Design support device and design support method

Abstract

This design support device allows for the simulation of realistic traffic conditions by accommodating behavioral changes that align with the user's objectives. [Solution] A design support device comprising: a storage unit for storing service plan information and environmental information; an action purpose input unit for inputting action purpose information; a new facility information input unit for inputting new facility information; a generation unit that generates a behavior change model that changes the behavior of users within a domain using environmental information and action purpose information; a first calculation unit that calculates a first traffic state, which is the traffic state of the service mobile and each user in an environment where the service mobile and new facilities exist, using service plan information, environmental information, new facility information and the behavior change model; and a second calculation unit that calculates a second traffic state, which is the traffic state of each user in an environment where the service mobile and new facilities do not exist, using environmental information and the behavior change model, wherein the first calculation unit calculates the traffic state of the service mobile and each user after changing the behavior of users due to the influence of the new facilities.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a design support device and a design support method for predicting traffic conditions within the operation area of a mobility service.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the use of mobility services such as on-demand taxis and autonomous buses for urban mobility of residents and others has been increasing. To increase the business revenue of mobility services, it is necessary to increase the number of passengers in the service operation area (hereinafter referred to as "block"), raise the fare, or reduce the operation cost. For example, when the mobility is an autonomous bus, an appropriate design of the operation route, which greatly affects the increase or decrease in the number of passengers, is particularly important.

[0003] However, if the operation route designed by the bus operator is excessive for the local conditions, the business revenue will deteriorate due to the high operation cost. Conversely, if it is insufficient, the service will be inconvenient for block users and the number of passengers will not increase, resulting in a deterioration of the business revenue.

[0004] In view of this problem, in Patent Document 1, the problem of "obtaining a block design support device and a block evaluation support device that can construct a more comfortable block for users" is solved by the means of "a design model acquisition unit that acquires a design target block model having roads and human residence areas according to required conditions including site conditions, a traffic volume derivation unit that derives traffic volume information indicating the traffic volume of a moving body including a moving vehicle equipped with a predetermined service function that moves on the roads in the acquired design target block model, and using the traffic volume of the moving body indicated by the derived traffic volume information, simulates the traffic conditions of the moving body on the roads of the design target block model, and compares it with the design target block model before the simulation, and adjusts at least one of the design block conditions and the operation plan of the moving vehicle, which are the conditions regarding the design target block model, so as to be in a more comfortable state for the people using the block."

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-124910 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 simulates traffic conditions using static conditions such as the destinations of each block user, and does not take into account that each person's destination may change depending on the environment. Therefore, even in a new environment where a facility suitable for each person's purpose of action (for example, purchasing a specific product) is newly constructed, each person's destination does not change in the simulator of Patent Document 1, and the presence or absence of the new facility does not affect the simulation results of the traffic conditions. Needless to say, in reality, the new facility is a candidate destination for block users, so it was clear that the traffic conditions calculated by the simulation of Patent Document 1, which is not affected by the new facility, do not reflect the actual environment after the new facility is constructed.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a design support device and a design support method that can predict traffic conditions in a manner that reflects reality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the design support device of the present invention is a device for predicting traffic conditions within a domain, comprising: a storage unit that stores service planning information including the operating route of a service mobile entity and environmental information including the arrangement of roads and objects within the domain; an action purpose input unit that inputs the action purpose of users within the domain as action purpose information; a new facility information input unit that inputs new facilities within the domain as new facility information; a generation unit that generates an action change model that changes the actions of users within the domain using the environmental information and the action purpose information; and the service planning information, environmental information and new facility information The device comprises: a first calculation unit that calculates a first traffic state, which is the traffic state of the service mobile and each user in an environment where the service mobile and the new facility exist, using the information and the behavioral change model; a second calculation unit that calculates a second traffic state, which is the traffic state of each user in an environment where the service mobile and the new facility do not exist, using the environmental information and the behavioral change model; and an output unit that outputs the first traffic state and the second traffic state. The first calculation unit is configured to calculate the traffic state of the service mobile and each user after changing the user's behavior due to the influence of the new facility. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the design support device and design support method of the present invention, under the condition that a new facility suitable for the purpose of action has been constructed, it is possible to predict traffic conditions that are in line with reality by allowing behavioral changes in accordance with the purpose of action of the user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing the design support device for Example 1. [Figure 2] An example of a city block in Example 1. [Figure 3] An example of the information used in the behavioral change model of Example 1. [Figure 4] An example flowchart showing the operation of the first calculation unit in Example 1. [Figure 5] An example flowchart showing the operation of the second calculation unit in Example 1. [Figure 6] An example of the screen displayed by the output unit of Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] An example of the work site in Example 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following describes embodiments of the present invention using the design support of an autonomous bus (hereinafter referred to as "service mobile vehicle V") in the operating area (city block) of a mobility service as an example. It should be noted that the present invention can be applied to the design of all services related to autonomously operating mobile vehicles under specific environments, and its application is not limited to automobiles. For example, the present invention may be applied when simulating traffic conditions for autonomously moving transport vehicles, agricultural vehicles, and construction vehicles. [Examples]

