Information processing device

Abstract

To provide technology that enables the efficient operation of services such as receiving goods from users by sequentially determining the optimal route for a moving object, taking into account compliance restrictions imposed on the driver. [Solution] A base information acquisition unit 80 acquires base information for each of the multiple bases, including the location of the base and the amount of goods in and out per predetermined unit time; a warehouse information acquisition unit 81 acquires warehouse information for each of the multiple warehouses, including the location of the warehouse and the availability status per predetermined unit time; a driver information acquisition unit 85 acquires driver information, including predetermined compliance restrictions; and a route determination unit 82 determines a route for each of the one or more mobile units to travel, including a resting place for the driver, based on the base information for each of the multiple bases, the warehouse information for each of the multiple warehouses, and the driver information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a high demand for methods to efficiently perform logistics, and many technologies for this purpose have been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). According to the technology described in Patent Document 1 above, it is possible to achieve smooth operation of the cargo logistics system and notify the user of the transportation status (current location, etc.) of the cargo in response to the user's inquiry. Therefore, it is very useful when providing a service such as delivering an article to the user.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, for example, when providing a service such as receiving an article such as a tire from a user, it is difficult to efficiently operate the service only by notifying the user of the transportation status of the cargo. In such a case, it is necessary for the user to efficiently deliver the article to the service provider and efficiently receive the article. In particular, if the article that the user wishes to deliver is a heavy article such as a tire, the article is often stored in a warehouse or the like once, and it is necessary to take a complicated route. In addition, drivers who drive a moving body (for example, a truck) for transporting articles are often subject to compliance restrictions (for example, restrictions on the driving time per day).

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that enables the efficient operation of services such as receiving goods from users by sequentially determining the optimal route for a mobile vehicle transporting goods, taking into account the compliance restrictions imposed on the driver. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, an information processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is: An information processing device for scheduling a mobile vehicle that transports one or more items via a route that includes at least one location and one warehouse among multiple locations that pick up or deliver items to users and multiple warehouses that store items, The aforementioned mobile vehicle is driven by a driver subject to predetermined compliance restrictions. A means for acquiring location information for each of the aforementioned multiple locations, which includes the location of the location and the amount of goods entering and leaving the location per predetermined unit time. A warehouse information acquisition means for each of the aforementioned plurality of warehouses, which acquires warehouse information including the location of the warehouse and the availability status per predetermined unit time, Driver information acquisition means for acquiring driver information relating to the driver, including the predetermined compliance restrictions, A route determination means that determines a route for each of the one or more mobile bodies to travel, including a resting place for the driver, based on the base information for each of the multiple bases, the warehouse information for each of the multiple warehouses, and the driver information. It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that enables the efficient operation of services such as receiving goods from users by sequentially determining the optimal route for a moving object, taking into account compliance restrictions imposed on the driver. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This block diagram shows the hardware configuration of the server in one embodiment of the information processing system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server, branch terminal, warehouse terminal, user terminal, and driver terminal. [Figure 4] This figure shows a specific example of the result of the route determination process performed by the server in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 3 shows an example of a screen that displays usage information on the user's terminal. [Figure 6] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of compliance-based route determination processing performed by the server. [Figure 7] This diagram shows a specific example of an input form used by a user to request the transportation of their belongings. [Figure 8] This diagram shows a specific example of an input form used by a user to request the transportation of their belongings. [Figure 9] This diagram shows a specific example of an input form used by a user to request the transportation of their belongings. [Figure 10] This figure shows a specific example of a train schedule calculated and displayed based on the information entered in the input form. [Figure 11] This figure shows a specific example of a train schedule calculated and displayed based on the information entered in the input form. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 shows the configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] The information processing system shown in Figure 1 is applied when providing the following services. That is, the service to which the information processing system according to the present invention is applied is a service for storing an article such as a user's tire for a certain period of time. In other words, it is a service that can deliver a predetermined article to an arbitrary base and pick up the predetermined article at an arbitrary base. The article is not particularly limited, but for the sake of convenience of explanation, the following explanation will be given assuming that it is a tire. In this case, the base is a place such as a dealer or a gas station where the tire can be temporarily stored for about several days. The tire delivered to the base by the user is transported to an arbitrary warehouse and stored. When the user wishes to pick it up, it is transported from the warehouse to an arbitrary base and picked up by the user at that base. Note that the user can pick up the tire at the same base as the base where the article was delivered, but can also pick up the tire at another base. The transporter of the article uses a predetermined moving body (assumed to be a truck in the following example) to travel along a predetermined route including one or more bases and one or more warehouses, transport one or more tires, and load and unload these tires. In addition, a predetermined compliance restriction (for example, a restriction on the driving time per day) is imposed on the transporter of the article (assumed to be the driver of the truck in the following example, and sometimes simply referred to as the driver). For this reason, as the above route, a route including a rest place for the driver (for example, a lodging place) is determined so that the driver does not drive for a long time. The information processing system of the present embodiment can determine the optimal route (route including the driver's rest place) to be taken by the moving body (truck) while taking into account the compliance restriction of the driver under such a service.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system of this embodiment is configured to include a server 1 managed by the service provider described above, base terminals 2-1 to 2-m used by base managers at each of the m bases K-1 to Km (where m is any integer value of 1 or more), warehouse terminals 3-1 to 3-n used by warehouse managers at each of the n warehouses S-1 to Sn (where n is any integer value of 1 or more different from m), user terminals 4-1 to 4-p used by each of the p users (where p is any integer value of 1 or more different from both m and n), and driver terminals 5-1 to 5-q used by drivers operating each of the q trucks T-1 to Tq (where q is any integer value of 1 or more different from both m, n, and p). Server 1, each of the base terminals 2-1 to 2-m, each of the warehouse terminals 3-1 to 3-n, each of the user terminals 4-1 to 4-p, and each of the driver terminals 5-1 to 5-q are interconnected via a predetermined network N such as the Internet.

