Information processing device for managing the operation of multiple vehicles

Abstract

To improve the technology for managing vehicle operations. [Solution] An information processing device 10 for managing the operation of multiple vehicles, comprising a control unit 100, which receives a reservation request for on-demand operation from a terminal device 20 used by a user, in which the dispatch date and time, departure point and destination are selected based on the user's request, and approves the reservation request for on-demand operation if the multiple vehicles include vehicles that are not assigned to regular operation with fixed operating time and route at the time of dispatch, and the time of dispatch is within the on-demand operation acceptance period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus for managing the operations of a plurality of vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, techniques for managing vehicle operations have been known. For example, in Patent Document 1, when the operation time zone of demand operation based on user requests is close to the operation time zone of scheduled operation on a determined route at a determined time, a vehicle operation management system is disclosed that suspends the scheduled operation and executes the demand operation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional operation management systems employ a management method of suspending the already scheduled scheduled operation according to the reservation status of demand operation. However, while suspending the scheduled operation improves the convenience of demand operation, there is a possibility that passengers expecting the scheduled operation may feel dissatisfied because the vehicles assigned to the scheduled operation are insufficient and they cannot use the operation as scheduled.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of this disclosure is to improve the technology for managing vehicle operations.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing apparatus for managing the operations of a plurality of vehicles according to an embodiment of this disclosure includes a control unit, The control unit is, A reservation request for on-demand service, in which the dispatch date and time, departure point and destination are selected based on the user's request, is received from a terminal device used by the user. If the aforementioned group of vehicles includes vehicles that are not assigned to a regular service with fixed operating hours and routes at the time of dispatch, and the time of dispatch falls within the on-demand service acceptance period, the on-demand service reservation request is approved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the technology for managing the operation of vehicles is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows a schematic configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (Summary of this embodiment) Referring to Figure 1, an overview of System 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described. System 1 comprises an information processing device 10 and a terminal device 20. The information processing device 10 and the terminal device 20 are connected to each other via a network 30 such as the Internet or a mobile communication network.

[0011] The information processing device 10 includes one or more computers capable of communicating with each other, such as a server. The information processing device 10 manages the operation of multiple vehicles.

[0012] The vehicle may be an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomous driving at a level 1 to 5 as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), or it may be a manually driven vehicle at level 0. The vehicle may be remotely monitored by an observer outside the vehicle. The vehicle may be a vehicle specifically designed for MaaS (Mobility as a Service).

[0013] The terminal device 20 is one or more computers such as a PC (Personal Computer), smartphone, or tablet. The user sends a vehicle dispatch reservation request to the information processing device 10 through the terminal device 20.

[0014] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The information processing device 10 for managing the operation of multiple vehicles according to this embodiment includes a control unit 100. The control unit 100 receives a reservation request for on-demand operation from a terminal device 20 used by a user, in which the dispatch date and time, departure point and destination are selected based on the user's request. The control unit 100 approves the reservation request for on-demand operation if the multiple vehicles include vehicles that are not assigned to regular operation with fixed operating time slots and routes at the time of dispatch, and the time of dispatch falls within the on-demand operation acceptance period.

[0015] The information processing device 10 according to this embodiment ensures the reliable provision of regular service and efficiently provides on-demand service by selecting vehicles to be assigned to on-demand service from among vehicles not assigned to regular service.

[0016] (Configuration of the information processing device 10) As shown in Figure 1, the information processing device 10 comprises a control unit 100, a communication unit 102, and a storage unit 104.

[0017] The control unit 100 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing, but is not limited thereto. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited thereto. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), but is not limited thereto. The control unit 100 executes various processes related to the operation of the information processing device 10 and controls each part of the information processing device 10.

[0018] The communication unit 102 includes at least one communication interface for connecting to the network 30. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th generation) or 5G (5th generation), or a wired LAN (Local Area Network) communication standard or a wireless LAN communication standard, but is not limited thereto and may correspond to any communication standard.

