buses are parked, An acquisition function that acquires bus position information relating to the position of a bus equipped with a positioning sensor, and bus time information relating to the time when the position is measured, A determination function that determines whether the bus has passed through the location area based on the travel trajectory consisting of multiple locations of the bus recorded in the bus location information, When the determination function determines that the bus has passed through the location area, a recording function records the bus's travel time based on the time recorded in the corresponding bus time information when the bus's position was measured. A traffic management program that makes this possible.

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