[0012] The design support device 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

[0013] <Design support device 1> The design support device 1 in this embodiment is equipped with a behavioral change model M1 for dynamically selecting movement guidelines for block users, and is a device for accurately predicting changes in the behavior of each block user when new commercial facilities, etc., are constructed in the block.

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the design support device 1 of this embodiment. As shown here, the design support device 1 consists of an input device 2, a calculation device 3, and an output device 4. The details of each device will be described in order below.

[0015] <Input device 2> Input device 2 is a device used by bus operators and other designers when inputting information into the calculation device 3, and includes an action purpose input unit 21 and a new facility information input unit 22. This input device 2 may be, for example, a touch panel display or a keyboard.

[0016] <<Action Purpose Input Section 21>> The action purpose input unit 21 is an input interface for setting action purposes for some or all of the block users on the simulator. The action purposes set here are, for example, "purchase of specific goods", "visiting a doctor for treatment", "going to school or commuting", etc.

[0017] If the action purpose is "purchase of specific goods", the destination of the block user tends to change dynamically according to the traffic situation, time zone, etc. On the other hand, if the action purpose is "visiting a doctor for treatment" or "going to school or commuting", the destination of the block user tends to be fixed regardless of the traffic situation, time zone, etc.

[0018] In reality, considering the situation where block users with both action purposes are mixed, the designer inputs, via the action purpose input unit 21, action purposes with dynamically changing destinations (e.g., "purchase of specific goods") to some block users on the simulator, and inputs action purposes with fixed destinations (e.g., "visiting a doctor" or "going to school") to the remaining block users. The action purpose for each block user input here is output to the arithmetic unit 3 as action purpose information I1.

[0019] The action purpose input unit 21 may be provided with a prompt for inputting the characteristics of the block or user, and based on the output of the prompt, the generation unit 32 described later may be able to automatically generate the action transformation model M1.

[0020] <<New facility information input unit 22>> The new facility information input unit 22 is an input interface for setting the position and characteristics of a facility newly established in the block (hereinafter referred to as "new facility") on the simulator. Here, the new facility is, for example, a facility that can be a destination for the movement of people or vehicles, such as a commercial facility or a residential area. Also, a bus stop, a station, a parking lot, or a transit point for going to a destination may be treated as a facility. The facility information, etc. input to the new facility information input unit 22 is output to the arithmetic unit 3 as new facility information I2.

[0021] <Arithmetic unit 3> The arithmetic unit 3 is a general-purpose computer equipped with an arithmetic unit such as a CPU and a memory device such as RAM, and is connected to the input device 2 and output device 4 in a communicative manner. Through the cooperation of the arithmetic unit and the memory device, a predetermined program is executed to realize the functional units shown in Figure 1: the storage unit 31, the generation unit 32, the first arithmetic unit 33, the second arithmetic unit 34, the evaluation unit 35, and the adjustment unit 36. The details of each functional unit will be described in order below.