[0013] In the following, when it is not necessary to distinguish between each of the base terminals 2-1 through 2-m individually, they will be collectively referred to as "base terminal 2". Furthermore, if there is no need to distinguish between each of the warehouse terminals 3-1 through 3-n individually, they will be collectively referred to as "warehouse terminal 3". Furthermore, if there is no need to distinguish between user terminals 4-1 through 4-p individually, they will be collectively referred to as "user terminal 4". Furthermore, in the following, when it is not necessary to distinguish between each of the driver terminals 5-1 through 5-q individually, they will be collectively referred to as "driver terminal 5". Similarly, if it is not necessary to distinguish between each of the bases K-1 through Km individually, they will be collectively referred to as "Base K"; if it is not necessary to distinguish between each of the warehouses S-1 through Sn individually, they will be collectively referred to as "Warehouse S"; and if it is not necessary to distinguish between each of the trucks T-1 through Tq individually, they will be collectively referred to as "Truck T".

[0014] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of Server 1 in the information processing system shown in Figure 1.

[0015] Server 1 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0016] The CPU 11 executes various processes according to the program recorded in the ROM 12 or the program loaded from the storage unit 18 into the RAM 13. RAM13 also stores data and other information necessary for the CPU11 to perform various processes.

[0017] The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14. An output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20 are connected to the input / output interface 15.

[0018] The output unit 16 consists of various liquid crystal displays and outputs various types of information. The input unit 17 is composed of various hardware components and other elements, and inputs various types of information. The memory unit 18 consists of a hard disk, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various types of data. The communication unit 19 controls communication with other devices (in the example in Figure 1, such as the base terminal 2, warehouse terminal 3, user terminal 4, and driver terminal 5) via the network N, including the Internet.

[0019] A drive 20 is provided as needed. A removable media 21, consisting of a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately mounted on the drive 20. Programs read from the removable media 21 by the drive 20 are installed in the storage unit 18 as needed. The removable media 21 can also store various data stored in the storage unit 18, just like the storage unit 18.

[0020] The configurations of base terminal 2, warehouse terminal 3, user terminal 4, and driver terminal 5 are basically the same as those of server 1, so their explanations will be omitted here.

[0021] Through the collaboration of various hardware and software components such as Server 1, Branch Terminal 2, Warehouse Terminal 3, User Terminal 4, and Driver Terminal 5 in Figure 2, the following series of processes (hereinafter referred to as "compliance-enhanced route determination process") can be executed.

[0022] Specifically, each of the base terminals 2-1 to 2-m acquires information such as the amount of tires entering and leaving each of the bases K-1 to Km (storage / delivery information) and the location of the bases, and transmits it to server 1 at each unit of time (for example, one day). The information obtained from such a base K, such as the location information of base K, the time slots for scheduled tire storage per unit time (e.g., 1 day), and the time slots for scheduled tire delivery per unit time (e.g., 1 day), will be collectively referred to as "base information" below. Server 1 acquires location information from each of the location terminals 2-1 through 2-m at each unit of time (for example, one day).

[0023] Each of the warehouse terminals 3-1 through 3-n acquires information such as the availability status (receiving / shipping information) and location of each warehouse S-1 through Sn at each unit of time (for example, one day), and transmits it to server 1. The information obtained from such a warehouse S, such as the location information of warehouse S, the time-slot information for the scheduled arrival of tires per unit time (e.g., 1 day), and the time-slot information for the scheduled departure of tires per unit time (e.g., 1 day), will be collectively referred to as "warehouse information" below. Server 1 retrieves warehouse information from each of the warehouse terminals 3-1 through 3-n at regular intervals (e.g., every day).

[0024] Each of the driver terminals 5-1 to 5-q acquires the ID information of the driver operating each of the trucks T-1 to Tq, as well as information on the compliance restrictions imposed on the driver, for each unit of time (e.g., one day), and transmits it to server 1. The compliance restrictions include various restrictions imposed on drivers' driving, such as restrictions on daily driving time (e.g., within 8 hours), restrictions on continuous nighttime driving time (e.g., within 2 hours), and restrictions on the number of consecutive working days (e.g., within 4 days). The information obtained from such a truck T, including the driver's ID information and information on compliance restrictions imposed on the driver, will be collectively referred to below as "driver information." Server 1 acquires driver information from each of the driver terminals 5-1 through 5-q at each unit of time (for example, one day).

[0025] In the above, it is assumed that driver information is obtained from each of the driver terminals 5-1 to 5-q (i.e., from each of the trucks T-1 to Tq). However, it is also possible that driver information for all drivers is sent to server 1 every unit of time (e.g., every day) from a server of a management company that manages the drivers (which may be the same as or different from the provider of this service). Furthermore, if the compliance restriction information is the same regardless of the driver, it is possible that server 1 has already stored the information of that restriction.

[0026] Server 1 acquires location information from each of the location terminals 2-1 to 2-m, warehouse information from each of the warehouse terminals 3-1 to 3-n, and driver information from each of the driver terminals 5-1 to 5-q. Based on this information, Server 1 determines the optimal route for one or more trucks to transport one or more tires, including driver rest locations based on the driver information (information on compliance restrictions) (hereinafter referred to as the "compliance-enhanced optimal route"). Furthermore, the compliance-enhanced optimal route referred to here can be determined including driver rest locations, and therefore may be a route requiring long-distance travel. Consequently, it is determined from information on multiple regions (for example, regions spanning multiple prefectures).

