Operation management system

Abstract

This technology increases the likelihood of resolving situations where vehicle operation management services become unusable due to the inability to obtain the vehicle's current location. [Solution] The operation management system comprises: a driving plan acquisition unit that acquires a driving plan including a planned location where the vehicle will be located and a planned time associated with the planned location; a driving record acquisition unit that acquires driving records including the vehicle's current location and the transmission time of the current location; and an abnormality notification unit that notifies a person that an abnormality has occurred in acquiring the current location, based on the current time, the last transmission time which is the last transmission time acquired by the driving record acquisition unit, and the time required for the driving section between the planned locations or the time required at the planned locations, which is determined based on the driving plan.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation management system.

Background Art

[0002] In a system for managing vehicle operations, there has been a proposal for an operation management system that acquires a vehicle's travel plan and travel record, and when a delay occurs with respect to the travel plan, acquires the reason for the vehicle's delay based on the travel plan and travel record (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to acquire the travel record, it is necessary to acquire the current location of the vehicle. However, there are cases where the current location cannot be acquired due to reasons such as the battery of the terminal for acquiring the current location (for example, a navigation device installed in the vehicle or the driver's mobile terminal) running out, a malfunction of the communication function, or the current location acquisition function being turned off. In this case, the vehicle operation management service cannot be established, and if a delay is determined and notified in this state, the reliability of the service will decrease.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technology that can increase the possibility of eliminating a state where the vehicle operation management service cannot be established due to the inability to acquire the current location.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The operation management system according to the present invention comprises: a driving plan acquisition unit that acquires a driving plan including a planned location where the vehicle is to be located and a planned time associated with the planned location; a driving record acquisition unit that acquires driving records including the current location of the vehicle and the transmission time of the current location; and an abnormality notification unit that notifies a person that an abnormality has occurred in acquiring the current location, based on the current time, the last transmission time which is the transmission time last acquired by the driving record acquisition unit, and the time required for the driving section between the planned locations or the time required at the planned locations, which is determined based on the driving plan.

[0007] According to this, the recipient will be notified if there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location, thus making the recipient aware of the abnormality in acquiring the current location and increasing the likelihood that the abnormality will be resolved. This increases the likelihood that the situation in which the vehicle operation management service is not functioning due to the inability to acquire the current location will be resolved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram of the operation management system. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing an example of a travel plan. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the processing steps of the train management system. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the delay detection process. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the normality determination process. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an example of a travel plan and actual results, illustrating the cases where it becomes impossible to obtain the current location during the travel section (Figure 6A), where it becomes impossible to obtain the current location at the loading / unloading point (Figure 6B), and where it becomes impossible to obtain the current location at the starting point (Figure 6C). [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the normality determination process according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Herein, embodiments of this disclosure will be described in the following order. (1) System configuration: (1-1) Vehicle terminal configuration: (1-2) Configuration of the operation management system: (1-3) Configuration of the operations manager terminal: (2) Operation management processing: (3) Delay detection process: (4) Normality determination process: (5) Effects: (6) Other embodiments:

[0010] (1) System configuration: Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the operation management system 100 of this embodiment. The operation management system 100 is used to deliver goods according to schedule using multiple delivery vehicles. The operation management system 100 is configured as a dynamic management system that records and notifies the status of delivery vehicles in real time. The operation management system 100 works in cooperation with vehicle terminals 10 and operation manager terminals 50 used in the delivery vehicles. The operation manager terminal 50 is a terminal used by an operation manager who manages the operation of multiple delivery vehicles, and one or more terminals are installed, for example, at a delivery company's base. The vehicle terminal 10 is used in each of the multiple delivery vehicles and may be a terminal that is fixed in the delivery vehicle, or a portable terminal (for example, a smartphone carried by the delivery vehicle driver) may be brought into the delivery vehicle and used.

[0011] (1-1) Vehicle terminal configuration: Vehicle terminal 10 is a terminal for providing guidance to delivery vehicles along a planned route. In addition, vehicle terminal 10 is a terminal for acquiring information on the current location of the delivery vehicle (e.g., latitude and longitude) and transmitting probe information, which is this current location information with the transmission time added, as driving record to the operation management system 100. In this embodiment, the operation manager and the cargo owner have formulated and agreed on a driving plan in advance. Vehicle terminal 10 is capable of performing the function of guiding delivery vehicles according to the driving plan.