[0022] <<Storage section 31>> The memory unit 31 is a functional unit that holds environmental information I3 of the city block and service planning information I4, including the route R that the service mobile unit V will take within the city block. This information is stored in a database format and is pre-configured. The memory unit may be located outside the computing device in the form of a cloud. Alternatively, the computing device may have its own memory for storage.

[0023] Environmental information I3 includes information on the characteristics of residential areas 12a, shops 12b-12d, and roads 13 within block 11, such as their location and size, as illustrated in Figure 2. Environmental information I3 also includes information on the number of pedestrians (not shown) and general vehicles 14 per unit road within block 11, as well as the number of vehicles. Furthermore, environmental information I3 includes information on bus stops 15a-15c, train stations (not shown), and parking lots 16a-16b. In addition, environmental information I3 includes information on the goods handled by shops 12b-d and their prices. This information was registered by the designer.

[0024] Service plan information I4 includes information such as the vehicle type and maximum passenger capacity of the service mobile vehicle V. In addition, service plan information I4 also includes information such as the operating route R (Ra~Rc), operating timetable, and fare table for the service mobile vehicle V in block 11, as illustrated in Figure 2.

[0025] <<Generation part 32>> The generation unit 32 uses the behavioral purpose information I1 and the environmental information I3 to generate a behavioral change model M1 that changes people's behavior within the city block 11.

[0026] First, let's explain table 32a using Figure 3. This table 32a is generated by the generation unit 32 prior to the generation of the behavior change model M1, and is created based on the information in environmental information I3. In the example in Figure 3, table 32a summarizes the sales prices of products A to C at stores 12b to 12d obtained from environmental information I3. From this table 32a, for example, we can learn that for product A, the sales price at store 12b is 100 yen, the sales price at store 12c is 80 yen, and store 12d does not carry it. Therefore, from this table 32a, we can predict that block users who plan to purchase product A are likely to make store 12c their destination.

[0027] Furthermore, the generation unit 32 appropriately sets products A to C that are desired by block users (pedestrians or occupants of general vehicles 14) whose behavioral purpose is "purchase of specific products" based on the behavioral purpose information I1.

[0028] The behavioral change model M1 generated by the generation unit 32 includes (Equation 1) for calculating an evaluation value J for each block user. This equation calculates the evaluation value J based on the price P selected from table 32a for any product, the distance L traveled from the current location of pedestrians or general vehicles to the store, and the expected travel time Ta. The evaluation value J calculated by (Equation 1) is an index in which a smaller value indicates a higher evaluation, and a larger value indicates a lower evaluation.

[0029] J=α1P+α2L+α3Ta (Formula 1) In (Equation 1), α1 to α3 are weighting coefficients, which are set based on the behavioral priority of which of the following factors—price P, travel distance L, or expected travel time Ta—a block user prioritizes when deciding on their travel destination.

[0030] <<First calculation unit 33>> The first calculation unit 33 is a calculation unit that outputs the traffic condition when a new facility is present on the simulator as the first traffic condition. To calculate this first traffic condition, the first calculation unit 33 uses new facility information I2, environmental information I3, service plan information I4, and behavior change model M1. The method by which the first calculation unit 33 calculates the first traffic condition will be explained below using the flowchart in Figure 4.

[0031] First, in step S1, the first calculation unit 33 adds the new facility (for example, store 12d) indicated by the acquired new facility information I2 to the acquired environment information I3.

[0032] In step S2, the first calculation unit 33 generates a block model M2, such as block 11 in Figure 2, based on the environmental information I3 which includes the newly added facilities.

[0033] In step S3, the first calculation unit 33 places the service mobile unit V and other mobile units (pedestrians, general vehicles 14, etc.) on the city block model M2 generated in step S2.

[0034] In step S4, the first calculation unit 33 sets the operating routes Ra~Rc of the service mobile unit V in the block model M2 based on the operating route R in the service plan information I4 obtained from the storage unit 31.

[0035] In step S5, the first calculation unit 33 sets the behavior change model M1 to a specific moving object (such as a pedestrian or a general vehicle 14).