[0027] User terminal 4 presents the user with information (hereinafter referred to as "usage information") indicating whether or not the tire storage service is available. Specifically, "usage information" includes information such as whether a user is available to hand over tires at a certain location K during a certain time period, and whether a user is available to pick up tires at a certain location K during a certain time period. This usage information is generated by Server 1 based on the availability information of each location K and each warehouse S for each unit of time (e.g., 1 day) when the compliance-enhanced optimal route described above is determined.

[0028] This series of processes constitutes compliance-based route determination processing. To implement this compliance-based route determination process, Server 1, Branch Terminal 2, Warehouse Terminal 3, User Terminal 4, and Driver Terminal 5 have the functional configuration shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of Server 1, Branch Terminal 2, Warehouse Terminal 3, User Terminal 4, and Driver Terminal 5 in Figure 1.

[0029] In the CPU 40 of the base terminal 2, the base information management unit 50 and the base information transmission control unit 51 function. In the CPU 60 of the warehouse terminal 3, the warehouse information management unit 70 and the warehouse information transmission control unit 71 function. In the CPU 11 of Server 1, the following functions are active: a base information acquisition unit 80, a warehouse information acquisition unit 81, a route determination unit 82, a usage information request acquisition unit 83, a usage information notification unit 84, and a driver information acquisition unit 85. In the driver terminal 5's CPU 300, the driver information management unit 310 and the driver information transmission control unit 320 function. In the CPU 102 of the user terminal 4, the following functions are active: a user information request receiving unit 120, a user information request transmission control unit 121, a user information acquisition unit 122, and a user information presentation unit 123.

[0030] The base information management unit 50 of base terminal 2-M (where M is any integer value from 1 to m) acquires and manages base information for bases K-M, including the amount of tires entering and leaving per unit time (e.g., per day) and the location information of the base. The base information transmission control unit 51 executes control to transmit the base information managed by the base information management unit 50 to the server 1 via the communication unit 41 at intervals of a unit of time (for example, one day).

[0031] The warehouse information management unit 70 of warehouse terminal 3-N (where N is any integer value from 1 to n) acquires and manages warehouse information for warehouse SN, including the availability per unit time (e.g., 1 day) and warehouse location information. The warehouse information transmission control unit 71 executes control to transmit the warehouse information acquired by the warehouse information management unit 70 to the server 1 via the communication unit 61 at intervals of one unit of time (for example, one day).

[0032] The driver information management unit 310 of the driver terminal 5-Q (where Q is any integer value between 1 and q) acquires and manages driver information for drivers operating truck TQ, including information on compliance restrictions imposed on the driver. The driver information transmission control unit 320 executes control to transmit the driver information acquired by the driver information management unit 310 to the server 1 via the communication unit 301 at intervals of one unit of time (for example, one day).

[0033] The user terminal 4's usage information request receiving unit 120 receives usage information requests from the user via the touch operation input unit 100. The user information request transmission control unit 121 executes control to transmit the user information request received by the user information request reception unit 120 to the server 1 via the communication unit 103. Server 1 transmits usage information determined based on the compliance-enhanced optimal route to user terminal 4. The usage information acquisition unit 122 then acquires the usage information transmitted from server 1. The user information display unit 123 then presents the user information acquired by the user information acquisition unit 122 to the user by executing control to display it on the display unit 101.

[0034] The base information acquisition unit 80 of server 1 acquires base information for each of the multiple bases K-1 to Km, including the amount of tires entering and leaving per unit time (e.g., per day) and the location information of the base. That is, each time base information is transmitted from a predetermined base terminal 2, the base information acquisition unit 80 acquires that base information. Furthermore, the warehouse information acquisition unit 81 acquires warehouse information for each of the multiple warehouses S-1 to Sn, including the availability per unit time (e.g., one day) and the warehouse's location information. That is, each time warehouse information is transmitted from a predetermined warehouse terminal 3, the warehouse information acquisition unit 81 acquires that warehouse information. Furthermore, the driver information acquisition unit 85 acquires driver information for each of the multiple trucks T-1 to Tq per unit of time (for example, one day). That is, each time driver information is transmitted from a predetermined driver terminal 5, the driver information acquisition unit 85 acquires that driver information.

[0035] The route determination unit 82 determines a compliance-enhanced optimal route for each of the one or more trucks to travel, based on base information for multiple bases K-1 to Km each, warehouse information for multiple warehouses S-1 to Sn each, and driver information for multiple trucks T-1 to Tq each, for each unit of time (e.g., one day). The route determination unit 82 also generates usage information based on the compliance-added optimal route.

[0036] The user information request acquisition unit 83 acquires the user information request sent from the user terminal 4. Then, when the usage information notification unit 84 receives a request for usage information from the usage information request acquisition unit 83, it notifies the user terminal 4 that made the request of the usage information generated by the route determination unit 82 via the communication unit 19.

[0037] Figure 4 shows a specific example of the results of the compliance-added route determination process performed by Server 1 in Figure 3. The example in Figure 4 illustrates how a compliance-based optimal route is determined when truck M1 travels within a predetermined area (for example, a wide area including Tokyo and Osaka) that includes dealer bases KA and KB, gas station base KGS, warehouse Sa, warehouse Sb, and warehouse Sc.

[0038] In the example in Figure 4, terminal 2 at site KA sends site information A to server 1 indicating that tires T1 and T2 are scheduled to be picked up in the next unit of time (e.g., 1 day). Terminal 2 at site KB sends site information B to server 1 indicating that there will be no tire pick-up or pickup in the next unit of time (e.g., 1 day). Terminal 2 at site KGS sends site information GS to server 1 indicating that there will be no tire pick-up or pickup in the next unit of time (e.g., 1 day). The base information acquisition unit 80 of server 1 (see Figure 3) acquires each of these base information A, B, and GS via the communication unit 19.