[0012] The travel plan is defined by the planned location of the delivery vehicle and the planned time associated with that location. In this embodiment, it also includes the planned route between the planned locations. The planned locations are either the departure point, intermediate points, or final destination of the delivery vehicle, and at each location, either loading or unloading of goods (hereinafter referred to as cargo handling) or both will take place.

[0013] Figure 2 shows an example of a travel plan. The travel plan in Figure 2 includes a travel plan for each vehicle identification information that identifies each delivery vehicle. For example, the travel plan for vehicle identification information "1001" shows an example of delivery in the order of departure point S, intermediate point G1, intermediate point G2, and final destination point G. Although the example shows that the departure point S and final destination point G are the same base A, they may be different bases. The travel plan in Figure 2 includes cargo handling information indicating which cargo will be loaded or unloaded at each point S, G1, G2, and G, the estimated arrival time at points G1, G2, and G, the estimated departure time from points S, G1, and G2, the time required at points S, G1, and G2 (time required for cargo handling, rest time, etc.), and the planned travel route between points. Note that Figure 2 shows an example with two intermediate points G1 and G2, but there may be any number of intermediate points, or there may be no intermediate points at all.

[0014] The vehicle terminal 10 includes a control unit 12 equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., a recording medium (not shown), a communication unit 15, a GNSS receiver 16, a vehicle speed sensor 17, a gyro sensor 18, a time acquisition unit 19, and an output unit 20. The control unit 12 can execute a navigation program (not shown) and a driving record transmission program recorded in the recording medium (not shown) and ROM. Information indicating the driving plan is recorded in the recording medium (not shown).

[0015] The communication unit 15 is equipped with a circuit for communicating with other devices. The control unit 12 can communicate with the operation management system 100 via the communication unit 15. Also, the control unit 12 can communicate with a traffic information management system (not shown) via the communication unit 15. The traffic information management system is a server that manages the congestion level for each road section and transmits information indicating the congestion level of the requested road section in response to requests from the vehicle terminal 10 and the operation management system 100.

[0016] The GNSS receiving unit 16 is a device that receives signals of the Global Navigation Satellite System, receives radio waves from navigation satellites, and outputs a signal for calculating the current location of the delivery vehicle via an interface (not shown). The control unit 12 acquires this signal to obtain the current location of the delivery vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 17 outputs a signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheels of the delivery vehicle. The control unit 12 acquires this signal via an interface (not shown) to obtain the vehicle speed. The gyro sensor 18 detects the angular acceleration about the turning of the delivery vehicle in the horizontal plane and outputs a signal corresponding to the orientation of the delivery vehicle. The control unit 12 acquires this signal to obtain the traveling direction of the delivery vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 17, the gyro sensor 18, etc. are used to specify the traveling trajectory of the delivery vehicle. In the present embodiment, the current location is specified based on the departure location and the traveling trajectory of the delivery vehicle, and the current location of the delivery vehicle specified based on the departure location and the traveling trajectory is corrected based on the output signal of the GNSS receiving unit 16.

[0017] The time acquisition unit 19 acquires the current time. The time acquisition unit 19 may receive radio waves indicating the current time and acquire the current time based on the received radio waves, or may acquire the current time by measuring the passage of time from a reference time by itself. The output unit 20 is a display unit, a voice output unit, etc. that outputs various information to the driver of the delivery vehicle by display or voice. The output unit 20 outputs, for example, the planned travel route. Also, the output unit 20 outputs various notification information transmitted from the operation management system 100. The notification information may include, for example, information notifying that an abnormality has occurred in the acquisition of the current location of the delivery vehicle.