[0036] In step S6, the first calculation unit 33 determines a destination for all specific moving objects based on the evaluation value J of the behavior change model M1 (Equation 1).

[0037] For example, if the objective of a particular mobile entity is to purchase product A, then first, based on the information in Table 32a (Figure 3), stores 12b and 12d that sell product A are set as potential destinations. Next, based on the information in Table 32a (Figure 3), the selling prices of product A at each store, 100 yen and 80 yen, are extracted, and the travel distance L and estimated travel time Ta to the candidate destination are calculated from the current location of the specific mobile entity and the location information of all mobile entities within the block model M2. An evaluation value J is calculated for all the candidate stores from (Equation 1), and the store with the smallest evaluation value J is determined as the destination. In this way, the destination of a specific mobile entity may change before and after the registration of a new facility.

[0038] In step S7, the first calculation unit 33 calculates the position of all moving objects one unit of time (e.g., 1 second) after each destination. At this time, each moving object autonomously selects the mode of transportation that minimizes the travel time to the destination. For example, if there is no traffic congestion, a pedestrian will use the service moving object V (autonomous bus), but if there is traffic congestion, the arrival time by bus will be delayed, so the pedestrian will choose to travel on foot. In the case of travel by regular vehicle, the pedestrian will park in the nearest parking lot to the destination and then travel to the destination on foot.

[0039] In step S8, the first arithmetic unit 33 stores the position information of all moving objects as the first traffic state.

[0040] In step S9, the first calculation unit 33 determines whether a sufficient amount of time has elapsed since the start of processing. If a sufficient amount of time has elapsed for the time to be evaluated, the process proceeds to end, and the calculation of the first calculation unit 33 is terminated. On the other hand, if a sufficient amount of time has not elapsed for the time to be evaluated, the process returns to step S6. This updates the destination of the block users and recalculates the location information of all mobile entities, including the service mobile entity V, and updates the first traffic state.

[0041] In the example shown in Figure 2, since there are three types of routes R, the first calculation unit 33 calculates the first traffic state for each of the routes R.

[0042] <<Second calculation unit 34>> The second calculation unit 34 is a calculation unit that outputs the traffic state when there are no new facilities on the simulator as the second traffic state. To calculate this second traffic state, the second calculation unit 34 uses environmental information I3 and behavior change model M1. The method for calculating the second traffic state by the second calculation unit 34 will be explained below using the flowchart in Figure 5. Note that the process equivalent to the flowchart in Figure 4 will not be explained in detail.

[0043] This flowchart omits step S1, which registers a new facility, and step S4, which sets the operating route for the service mobile V, as shown in Figure 4, and replaces steps S3 and S8 in Figure 4 with steps S3a and S8a. In other words, the second calculation unit 34, following the flowchart in Figure 5, calculates the traffic condition in a block where there is no service mobile V operation and no new facilities as the second traffic condition in step S8a.

[0044] <<Evaluation Section 35>> The evaluation unit 35 evaluates the comfort level of block users using the first and second traffic conditions. For example, one way to evaluate the improvement in comfort due to the introduction of mobility services from the difference between the first and second traffic conditions is to evaluate comfort as high if the arrival time of all block users in the first traffic condition (i.e., when the service mobile V is introduced) is earlier than in the second traffic condition. Similarly, another way to evaluate comfort as high is to evaluate comfort as high if the congestion rate of general vehicles in the block is lower due to the introduction of the service mobile V. Furthermore, one way to evaluate the comfort level of the mobility service itself from the first traffic condition alone is to evaluate comfort as high if the waiting time for the service mobile V is shorter than a predetermined value.

[0045] Furthermore, the evaluation unit 35 may also evaluate the business viability of the service mobile V using the first traffic condition and the second traffic condition. For example, if the evaluation value calculation formula of the behavior change model M1 generated by the generation unit 32 includes an item related to the fare of the service mobile V, there is a method to evaluate the business viability as high if the total amount spent by pedestrians using the service mobile V is higher than a predetermined amount. These are interrelated evaluation indicators; for example, if the congestion rate of general vehicles is low, the waiting time and arrival time of the service mobile V will be shorter.