[0039] In the example in Figure 4, warehouse terminal 3 of warehouse Sa sends warehouse information a to server 1 indicating that there are no vacancies in the next unit time (e.g., 1 day) and the location information of warehouse Sa. Warehouse terminal 3 of warehouse Sb sends warehouse information b to server 1 indicating that there is one vacancy in the next unit time (e.g., 1 day) and the location information of warehouse Sb (e.g., Tokyo). Warehouse terminal 3 of warehouse Sc sends warehouse information c to server 1 indicating that there is one vacancy in the next unit time (e.g., 1 day) and the location information of warehouse Sc (e.g., Osaka). The warehouse information acquisition unit 81 of server 1 (see Figure 3) acquires each of these warehouse information items a, b, and c via the communication unit 19. The warehouse information transmitted to Server 1 includes the availability per predetermined unit time and the warehouse's location information. However, if information indicating no availability per predetermined unit time is transmitted, the warehouse's location information does not need to be transmitted. This is because goods (tires) cannot be stored in a warehouse with no availability, so a route passing through that warehouse cannot be determined, and therefore the warehouse's location information becomes unnecessary.

[0040] In the example shown in Figure 4, the driver terminal 5 of truck M1 sends driver information m1 to the server 1, indicating that the driver's daily driving time is 8 hours or less, as information on compliance restrictions imposed on the driver of truck M1. The driver information acquisition unit 85 of server 1 (see Figure 3) acquires this driver information m1 via the communication unit 19.

[0041] The route determination unit 82 of server 1 (see Figure 3) determines a route as shown in Figure 4 as the compliance-added optimal route for truck M1 in the next unit of time (e.g., 1 day), based on the base information A, B, GS, warehouse information a, b, c, and driver information m1. In other words, if truck M1 first loads tires T1 and T2 at base KA, transports them to warehouse Sb (Tokyo) to unload tire T1, and then proceeds directly to warehouse Sc (Osaka), it would violate compliance restrictions (daily driving time of 8 hours or less). Therefore, the optimal compliance route is determined to include a stop for rest (e.g., overnight stay) at a designated location along the route to warehouse Sc (e.g., Hamamatsu), and then transports and unloads tire T2 at warehouse Sc.

[0042] There are various ways to determine rest locations. For example, by sending multiple location information (e.g., Hamamatsu, Nagoya, Kyoto) as desired rest locations to Server 1, Server 1 stores and manages the rest locations and determines the closest rest location on the route from Warehouse Sb (Tokyo) to Warehouse Sc (Osaka) as the first candidate. Server 1 then determines whether the driving time required to reach this first candidate violates compliance limit information (e.g., within 8 hours). If it does not violate the limit, it determines the first candidate as the rest location. If it does violate the limit, it determines the next closest rest location on the route as the second candidate. In this way, if the driving time required to reach the kth candidate (where k is an integer greater than or equal to 1) violates the compliance limit information, the step of checking whether the k+1th candidate, which is the next closest on the route, violates the compliance limit information is repeated until the mth candidate (where m is an integer greater than or equal to 1) that does not violate the compliance limit information is found, and the mth candidate is determined as the rest location.

[0043] Furthermore, Server 1 may not only determine rest locations but also determine the rest period at those locations based on driver information. For example, if compliance restriction information includes a requirement of a minimum 1-hour rest period if continuous driving time exceeds 4 hours, and a rest location requiring more than 4 hours of driving time to reach is determined, Server 1 shall determine a rest period of at least 1 hour at that location.

[0044] Furthermore, in the example in Figure 4, the compliance-enhanced optimal route for a specific truck M1 is determined based on information about compliance restrictions imposed on the driver of that specific truck M1 (driver information m1). However, the compliance-enhanced optimal route may also be determined by including the decision of which of all trucks T-1 to Tq will be the target vehicle for tire transport. Specifically, the driver information m-1 to mq transmitted from each driver terminal 5 of trucks T-1 to Tq may include information about each driver's current driving status (for example, information about current driving time), and the decision of which driver's truck will be the target vehicle may be made based on each driver's information. For example, the priority for determining the target vehicle may be that the truck of a driver with a short current continuous driving time is more likely to be determined as the target vehicle, or that the truck of a driver with a low monthly utilization rate is more likely to be determined as the target vehicle, or that the truck of a driver closer to the destination is more likely to be determined as the target vehicle. In this way, a specific truck is determined as the target vehicle from among multiple trucks, and the compliance-enhanced optimal route is determined for that specific truck.

[0045] Then, the route determination unit 82 determines usage information as shown in Figure 5 based on the compliance-added optimal route determined in this way. Figure 5 shows an example of a screen that displays usage information on the user terminal shown in Figure 3.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5, the availability of tire pickup and tire delivery for each location K, broken down by time period, is displayed on the display unit 101 of the user terminal 4 (see Figure 3) to the user. Specifically, for example, the screen 101 showing the usage information in the example in Figure 4 displays, for each location K, an area 201 indicating the time period during which users can drop off (or pick up) tires, and an area 202 indicating the time period during which users can have their tires returned (or handed over, depending on the location k).

[0047] For example, a user can easily see that at location KA, it is possible to drop off tires with ample time between 13:00 and 16:00, and that it is only possible to drop off tires with limited time between 10:00 and 13:00. Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 4, users can also reserve tires by pressing the reservation button displayed on the right side of area 201, provided that it is within the time frame when tires can be dropped off.