[0018] The control unit 12 can perform route guidance to instruct the driver of the delivery vehicle of the planned route to be traveled using the output unit 20 based on the travel plan and map information by means of the function of a navigation program not shown. The map information is information used to identify the position of the delivery vehicle and the facilities to be guided, and includes node data indicating the positions of nodes set on the road on which the delivery vehicle travels, shape interpolation point data indicating the positions of shape interpolation points for specifying the shape of the road between nodes, link data indicating the connection between nodes, data indicating the positions of features such as roads and the surrounding features, etc. The data indicating the features is associated with the attributes of the features. The attributes of the features include the types of facilities (for example, delivery bases, rest points, etc.). The map information may be recorded on a recording medium not shown in the vehicle terminal 10, or may be recorded on an external server not shown. When the map information is recorded on an external server, the server may execute the route guidance process, and the output unit 20 may output guidance according to the execution result. Further, the control unit 12 may communicate with the traffic information management system via the communication unit 15 and acquire traffic information on the planned travel route by means of the function of the navigation program.

[0019] The control unit 12 may estimate the required time from the current location to the next planned location based on the traffic congestion level indicated by the traffic information. The estimation of the required time can be implemented by estimating the average vehicle speed from the traffic congestion level and calculating the required time based on the distance of the road section and the average vehicle speed. Then, the control unit 12 may calculate the estimated arrival time at the planned location based on the required time and output it to the output unit 20. In addition, the control unit 12 may also output the planned arrival time at the planned location to the output unit 20. As a result, it is possible to convey the degree of fulfillment of the travel plan to the driver of the delivery vehicle. The calculation of the required time and the calculation of the estimated arrival time at the planned location may be executed by an external server not shown, and the control unit 12 may acquire the execution result and output it to the output unit 20.

[0020] Furthermore, the control unit 12, through the functions of a driving record transmission program (not shown), sequentially transmits the aforementioned probe information as the driving record of the delivery vehicle to the operation management system 100. Specifically, the control unit 12 acquires the current location of the delivery vehicle based on the output signals of the GNSS receiver 16, vehicle speed sensor 17, and gyro sensor 18 at regular intervals (e.g., every 30 seconds). The control unit 12 then uses the current time acquired by the time acquisition unit 19 as the transmission time and generates probe information indicating the driving record, associating the transmission time with the identification information of the delivery vehicle (e.g., vehicle number). The control unit 12 transmits the probe information to the operation management system 100 via the communication unit 15. As a result, the operation management system 100 can acquire the driving record generated by collecting probe information including the current location of the delivery vehicle and the transmission time of the current location at regular intervals.

[0021] (1-2) Configuration of the operation management system: The operation management system 100 includes a control unit 200 equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., a recording medium 300, and a communication unit 400. The communication unit 400 includes a circuit for exchanging information with the vehicle terminal 10 and the operation manager terminal 50. The control unit 200 can communicate with the vehicle terminal 10 and the operation manager terminal 50 via the communication unit 400. Furthermore, the control unit 200 can execute programs recorded on the recording medium 300 or ROM. In this embodiment, the operation management program 210 can be executed as this program.

[0022] Furthermore, the recording medium 300 has pre-recorded driving plan information 300a and map information 300c, which indicate the driving plan. The recording medium 300 also records driving performance information 300b, which indicates the driving performance transmitted during the operation of the delivery vehicle. The driving plan information 300a is associated with the identification information of the delivery vehicle, and is configured so that the driving plan for each delivery vehicle can be distinguished. The driving plan information 300a only needs to be formulated in advance and recorded in the recording medium 300. For example, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the operations manager transmits the driving plan information 300a for each delivery vehicle from the operations manager terminal 50 to the operations management system 100 and records it in the recording medium 300. The driving plan information 300a is the same as the driving plan recorded in the recording medium of the vehicle terminal 10 as described above, and is defined by the planned location of the delivery vehicle and the planned time associated with the planned location, and also includes the planned route between the planned locations.

[0023] The driving record information 300b shows the aforementioned driving records transmitted from each delivery vehicle. The driving record information 300b is associated with the identification information of the delivery vehicle. The map information 300c is the same information as the map information used for route guidance in the vehicle terminal 10, and includes node data, shape interpolation point data, link data, data indicating the location of features on roads and their surroundings, etc. The data indicating features includes the attributes of the features (type of facility, etc.).