[0046] In the example shown in Figure 2, since there are multiple routes R, the evaluation unit 35 evaluates the comfort and business viability of each route R.

[0047] <<Adjustment section 36>> The adjustment unit 36 ​​adjusts the route of the operating route Ra~Rc, which is pre-registered in the service plan information I4, in order to improve the evaluation values ​​J for comfort and business viability. As a result, the first calculation unit 33 can recalculate the first traffic condition for the adjusted operating route Ra~Rc, and the evaluation unit 35 can re-evaluate the comfort and business viability for the adjusted operating route Ra~Rc.

[0048] By repeating the above process a predetermined number of times, the design support device 1 can identify the optimal route for the service mobile vehicle V, which will result in the best evaluation indicators such as comfort and business viability, while taking into account the changes in the behavior of block users due to the construction of the new facility.

[0049] <Output device 4> Output device 4 is a device used by the designer to graphically check the processing results of the calculation device 3, and is specifically a liquid crystal display or the like. Output device 4 displays the positional transitions of the service mobile vehicle V operating on the optimal route R identified by the adjustment unit 36 ​​of the calculation device 3, and the general vehicles 14, in video or other format. Output device 4 may also display a graph comparing the comfort index values ​​based on the first traffic condition and the comfort index values ​​based on the second traffic condition, which are calculated by the evaluation unit 35 of the calculation device 3.

[0050] <Effects of this embodiment> The effects of the invention in this embodiment will be explained using the situation in Figure 2 as an example.

[0051] For example, assuming that the only stores in block 11 are 12b and 12c, if store 12b is set as the destination for a particular block user, then with conventional technology, which does not set specific behavioral objectives for each block user, even if store 12d, which sells the same products as store 12b but at a lower price, is added to the system, the destination for that block user will not change from store 12b to store 12d. Therefore, with conventional technology, it was not possible to design an operating route for the mobile service V that would take into account the change in behavior of block users due to the establishment of store 12d.

[0052] In contrast, in this embodiment, since each block user has a set objective, even if a block user's set destination was store 12b, they can autonomously change their destination to store 12d, where product A is cheaper, if there is less traffic congestion in block 11. As a result, the design support device 1 of this embodiment changes the traffic flow within block 11 to be more realistic.

[0053] Furthermore, when a service vehicle V traveling along route Ra is provided to block 11, pedestrians with a specific purpose will decide whether to board the service vehicle V based on the amount of traffic congestion on road 13. As a result, the number of users and revenue of the service vehicle V can be estimated. In other words, the behavioral change model M1, which has a specific purpose, can represent the dynamic movement choices of block users in response to various traffic conditions, and can accurately predict changes in the behavior of block users when a new commercial facility is constructed in the block. Therefore, it is possible to design appropriate mobility services in advance and provide a design support device that can attract a high number of mobility users.

[0054] As explained above, according to this embodiment, under the condition that facilities suitable for the behavioral purposes of block users are newly constructed, it is possible to simulate realistic traffic conditions by allowing behavioral changes in accordance with the behavioral purposes of block users. [Examples]

[0055] Next, the design support device 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described using Figure 7. Note that common points with Embodiment 1 will be omitted from the explanation. Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in that the action purpose input section of the input device has an added function to input the action purpose of the service mobile, and the processing of the arithmetic unit takes into account the action purpose of the service mobile.

[0056] Figure 7 shows an example where the operating area of ​​the mobility service is a logistics warehouse 70 and the service mobile entity V is an automated guided vehicle (AGV) 71. In this example, the AGV 71 picks goods from shelves 72 within the logistics warehouse 70 and transports the goods to a storage area 73. The goods placed in the storage area 73 are then transported from the storage area 73 to a truck 75 by a forklift 74 as needed and shipped out.