[0048] Similarly, for example, a user can easily see that at location KA, it is possible to return tires only between 13:00 and 16:00, and that it is not possible to return tires at any other time. Therefore, users can reserve a tire pickup time between 13:00 and 16:00, when it is possible to return the tires, by pressing the reservation button displayed on the right.

[0049] In this way, users can easily and instantly find out which locations are available for pickup or delivery of tires, and can even make reservations for pickup or delivery on the spot if needed.

[0050] Next, with reference to Figure 6, the compliance-added route determination process performed by Server 1, which has the functional configuration shown in Figure 3, will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the route determination process performed by Server 1.

[0051] In step S1, the location information acquisition unit 80 determines whether or not location information has been transmitted. If no location information is transmitted from any of the location terminals 2-1 through 2-m, the result is determined to be NO in step S1, and the process proceeds to step S3. In response to this, if site information is transmitted from site terminal 2-M (where M is an integer value from 1 to m), it is determined to be YES in step S1, and the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, the base information acquisition unit 80 acquires base information from the base terminal 2-M.

[0052] In step S3, the warehouse information acquisition unit 81 determines whether or not warehouse information has been transmitted. If no warehouse information is transmitted from any of the warehouse terminals 3-1 through 3-n, the result is determined to be NO in step S3, and the process returns to step S1. In response to this, if warehouse information is transmitted from warehouse terminal 3-N (where N is any integer value from 1 to n), it is determined to be YES in step S3, and the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the warehouse information acquisition unit 81 acquires warehouse information from the warehouse terminal 3-N.

[0053] In step S5, the driver information acquisition unit 85 determines whether or not driver information has been transmitted. If no driver information is transmitted from any of the driver terminals 5-1 through 5-q, the result is determined to be NO in step S5, and the process returns to step S1. In response to this, if warehouse information is transmitted from the driver terminal 5-Q (where Q is any integer value from 1 to q), it is determined to be YES in step S5, and the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the driver information acquisition unit 85 acquires driver information from the driver terminal 5-Q.

[0054] In step S7, the route determination unit 82 determines whether a predetermined time (for example, a unit of time such as one day) has elapsed. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, step S7 determines that the result is NO, and the process returns to step S1. In other words, the loop processing from steps S1 to S7 is repeated until the predetermined time has elapsed, and location information is obtained from each location K, warehouse information from each warehouse S, and driver information from each truck T. Once the predetermined time has elapsed, step 7 is determined to be YES, and the process proceeds to step S8.

[0055] In step S8, the route determination unit 82 determines a compliance-added optimal route for the truck transporting the tires, based on the base information obtained in step S2, the warehouse information obtained in step S4, and the driver information obtained in step S6.

[0056] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Furthermore, the effects described in this embodiment are merely a list of the most preferred effects arising from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in this embodiment.

[0057] In the embodiments described above, tires were used as the articles and trucks as the vehicles for transporting the articles, but these are merely illustrative examples and the invention is not limited to them. For example, the items that the user hands over can be any items, such as ornaments or furniture, as long as they are sufficient to achieve the purpose of the invention. Furthermore, any type of transport vehicle may be used to transport goods, such as motorcycles or passenger cars.

[0058] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the method by which the route determination unit 82 determines the compliance-added optimal route and the method for determining the usage information are not specifically defined, but any method can be used. In other words, any means or algorithms can be used within the scope necessary to achieve the objectives of the present invention.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the compliance-enhanced optimal route was determined by considering only base information, warehouse information, and driver information, but the travel distance of the moving object may also be considered. In other words, the route determination unit 82 may determine the route that each of the one or more mobile units will travel based on the distance between two points in each of the multiple bases and multiple warehouses. This allows for more accurate determination of compliance-based optimal routes for mobile objects and user usage information.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the compliance-added optimal route was determined without considering seasonal or weather information, but seasonal or weather information may be further considered. For example, on rainy days, stricter compliance restrictions may be imposed on the driver than those already in place, and a compliance-enhanced optimal route may be determined based on these restrictions. This allows for more accurate determination of compliance-based optimal routes for mobile objects and user usage information.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the compliance-enhanced optimal route was determined without considering information on whether the mobile device to be used is obtainable or the form of rental (rent, etc.). However, information on whether the mobile device to be used is obtainable and the form of rental (rent, etc.) may be further considered. This makes it possible to determine the most practical, compliance-based optimal route for mobile objects and user usage information.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the compliance-added optimal route was determined without considering information about the number and capacity of the mobile units used, but information about the number and capacity of the mobile units used may be further considered. This allows for more accurate determination of compliance-based optimal routes for mobile objects and user usage information.

[0063] Furthermore, the information processing device of the present invention can also formulate an optimal operation plan that takes compliance into consideration by performing the following processing. In other words, conventional transportation systems typically determined which vehicle to use for transporting goods based on the distance from the origin to the destination and the weight of the goods. This was partly because conventional transportation systems were designed to process transactions based on logistics contracts between shippers and transportation companies. As a result, conventional transportation systems could not take into account compliance regarding drivers' working hours, so dispatch staff at transportation companies had to handle dispatching operations while considering the circumstances of the transportation company and the drivers. However, with the dramatic increase in logistics volume and the widespread acceptance of compliance today, it is no longer appropriate to leave all compliance considerations to the dispatch staff. Therefore, the information processing device of the present invention makes it possible to determine an optimal operation plan that takes compliance into consideration. This makes it possible to easily respond to unannounced inspections by government agencies (e.g., labor standards inspection offices in Japan) regarding compliance. Specifically, it is also possible to easily generate evidence such as documents to prove compliance.