[0024] Furthermore, the recording medium 300 records delay information 300d, which is acquired during the operation of the delivery vehicle and shows delay records (whether or not there was a delay for each scheduled location, the delay time, the date and time the delay was notified, etc.) and reasons for the delay. Reasons for delays include, for example, a delay in arrival at the scheduled location, a delay in loading / unloading (a delay in departure from the loading / unloading location where loading / unloading takes place), or a delay in departure from the departure point. In addition, a health flag is associated with the delay information 300d to indicate whether or not the acquisition of the delivery vehicle's current location is being performed correctly. For example, if the value of the health flag is "0", it indicates that the acquisition of the delivery vehicle's current location is being performed correctly. For example, if the value of the health flag is "1", it indicates that there is an abnormality in the acquisition of the delivery vehicle's current location.

[0025] When the operation management program 210 is executed, the control unit 200 functions as a driving plan acquisition unit 210a, a driving record acquisition unit 210b, a delay determination unit 210c, a delay notification unit 210d, and an abnormality notification unit 210e. The driving plan acquisition unit 210a is a program module that causes the control unit 200 to execute a function to acquire a driving plan that includes scheduled locations and scheduled times associated with those locations. In this embodiment, since driving plan information 300a is pre-recorded in the recording medium 300, the control unit 200 acquires the driving plan by referring to the recording medium 300.

[0026] The driving record acquisition unit 210b is a program module that causes the control unit 200 to execute a function to acquire the driving record of the delivery vehicle. Specifically, the control unit 200 monitors the communication unit 400 using the function of the driving record acquisition unit 210b, and when probe information as driving record is transmitted from the vehicle terminal 10, it acquires the probe information via the communication unit 400 and records it on the recording medium 300 as driving record information 300b.

[0027] The delay determination unit 210c is a program module that causes the control unit 200 to execute a function to determine whether or not there is a delay in the operation of the delivery vehicle, and if there is a delay, to determine the reason for the delay, based on the actual driving record and the driving plan. The delay notification unit 210d is a program module that causes the control unit 200 to execute a function to notify the recipient of the delay information 300d (whether or not there is a delay, the reason for the delay, etc.) obtained by the function of the delay determination unit 210c. The recipient of the notification may be a dispatch manager using the dispatch manager terminal 50, a shipper, or a driver of the delivery vehicle (a user of the vehicle terminal 10). Delay determination and delay notification based on the functions of the delay determination unit 210c and the delay notification unit 210d are performed for each delivery vehicle. Details of the delay determination process executed by the control unit 200 based on the functions of the delay determination unit 210c and the delay notification unit 210d will be described later.

[0028] The abnormality notification unit 210e is a program module that determines whether the acquisition of the delivery vehicle's current location is being performed correctly, and if an abnormality occurs in the acquisition of the current location, it causes the control unit 200 to execute a function to notify the recipient of the abnormality. The recipient of the notification is the same as the recipient of the delay information 300d, namely the dispatch manager, the shipper, or the delivery vehicle driver. Details of the normality determination process executed by the control unit 200 based on the function of the abnormality notification unit 210e will be described later.

[0029] (1-3) Configuration of the operations manager terminal: The dispatch manager terminal 50 is a terminal for formulating driving plans for delivery vehicles. It is also a terminal for dispatch managers to check the driving status of each delivery vehicle (e.g., whether there are delays, the reasons for delays, etc.). The dispatch manager terminal 50 includes a control unit 52 equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., a recording medium (not shown), a user interface unit 54, and a communication unit 55. The control unit 52 can execute programs (not shown) recorded on the recording medium (not shown) and ROM. The recording medium (not shown) contains information similar to the driving plan information 300a and map information 300c.

[0030] The user interface unit 54 includes an input unit for receiving input from the operations manager and an output unit for displaying information, and can display any information on the output unit. Of course, the output mode of the output unit is not limited to display, and may also be audio output, etc. The communication unit 55 includes a circuit for communicating with other devices, and the control unit 52 can communicate with the operations management system 100 via the communication unit 55.