[0057] In this environment, if there is a plan to create a new truck parking area 76, the design support device 1 of this embodiment evaluates how much the number of shipments can be improved by creating the new parking area 76. For this reason, in this embodiment, the objective of the automated guided vehicle 71 is set to maximize the number of shipments, and a behavioral change model M1 is used in which the automated guided vehicle 71 autonomously decides which cargo storage area to place the cargo in.

[0058] As a result, while in conventional technology the automated guided vehicle 71 selected a luggage storage area 73 based on a specific logic, in this embodiment, when the number of luggage storage areas 73 for new stopping locations 76 increases, the behavioral change model M1 can determine the effect of installing luggage storage areas 73 that maximize the number of shipments, while considering interference with surrounding automated guided vehicles. This provides a design support device that enables the design of an operating route for the automated guided vehicle 71 to increase the number of shipments in advance. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1 Design support equipment 2 Input devices 21 Action Purpose Input Section 22 New Facility Information Input Section 3 Computing device 31 Storage section 32 Generation part 33 First calculation section 34 Second calculation section 35 Evaluation Department 36 Adjustment part 4 Output device 11 blocks 12a Residential area 12b~12d Store 13 Road 14 General vehicles 15a~15c Bus Stop 16a~16b Parking V Service Mobile Ra~Rc movement route

Claims

1. A design support device for predicting traffic conditions within a region, A storage unit that stores service planning information including the operating route of a service mobile entity, and environmental information including the arrangement of roads and objects within the area, An action purpose input unit that inputs the action purpose of the user in the aforementioned area as action purpose information, A new facility information input unit that inputs new facilities within the aforementioned area as new facility information, A generation unit that generates a behavioral change model that changes the user's behavior within the domain using the environmental information and the behavioral purpose information, A first calculation unit calculates a first traffic state, which is the traffic state of the service mobile and each user in an environment in which the service mobile and the new facility exist, using the service plan information, the environmental information, the new facility information, and the behavior change model. A second calculation unit calculates a second traffic state, which is the traffic state of each user in an environment where the service mobile and the new facility do not exist, using the aforementioned environmental information and the behavior change model. It comprises an output unit that outputs the first traffic state and the second traffic state, The design support device is characterized in that the first calculation unit modifies the user's behavior due to the influence of the new facility, and then calculates the traffic status of the service vehicle and each user.

2. In the design support device according to claim 1, A design support device characterized by comprising an evaluation unit that evaluates the comfort of the service vehicle using the difference between the first traffic state and the second traffic state.

3. In the design support device according to claim 2, The evaluation unit is a design support device that evaluates that the user's comfort has improved when the difference indicates that the user's arrival time at their destination will be earlier, or when the user's level of congestion will decrease.

4. In the design support device according to claim 1, A design support device characterized by comprising an evaluation unit that evaluates the comfort of the service vehicle using the first traffic condition.

5. In the design support device according to claim 4, The evaluation unit is a design support device that evaluates that the user's comfort has improved when the waiting time of the service mobile body in the first traffic condition is shorter than a predetermined value.

6. In the design support device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, A design support device characterized by comprising an adjustment unit for adjusting the operating routes included in the service plan information.

7. A design support method for predicting traffic conditions within a domain using a computer, A behavioral purpose input step in which the behavioral purpose of the user in the aforementioned domain is entered as behavioral purpose information, A new facility information input step in which a new facility within the aforementioned area is entered as new facility information, A generation step of generating a behavioral change model that changes the user's behavior within the area, using environmental information including the arrangement of paths and objects within the area and the behavioral purpose information. A first calculation step involves calculating a first traffic state, which is the traffic state of the service mobile and each user in an environment where the service mobile and the new facility exist, using service planning information including the service mobile's operating route, the environmental information, the new facility information, and the behavioral change model. A second calculation step involves using the aforementioned environmental information and the aforementioned behavioral change model to calculate a second traffic state, which is the traffic state of each user in an environment where the service vehicle and the new facility do not exist. The system includes an output step that outputs the first traffic state and the second traffic state, The design support method is characterized in that, in the first calculation step, the user's behavior is altered by the influence of the new facility, and then the traffic state of the service vehicle and each user is calculated.

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