[0064] Furthermore, compliance from an international perspective can be ensured. Specifically, operational plans can be determined that take into account not only the driver's working hours but also their working conditions. For example, in Europe, there are regulations on the maximum weight a driver can lift alone, and this can be accommodated. In other words, by considering the maximum weight a driver can lift alone as a working condition, operational plans can be determined that take into account the driver's physical strength and health.

[0065] Furthermore, it becomes possible to determine operational plans that take into account drivers' overtime hours. Previously, dispatching operations were carried out without sharing information such as the amount of overtime available for the current month, which posed compliance issues. However, it is now possible to determine operational plans that take into account such as the amount of overtime available.

[0066] Figures 7 to 9 show specific examples of input forms used by users when requesting the transportation of their packages.

[0067] Once various information is entered into the input forms shown in Figures 7 to 9, a route plan is determined that takes into account compliance regarding the driver's working hours, breaks, rest periods, sleep time, and workload.

[0068] As shown in Figure 7, the input field (1) includes a field for "Cargo Information" where the weight (kg) of the cargo to be transported is entered. Entering "4900" (kg) in this field displays a list of trucks that can be used to transport the cargo. The truck candidates are displayed with information on "Vehicle Number," "Vehicle Class," "Load Capacity," "Cargo Weight," "Possible Weight," and "Weight Judgment." Specifically, a truck with the vehicle number "Yamanashi 100 ka XX-XX," vehicle class "13t Wing Truck," load capacity "13000" (kg), cargo weight "4900" (kg), possible weight "8100" (kg), and weight judgment "●" (i.e., passed) is displayed as a candidate, along with two other trucks. The information for the other two trucks is as shown in Figure 7. The user selects the desired track from the displayed list of options. Specifically, they select the track by checking the box in the "Select" column.

[0069] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the input field (2) includes fields for "Delivery Information," where the "Departure Point" and "Destination Point" of the cargo to be transported are entered. If you enter "Kodaira City, Tokyo" in the "Departure Point" field and "Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture" in the "Destination Point" field, the total transport distance will be automatically calculated and displayed. Specifically, "347km" will be displayed in the "Distance" field. In addition, information indicating the transportation conditions is automatically calculated and displayed along with the total distance to be transported. The displayed transportation conditions include "outbound driving time," "breaks," "rest period," "waiting time," and "loading" for the outbound journey, and various information including "return driving time," "breaks," "rest period," and "working time" for the return journey. Specifically, for the outbound journey, the outbound driving conditions are displayed as "240" minutes, breaks as "30" minutes, rest period as "0" minutes, waiting time as "30" minutes, and loading as "60" minutes. Similarly, for the return journey, the return driving conditions are displayed as "240" minutes, breaks as "30" minutes, rest period as "0" minutes, and working time as "630" minutes. Furthermore, various information regarding "working hours," which consist of "working time" and "waiting time," and "break time" is displayed. Specifically, it shows "540" minutes for working time, "30" minutes for waiting time, and "60" minutes for break time. "Waiting time" refers to the time spent waiting when no work is actually being performed, although it is included in working hours.

[0070] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the input field in (3) includes a field for entering the "arrival time" of the cargo to be transported in order to specify the delivery time. If you enter, for example, "9:30" in the "arrival time" field, the departure time will be automatically calculated and displayed. Specifically, "4:30" will be displayed in the "departure time" field, and candidate drivers will be displayed. In other words, when the arrival time is entered, the departure time is automatically calculated based on the transport conditions automatically calculated in (2). Once the departure time is automatically calculated, candidate drivers who meet the transport conditions, including the rest period, sleep time, and license requirements described later, will be displayed. Specifically, the displayed candidate drivers will be shown with various information such as "return time to company," "assessment," "rest period," "name," "age," "license," and "driving history." Specifically, the driver whose most recent return time to the office was "18:00", whose assessment was "○" (i.e., met the transportation conditions), whose rest period was "10 hours 30 minutes", whose name was "Taro Yamada", whose age was "35", whose license was for "large vehicles", and whose driving experience was "13 years", along with two other candidates, are displayed as driver candidates. The information for each of the other two candidates is shown in Figure 8.

[0071] Here, although they are not shown on the screen, I will explain using four examples of individuals who were excluded from the driver selection process because they did not meet the transportation requirements. Specifically, a person whose most recent return time to the office was "21:00", whose rest period was "7 hours and 30 minutes", whose name is "Akiyama Rokuro", whose age is "25", whose license is for "large vehicles", and whose driving experience is "5 years", has been judged as having a "×" (i.e., does not meet the transportation conditions) for their rest period. Similarly, a person whose most recent return time to the office was "23:00", whose rest period was "5 hours and 30 minutes", whose name is "Haneda Shichiro", whose age is "27", whose license is for "large vehicles", and whose driving experience is "7 years", has also been judged as having a "×" (i.e., does not meet the transportation conditions) for their rest period. This is because, in both cases, the transportation conditions for rest periods, which require a continuous rest period of 8 hours or more, are not met. In contrast, a person whose most recent return time to the office was "18:00", with a rest period of "10 hours and 30 minutes", named "Sato Shiro", aged "25", with a "medium-sized" license and "3 years" of driving experience, has been judged as having a "○" (i.e., meeting the transportation requirements). Similarly, a person whose most recent return time to the office was "18:00", with a rest period of "10 hours and 30 minutes", named "Hayashi Goro", aged "18", with a "semi-medium-sized" license and "1 year" of driving experience, has also been judged as having a "○" (i.e., meeting the transportation requirements). However, these two individuals are excluded from the driver candidates because their licenses do not match.