[0031] The control unit 52 can acquire travel plan information 300a through the functions of a program (not shown) and register the acquired travel plan information 300a in the recording medium 300 of the operation management system 100. Specifically, the control unit 52 acquires the necessary information for generating travel plan information 300a set by the operation manager via the input unit of the user I / F unit 54 (scheduled locations (departure point, intermediate points, final destination), cargo handling information at each scheduled location, departure time from the departure point, required time to each scheduled location, etc.). Based on the acquired necessary information and map information recorded in the recording medium (not shown), the control unit 52 searches for the optimal route between each scheduled location using a method such as Dijkstra's algorithm. Then, the control unit 52 acquires the travel plan information 300a based on the obtained optimal route, which is the travel plan route, and other necessary information. The control unit 52 records the travel plan information 300a and the identification information of each delivery vehicle in the recording medium (not shown) and transmits it to the operation management system 100 via the communication unit 55. The control unit 200 of the operation management system 100 acquires travel plan information 300a and identification information for each delivery vehicle from the operation manager terminal 50 via the communication unit 400, and records the acquired travel plan information 300a in association with the identification information of the delivery vehicle on the recording medium 300. The scheduled times for intermediate points (scheduled arrival time, scheduled departure time) and the scheduled arrival time at the final destination may be times set by the operation manager, or times determined from the estimated time required for the travel route obtained through searching.

[0032] The search for the planned route may be performed by the operation management system 100. In this case, the control unit 52 transmits the necessary information for generating the travel plan information 300a to the operation management system 100 via the communication unit 55. The control unit 200 of the operation management system 100 obtains the necessary information from the operation manager terminal 50 and searches for the planned route between planned points based on the necessary information and the map information 300c. The control unit 200 generates the travel plan information 300a based on the planned route and other necessary information and records it on the recording medium 300. Furthermore, the control unit 200 transmits the planned route to the operation manager terminal 50. The search for the planned route may be performed by an external system other than the operation management system 100.

[0033] The control unit 52 can display information such as whether there is a delay for each delivery vehicle and the reason for the delay on the output unit of the user interface unit 54, using a program function not shown in the diagram. Specifically, the control unit 52 controls the user interface unit 54 to display an interface screen that allows the user to input information (identification information, etc.) to specify a delivery vehicle. When the operations manager specifies a delivery vehicle by operating the input unit of the user interface unit 54, the control unit 52 transmits the identification information to the operations management system 100 via the communication unit 55. When the operations management system 100 acquires the identification information, it returns information indicating whether there is a delay for the delivery vehicle indicated by the identification information and the reason for the delay. The control unit 52 receives this information via the communication unit 55 and displays whether there is a delay and the reason for the delay on the output unit of the user interface unit 54.

[0034] If an abnormality occurs in acquiring the current location of the delivery vehicle, the control unit 52 can, using a function of a program (not shown), cause the output unit of the user I / F unit 54 to display that an abnormality has occurred in acquiring the current location of the delivery vehicle. This abnormality display may be performed in addition to displaying delay information on the output unit of the user I / F unit 54, or it may be performed independently of the display of delay information.

[0035] (2) Operation management processing: Next, with reference to Figure 3, the overall flow of the operation management process executed by the control unit 200 according to the functions of the operation management program 210 will be explained. Note that Figure 3 also shows the processes executed by the operation manager terminal 50 and the vehicle terminal 10. First, the operation manager, acting as a client, registers (records) the driving plan of each delivery vehicle in the recording medium 300, which serves as the database of the operation management system 100 (step S1). Specifically, the control unit 52 of the operation manager terminal 50 acquires the driving plan information 300a for each delivery vehicle, as described above, and transmits the acquired driving plan information 300a to the operation management system 100 via the communication unit 55.

[0036] The control unit 200 of the operation management system 100 receives the travel plan information 300a from the operation manager terminal 50 via the communication unit 400 and records the received travel plan information 300a on the recording medium 300 (step S2).

[0037] After the registration of the travel plan information 300a, when the delivery of goods by the delivery vehicles begins, the control unit 12 of the vehicle terminal 10 of each delivery vehicle sequentially transmits probe information including the vehicle's current location and transmission time (current time) to the operation management system 100 via the communication unit 55 (step S3). The control unit 200 of the operation management system 100 receives the probe information for each time from the vehicle terminal 10 via the communication unit 400 and records the travel performance information 300b, which is the history of the probe information for each time received, on the recording medium 300 (step S4). In other words, when the control unit 200 receives the latest probe information via the communication unit 400, it adds the received latest probe information to the travel performance information 300b recorded on the recording medium 300 to make it the latest travel performance information 300b.