[0019] The storage unit 104 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 104 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 104 stores any information used for the operation of the information processing device 10. For example, the storage unit 104 may store, for example, a system program, an application program, and embedded software. The storage unit 104 may store any information related to the operation of the vehicle. The information stored in the storage unit 104 may be updated based on, for example, information acquired from the network 30 via the communication unit 102.

[0020] (Configuration of the terminal device 20) As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal device 20 includes a control unit 200, a communication unit 202, an input unit 204, and a display unit 206.

[0021] The control unit 200 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing, but is not limited thereto. The programmable circuit is, for example, but not limited to, an FPGA. The dedicated circuit is, for example, but not limited to, an ASIC. The control unit 200 executes various processes related to the operation of the terminal device 20 and controls each part of the terminal device 20.

[0022] The communication unit 202 includes at least one communication interface for connecting to the network 30. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G or 5G, or a wired LAN communication standard or a wireless LAN communication standard, but is not limited thereto and may correspond to any communication standard.

[0023] The input unit 204 includes one or more input interfaces. The input unit 204 receives an operation for inputting information used for the operation of the terminal device 20. The input interface may be, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen provided integrally with the display of the display unit 206, or a microphone for receiving voice input. Instead of being provided in the terminal device 20, the input unit 204 may be connected to the terminal device 20 as an external input device. As a connection method, any method such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0024] The display unit 206 includes one or more display interfaces. The display interface is, for example, a display that displays information as an image. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display unit 206 displays information obtained through the operation of the terminal device 20. Instead of being installed in the terminal device 20, the display unit 206 may be connected to the terminal device 20 as an external display device. Any connection method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0025] (Operation flow of the information processing device 10) Referring to Figure 2, the operation of the information processing device 10 in System 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In the following, communication between the information processing device 10 and the terminal device 20 is performed via the communication units 102, 202 and the network 30.

[0026] S101: The control unit 100 of the information processing device 10 assigns one or more vehicles to regular operation within a specified period.

[0027] In regular service, at least one of the operating hours and the route (including departure point, intermediate points, and destination) is fixed. The designated period is, for example, four days, although it is not limited to that period.

[0028] S102: The control unit 100 issues a regular operation plan for the specified period for the vehicle assigned to regular operation.

[0029] The regular operation plan is stored in the storage unit 104 of the information processing device 10 and can be viewed via the terminal device 20. The regular operation plan may also include the daily timetables and routes (including departure points, intermediate points, and arrival points) of the vehicles assigned to regular operations.

[0030] In this embodiment, the allocation to regular operations and the issuance of regular operation plans are performed automatically every day, for example, at the time the date changes. For example, if the process starts on January 1st, the allocation and issuance for four days, including January 1st, will be performed. On January 2nd, the allocation and issuance for four days, including January 2nd, will be performed. In this case, since the allocation and issuance up to January 4th have already been performed, only the allocation and issuance for January 5th will be performed.

[0031] S103: The control unit 100 receives a reservation request for on-demand operation from a terminal device 20 used by the user.

[0032] In on-demand service, the date and time of dispatch, departure point, and destination are selected based on the user's request. In addition, the arrival time or intermediate stops may also be selected.

[0033] S104: The control unit 100 determines whether the multiple vehicles whose operation is managed by the information processing device 10 include vehicles that are not assigned to regular operation at the dispatch date and time for on-demand operation, and whether the dispatch date and time is within the acceptance period for on-demand operation. If it is determined that the conditions are met (S104-YES), the process proceeds to S105. If it is determined that the conditions are not met (S104-NO), the process proceeds to S108.

[0034] The acceptance period is the period during which reservation requests for on-demand services can be accepted. In this embodiment, the designated period for regular services is set to be longer than the acceptance period for on-demand services. For example, the designated period is set to be one day longer than the acceptance period. For example, if the acceptance period is 3 days, the designated period is 4 days.

[0035] If the specified period is the same as the acceptance period, allocation to on-demand services may be performed before allocation to regular services, potentially resulting in a shortage of vehicles for regular services. For example, if allocation to regular services is performed at 12:00 every day, and a large number of on-demand service reservation requests are received before 12:00, and all vehicles are allocated to on-demand services, there will no longer be any vehicles available for regular services. To avoid such a situation, in this embodiment, the specified period is set to be longer than the acceptance period. This prevents the information processing device 10 from receiving a large number of reservation requests for on-demand services and issuing a large number of on-demand service plans.