[0072] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the input item (4) includes a field for "Cargo Information" where the specific contents of the cargo are entered in order to calculate the workload and difficulty of the work. If, for example, "Beverages (paper cartons)" and "980 cases" are entered or selected in the "Cargo Information" field, the cargo weight (4900 kg) will be automatically displayed, and the workload and difficulty of the work will be automatically calculated and displayed using the information for "Difficulty," "Working Conditions," "Work Volume," and "Work Weight." Specifically, the following options will be displayed for selection: a task with difficulty "A," working conditions "manual loading and unloading," work volume "1960 cases," and work weight "9800 kg"; a task with difficulty "B," working conditions "palletized loading and unloading," work volume "980 cases," and work weight "4900 kg"; and a task with difficulty "C," working conditions "palletized loading and unloading," work volume "0 cases," and work weight "0 kg."

[0073] Here, as shown in Figure 9, when difficulty level B is selected, candidates who can perform the "pallet loading and unloading" work condition are displayed as drivers. Specifically, the driver candidates are displayed with various information such as "time to return to the office," "time at home (estimated sleep time)," "name," "age," "health status," and "workload." Specifically, the system displays three selectable individuals: one whose most recent return time to the office was "18:00", whose time spent on standby at home (estimated sleep time) was "10 hours 30 minutes", whose name is "Taro Yamada", whose age is "35", whose health status is "◎", and whose workload is "manual loading possible"; another whose most recent return time to the office was "19:00", whose time spent on standby at home (estimated sleep time) was "9 hours 30 minutes", whose name is "Jiro Kimura", whose age is "45", whose health status is "○", and whose workload is "manual loading possible"; and a third whose most recent return time to the office was "17:30", whose time spent on standby at home (estimated sleep time) was "11 hours", whose name is "Saburo Suzuki", whose age is "55", whose health status is "△", and whose workload is "back pain confirmed". Here, among the symbols indicating the candidates' health status, "◎" indicates that they can perform any task of difficulty levels A, B, and C. "○" indicates that they can perform either task of difficulty levels B or C, and "△" indicates that they can only perform task of difficulty level C. In other words, of the three candidates displayed as drivers, the candidate named "Saburo Suzuki" has confirmed that he suffers from lower back pain, and therefore can only perform task of difficulty level C (pallet loading and unloading). Thus, the compliance-enhanced route determination process allows for proper management of labor relations, including not only compliance but also the management of the individual driver's health condition.

[0074] Once the input forms shown in Figures 7 to 9 are completed, the operation plan based on the entered information is automatically calculated and displayed. Figures 10 and 11 show specific examples of operation plans calculated and displayed based on the information entered in the input form.

[0075] As shown in Figure 10, (5) the operation plan is displayed with various information of "vehicle information" consisting of "driver's name," "vehicle number," and "vehicle class," as well as various information of "departure time," "start of break," "end of break," "arrival time," "start of waiting," "end of waiting," "start of loading," "end of loading," "departure time," "start of break," "end of break," and "return to the office time." Specifically, the detailed operational plan from departure to arrival at the destination is as follows: "Departure Time" indicates that the bus will depart from "Kodaira City, Tokyo" at "4:30" on "October 28th"; "Break Start" indicates that the bus will begin its break at "○○ Parking" at "7:30" on "October 28th"; "Break End" indicates that the break at "○○ Parking" will end at "8:00" on "October 28th"; and "Arrival Time" indicates that the bus will arrive in "Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture" at "9:00" on "October 28th". Next, regarding the specific operational plan from arrival at the site until the completion of loading work, "Waiting Start" indicates that waiting will begin at "9:00" on "October 28" in "Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture," "Waiting End" indicates that waiting in "Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture" will end at "9:30" on "October 28," "Loading Start" indicates that loading work will begin at "9:30" on "October 28" in "Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture," and "Loading End" indicates that loading work in "Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture" will end at "10:30" on "October 28." Furthermore, the detailed operational plan from the completion of loading until returning to the company is shown, with "Departure Time" indicating departure from "Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture" at "10:30" on "October 28th", "Break Start" indicating a break to begin at "○○ Parking" at "13:30" on "October 28th", "Break End" indicating the break at "○○ Parking" to end at "14:00" on "October 28th", and "Return to Company Time" indicating arrival in "Kodaira City, Tokyo" at "15:30" on "October 28th". In addition, "Total Time on Duty" indicating the driver's time on duty is shown as "11 hours", and "Overtime Hours" indicating the driver's time to work overtime is shown as "3 hours".

[0076] Furthermore, Figure 11 shows the calculation results regarding the potential impact if the operational plan shown in Figure 10 were to be implemented. Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the cumulative overtime hours for driver Yamada Taro in October, which is shown as "38 hours," and the remaining overtime hours for driver Yamada Taro in October, which is shown as "1 hour," are displayed. Furthermore, Figure 10 shows the impact on regular services after the execution of the flight plan. Specifically, "Yamada Taro Regular Service" is shown in the "Operating Day" and "Decision" sections. That is, both the regular service on "October 29th" and the regular service on "October 30th" are shown as "×" (i.e., impossible to operate). Here, the content of the "determination" shown in Figure 11 is determined based on various information from working conditions, the monthly operation schedule, and time cards. Working conditions can include, for example, information from labor-management agreements based on the provisions of Article 36 of the Labor Standards Act. Specifically, this can include information such as the amount of overtime that can be extended is 3 hours per day, 25 hours for a two-week period, 42 hours for a month, and 320 hours for a year. The monthly operation schedule can include, for example, information about the driver's regular routes. Specifically, this can include information such as the daily working hours being 10 hours and the amount of overtime being 2 hours. The time cards can include, for example, information about the driver's actual working hours. Based on this information, in the example above, driver "Yamada Taro" has a route set up that requires 2 hours of overtime per day for his regular route operations. That is, if driver "Yamada Taro" performs his operations on October 28th according to the operation plan shown in Figure 10, his available overtime for this month will be 1 hour. As a result, it will be impossible to operate the scheduled flights on October 29th and October 30th, both of which require two hours of overtime per day. In other words, if Taro Yamada operates the flight on October 28th, the judgment for his scheduled flights on the following day (October 29th) and the day after (October 30th) will be "X," indicating that another driver will need to step in to help or the work will need to be outsourced. In this way, the operational plan is displayed along with the subsequent impacts of implementing that plan, enabling planned operations that comply with regulations. Furthermore, although the operational plan shown in Figure 10 is a one-day operational plan, it is also possible to create long-term operational plans for one week, one month, and one year based on this operational plan.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the information processing system of the present invention was composed of a server 1, a base terminal 2, a warehouse terminal 3, a user terminal 4, and a driver terminal 5, but this is merely an example for achieving the objectives of the present invention and is not particularly limited.