[0038] During the operation period of each delivery vehicle, the control unit 200 determines whether or not there is a delay in the operation of each delivery vehicle, and if there is a delay, the reason for the delay (step S5). Details of the delay determination process in step S5 will be described later. In addition, during the operation period of each delivery vehicle, the control unit 200 performs a normality determination to determine whether or not the acquisition of the current location of each delivery vehicle has been performed correctly (step S6). Details of the normality determination process in step S6 will be described later.

[0039] If the control unit 200 determines, through the processing in step S6, that there is a delay in the operation of the delivery vehicle, it records delay information 300d, which indicates the delay history, the reason for the delay, etc., on the recording medium 300 in association with the identification information of the delivery vehicle (step S7). Furthermore, if the control unit 200 determines, through the processing in step S6, that there is a delay in the operation of the delivery vehicle, it notifies the operations manager or the driver of the delivery vehicle of the delay information 300d (step S8). Details of step S8 will be described later.

[0040] If the control unit 200 determines, through the processing in step S7, that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location of the delivery vehicle, it sets the value of the normality flag, which indicates whether or not the acquisition of the current location of the delivery vehicle is being performed normally, to a value indicating an abnormality, and records the normality flag in association with the delivery vehicle identification information and the delay information 300d registered in step S8 on the recording medium 300 (step S9). Furthermore, if the control unit 200 determines, through the processing in step S7, that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location of the delivery vehicle, it notifies the operations manager or the driver of the delivery vehicle that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location (step S10). Details of step S10 will be described later.

[0041] (3) Delay detection process: Next, we will explain the details of the delay determination process in steps S5, S7, and S8 of Figure 3. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the delay determination process. The process in Figure 4 is executed repeatedly at regular intervals. The process in Figure 4 is executed for each delivery vehicle.

[0042] When the process shown in Figure 4 begins, the control unit 200 acquires the current location of the delivery vehicle using the function of the driving record acquisition unit 210b (step S50). Specifically, the control unit 200 acquires the driving record information 300b recorded on the recording medium 300. The control unit 200 acquires the most recent location of the delivery vehicle from the acquired driving record information 300b as the current location. In other words, the control unit 200 acquires the location associated with the last transmission time, which is the last transmission time acquired, from the driving record information 300b as the current location.

[0043] Next, the control unit 200 determines whether the current location acquired in step S50 is a location in the travel section between planned locations in the travel plan (step S55). Specifically, the control unit 200 acquires the travel plan information 300a recorded on the recording medium 300 using the function of the travel plan acquisition unit 210a. The control unit 200 determines whether the current location acquired in step S50 is a location in the travel section between planned locations in the travel plan information 300a using the function of the delay determination unit 210c.

[0044] If the current location is within the driving section (step S55:Y), the control unit 200 obtains the estimated arrival time of the delivery vehicle to the next scheduled destination using the function of the delay determination unit 210c (step S60). Specifically, the control unit 200 identifies the planned driving route from the current location to the next scheduled destination based on the driving plan information 300a. The control unit 200 also obtains the degree of congestion of the identified planned driving route via the communication unit 400. The control unit 200 estimates the average vehicle speed from the obtained degree of congestion and obtains the estimated time required to the next scheduled destination based on the average vehicle speed and the distance of the planned driving route. The distance of the planned driving route can be obtained from the map information 300c recorded on the recording medium 300. The control unit 200 obtains the estimated arrival time of the next scheduled destination based on the obtained estimated time required and the current time.

[0045] Next, the control unit 200 acquires travel plan information 300a from the recording medium 300 using the function of the travel plan acquisition unit 200a, and acquires the scheduled time corresponding to the next scheduled location based on the travel plan information 300a (step S65).