[0036] Alternatively, the control unit 100 may determine whether the multiple vehicles whose operation is managed by the information processing device 10 include vehicles that are not assigned to either regular or on-demand operation at the dispatch date and time for on-demand operation, and whether the dispatch date and time falls within the acceptance period for on-demand operation. This determination prevents situations where a vehicle already assigned to another on-demand operation is assigned to a new on-demand operation.

[0037] S105: The control unit 100 approves the reservation request for on-demand service.

[0038] S106: The control unit 100 assigns vehicles not assigned to regular operation to on-demand operation.

[0039] In this embodiment, since vehicles are allocated to on-demand operations after they have been allocated to regular operations, the vehicles necessary for regular operations are secured in advance.

[0040] Alternatively, the control unit 100 may assign a vehicle that is not assigned to either regular operation or another on-demand operation to on-demand operation.

[0041] S107: The control unit 100 issues an on-demand operation plan for the vehicle assigned to on-demand operation. The process then ends.

[0042] The on-demand operation plan is stored in the memory unit 104 and can be viewed via the terminal device 20. The on-demand operation plan may include the dispatch date and time, departure point, intermediate points, and destination of the vehicle assigned to the on-demand operation.

[0043] On-demand service plans may include elements common to regular service plans (e.g., dispatch times, departure points, or arrival points that match parts of the timetable). This allows for efficient management of regular and on-demand services, which have different sources of information for determining service content (timetables and booking requests).

[0044] The control unit 100 may transmit an on-demand service plan and confirmation information to the terminal device 20 to confirm whether or not the user agrees to the on-demand service plan. Alternatively, the control unit 100 may display the on-demand service plan and confirmation information on the display unit 206 of the terminal device 20. When the control unit 100 receives information from the terminal device 20 indicating agreement, it may finalize the on-demand service plan. When the control unit 100 receives information from the terminal device 20 indicating disagreement, it may delete the on-demand service plan from the storage unit 104.

[0045] S108: The control unit 100 does not approve the on-demand service reservation request. The process then terminates.

[0046] The control unit 100 may send a message indicating that it does not approve the reservation request. Alternatively, the control unit 100 may display the message on the display unit 206 of the terminal device 20.

[0047] While this disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided. For example, in the embodiments described above, an embodiment is also possible in which the configuration and operation of the information processing device 10 are distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other.

[0048] In the embodiment described above, the information processing device 10 may be used to provide MaaS (Mobility as a Service), which is a service that utilizes mobility. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 1 System, 10 Information Processing Device, 100 Control Unit, 102 Communication Unit, 104 Storage Unit, 20 Terminal Device, 200 Control Unit, 202 Communication Unit, 204 Input Unit, 206 Display Unit, 30 Network

Claims

1. An information processing device for managing the operation of multiple vehicles, comprising a control unit, The control unit, A reservation request for on-demand service, in which the dispatch date and time, departure point and destination are selected based on the user's request, is received from a terminal device used by the user. An information processing device that approves a reservation request for on-demand service if the plurality of vehicles include vehicles that are not assigned to a regular service with fixed operating hours and routes at the time of dispatch, and the time of dispatch falls within the acceptance period for the on-demand service.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit approves the reservation request for the on-demand service, Vehicles not assigned to the regular service are assigned to the on-demand service. An information processing device that issues an on-demand operation plan for vehicles assigned to the aforementioned on-demand operation.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, The control unit further, One or more vehicles from the aforementioned group of vehicles are assigned to regular operation during a specified period. An information processing device that issues a regular operation plan for a vehicle assigned to the regular operation within the specified period.

4. An information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the designated period is set to be longer than the reception period.

5. An information processing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of vehicles is an autonomous vehicle.

6. A method for providing MaaS (Mobility as a Service) using the information processing device described in claim 1.

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