[0078] Furthermore, the hardware configurations shown in Figure 2 are merely illustrative examples for achieving the objectives of the present invention and are not particularly limited.

[0079] Furthermore, the functional block diagram shown in Figure 3 is merely illustrative and not particularly limiting. In other words, it is sufficient that the information processing system is equipped with a function that can execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example in Figure 3. That is, the series of processes for determining the compliance-added optimal route may be implemented by a single information processing device (e.g., Server 1), or by an information processing system consisting of multiple information processing devices (Server 1, driver terminal 5, etc.).

[0080] Furthermore, the location of the functional blocks is not limited to Figure 3 and can be any location. For example, at least a portion of the functional blocks on the server 1 side may be located on the side of the base terminal 2, warehouse terminal 3, user terminal 4, or driver terminal 5, or vice versa. Furthermore, a single functional block can consist of hardware alone, or it can be composed of a combination of hardware and software.

[0081] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the base terminal 2, warehouse terminal 3, user terminal 4, and driver terminal 5 were composed of smartphones, but they can be composed of any device, including tablets and future new devices, not just smartphones.

[0082] When the processing of each functional block is to be executed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium. A computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware. Alternatively, a computer may be a computer capable of performing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0083] Recording media containing such programs consist not only of removable media distributed separately from the main unit to provide programs to each user, but also of recording media provided to each user in a state where they are pre-installed in the main unit.

[0084] In this specification, the step of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium includes not only processes that are performed chronologically in that order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically, but are executed in parallel or individually.

[0085] In summary, the information processing device to which the present invention applies only needs to have the following configuration, and various embodiments can be adopted. In other words, the information processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied is: An information processing device (server 1) that plans the schedule of a mobile vehicle transporting one or more items via a route that includes at least one location and one warehouse among multiple locations that pick up or deliver items from users and multiple warehouses that store items, The aforementioned mobile vehicle is driven by a driver subject to predetermined compliance restrictions. For each of the aforementioned multiple locations, a location information acquisition means (for example, the location information acquisition unit 80 in Figure 3) acquires location information including the location of the location and the amount of goods entering and leaving the location per predetermined unit time, For each of the aforementioned multiple warehouses, a warehouse information acquisition means (for example, the warehouse information acquisition unit 81 in Figure 3) acquires warehouse information including the location of the warehouse and the availability per predetermined unit time, Driver information acquisition means (for example, driver information acquisition unit 85 in Figure 3) that acquires driver information relating to the driver, including the predetermined compliance restrictions, A route determination means (for example, the route determination unit 82 in Figure 3) determines a route for each of the one or more mobile bodies to travel, which includes a resting place for the driver, based on the base information for each of the multiple bases, the warehouse information for each of the multiple warehouses, and the driver information. Any information processing device equipped with this feature will suffice. By applying such an information processing device, it is possible to provide a technology that enables the efficient operation of services such as goods storage, where the optimal route for a moving object is determined sequentially, taking into account the driver's compliance requirements. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1...Server, 2, 2-1 to 2-m...Branch terminal, 3, 3-1 to 3-n...Warehouse terminal, 4, 4-1 to 4-p...User terminal, 5-1 to 5-q...Driver terminal, 11...CPU, 40...CPU, 50...Branch information management unit, 51...Branch information transmission control unit, 60...CPU, 70...Warehouse information management unit, 71...Warehouse information transmission control unit, 80...Branch information acquisition unit, 81 ...Warehouse information acquisition unit, 82...Route determination unit, 83...Usage information request acquisition unit, 84...Usage information notification unit, 85...Driver information acquisition unit, 102...CPU, 120...Usage information request reception unit, 121...Usage information request transmission control unit, 122...Usage information acquisition unit, 123...Usage information presentation unit, 300...CPU, 310...Driver information management unit, 320...Driver information transmission control unit

Claims

[Claim 1] An information processing device for planning the schedule of a mobile vehicle that transports one or more items via a route that includes at least one location and one warehouse among multiple locations that pick up or deliver items from users and multiple warehouses that store items, The aforementioned mobile vehicle is driven by a driver subject to predetermined compliance restrictions. A means for acquiring location information for each of the aforementioned multiple locations, which includes the location of the location and the amount of goods entering and leaving the location per predetermined unit time. A warehouse information acquisition means for each of the aforementioned plurality of warehouses, which acquires warehouse information including the location of the warehouse and the availability status per predetermined unit time, Driver information acquisition means for acquiring driver information relating to the driver, including the predetermined compliance restrictions, A route determination means that determines a route for each of the one or more mobile bodies to travel, including a resting place for the driver, based on the base information for each of the multiple bases, the warehouse information for each of the multiple warehouses, and the driver information. An information processing device equipped with the following features.

Images