[0046] Next, the control unit 200, using the function of the delay determination unit 210c, determines whether the delivery vehicle will arrive on time for the next scheduled destination based on the estimated arrival time obtained in step S60 and the scheduled time obtained in step S65 (step S70). Specifically, if the estimated arrival time is the same as or earlier than the scheduled time, the control unit 200 determines that the delivery vehicle will arrive on time for the next scheduled time. If the estimated arrival time is later than the scheduled time, the control unit 200 determines that the delivery vehicle will not arrive on time for the next scheduled time. The control unit 200 also determines that the delivery vehicle will not arrive on time for the next scheduled time if the current time has already passed the next scheduled time.

[0047] If the control unit 200 determines that the delivery vehicle will arrive on time (step S70:Y), it terminates the process shown in Figure 4. If the control unit 200 determines that the delivery vehicle will not arrive on time (step S70:N), it uses the function of the delay determination unit 210c to determine that the reason for the delay is a late arrival (step S75). The control unit 200 then uses the function of the delay determination unit 210c to generate delay information 300d, which includes delay history (information indicating a delay) and the reason for the delay (late arrival), and registers (records) the generated delay information 300d in the recording medium 300, associating it with the identification information of the delivery vehicle (step S120).

[0048] On the other hand, if the current location in step S55 does not correspond to a travel section (step S55:N), the control unit 200 determines whether the current location acquired in step S50 is a loading / unloading point in the travel plan (step S80). Here, a loading / unloading point refers to a planned location other than the departure point and the final destination, i.e., an intermediate point. Specifically, the control unit 200 acquires the travel plan information 300a recorded on the recording medium 300 using the function of the travel plan acquisition unit 210a. The control unit 200 determines whether the current location acquired in step S50 is a loading / unloading point in the travel plan information 300a using the function of the delay determination unit 210c. If the current location is a loading / unloading point (step S80:Y), the control unit 200 executes step S85. That is, the control unit 200 acquires the scheduled departure time for the loading / unloading point corresponding to the current location based on the travel plan information 300a using the function of the travel plan acquisition unit 200a (step S85). Then, the control unit 200 determines, based on the function of the delay determination unit 210c, whether the current time exceeds the scheduled departure time obtained in step S85 (step S90).

[0049] If the control unit 200 determines that the current time has not exceeded the scheduled departure time (step S90:N), it terminates the process shown in Figure 4. If the control unit 200 determines that the current time has exceeded the scheduled departure time (step S90:Y), it uses the function of the delay determination unit 210c to determine that the reason for the delay is a delay in cargo handling (step S95). The control unit 200 then uses the function of the delay determination unit 210c to generate delay information 300d, which includes the delay record (information indicating that there is a delay, etc.) and the reason for the delay (delay in cargo handling), and registers (records) the generated delay information 300d in the recording medium 300, associating it with the identification information of the delivery vehicle (step S120).

[0050] If the current location does not correspond to a loading / unloading point in step S80 (step S80:N), the control unit 200 executes step S100. That is, the control unit 200 determines whether the current location acquired in step S50 is the departure point in the travel plan (step S100). Specifically, the control unit 200 acquires the travel plan information 300a recorded on the recording medium 300 using the function of the travel plan acquisition unit 210a. The control unit 200 determines whether the current location acquired in step S50 is the departure point in the travel plan information 300a using the function of the delay determination unit 210c. If the current location is the departure point (step S100:Y), the control unit 200 acquires the scheduled departure time for the departure point based on the travel plan information 300a using the function of the travel plan acquisition unit 200a (step S105). Then, the control unit 200 determines, based on the function of the delay determination unit 210c, whether the current time exceeds the scheduled departure time obtained in step S105 (step S110).

[0051] If the control unit 200 determines that the current time has not exceeded the scheduled departure time (step S110:N), it terminates the process shown in Figure 4. If the control unit 200 determines that the current time has exceeded the scheduled departure time (step S110:Y), it uses the function of the delay determination unit 210c to determine that the reason for the delay is a departure delay (step S115). The control unit 200 then uses the function of the delay determination unit 210c to generate delay information 300d, which includes delay history (information indicating a delay) and the reason for the delay (departure delay), and registers (records) the generated delay information 300d in the recording medium 300, associating it with the identification information of the delivery vehicle (step S120). Step S120 corresponds to step S7 in Figure 3.

[0052] On the other hand, if the control unit 200 determines in step S100 that the current location is not the starting point (step S100:N), it terminates the process shown in Figure 4. In this case, it is assumed that the current location is the final destination.

[0053] After executing step S120, the control unit 200, using the function of the delay notification unit 210d, notifies the recipient that there is a delay in the delivery vehicle based on the delay information 300d recorded on the recording medium 300 (step S125). Specifically, the control unit 200 determines, for example, whether there is delay information 300d corresponding to the identification information of the delivery vehicle, based on the fact that the dispatch manager terminal 50 used by the dispatch manager, who is the recipient of the notification, has instructed the dispatch manager terminal 50. If there is delay information 300d, the control unit 200 transmits the delay information 300d to the dispatch manager terminal 50 via the communication unit 400. When the control unit 52 of the dispatch manager terminal 50 receives the delay information 300d via the communication unit 55, it displays information corresponding to the delay information 300d (location where the delay occurred, reason for the delay, delay time, etc.) on the output unit of the user I / F unit 54. This allows the dispatch manager to recognize that there is a delay in the operation of the dispatch vehicle they instructed, and the reason for it. Step S125 corresponds to step S8 in Figure 3. Also, steps S50 to S115 correspond to step S5 in Figure 3.

[0054] (4) Normality determination process: Next, we will explain the details of the health determination process in steps S6, S9, and S10 of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the health determination process. The process in Figure 5 is executed repeatedly at regular intervals. The process in Figure 5 is executed for each delivery vehicle.

[0055] When the process shown in Figure 5 begins, the control unit 200 obtains the current time T1 using the function of the abnormality notification unit 210e (step S200). Next, the control unit 200 obtains the driving record information 300b recorded on the recording medium 300 using the function of the driving record acquisition unit 210b, and obtains the last transmission time T2, which is the time of the last transmitted probe information from the history of probe information constituting the acquired driving record information 300b (step S205).

[0056] Next, the control unit 200 obtains the required time T3 on the travel plan using the function of the abnormality notification unit 210e (step S210). Specifically, the control unit 200 refers to the travel plan information 300a recorded on the recording medium 300 and determines whether the last transmission time T2 obtained in step S205 corresponds to the time in the travel section of the travel plan information 300a, the time at the loading / unloading point, or the time at the departure point. Here, the loading / unloading point refers to a planned location other than the departure point and the final destination. The control unit 200 may also determine whether the location corresponding to the last transmission time T2, i.e., the current location last transmitted from the vehicle terminal 10, corresponds to the travel plan route, loading / unloading point, or departure point in the travel plan information 300a. If the current location last transmitted is on the travel plan route in the travel plan information 300a, then the last transmission time T2 is the time in the travel section of the travel plan information 300a. If the last transmitted current location is a loading / unloading point in the travel plan information 300a, then the last transmission time T2 is the time at the loading / unloading point in the travel plan information 300a. If the last transmitted current location is a departure point in the travel plan information 300a, then the last transmission time T2 is the time at the departure point in the travel plan information 300a.

[0057] If the last transmission time is a time within the travel section, the control unit 200 obtains the required time for that travel section based on the travel plan information 300a. Specifically, the control unit 200 obtains the scheduled arrival time for the next scheduled point, which is the end point of the travel section, and the scheduled departure time for the previous scheduled point, which is the start point of the travel section, based on the travel plan information 300a. The control unit 200 then obtains the difference between these scheduled arrival and departure times as the required time for the travel section. Here, Figure 6A shows the case where the last transmission time is a time within the travel section between the departure point S and the intermediate point G1. Specifically, the upper part of Figure 6A shows the travel plan determined by the travel plan information 300a, and the lower part shows the acquisition record of probe information as travel results. The travel plan in the upper part corresponds to the travel plan of the vehicle identification information "1001" in Figure 2, and shows that the plan progresses from left to right in Figure 6A. "Loading / unloading" in the figure means that loading / unloading is performed. "Travel" in the figure means the travel section. Furthermore, the upper part of Figure 6A also shows the planned travel time of "30 minutes" for the section between the starting point S and the intermediate point G1. In the lower part of the travel record, "→" indicates that probe information has been acquired. "LOST" indicates that probe information has not been acquired. "LOST" occurs for at least 30 minutes from the middle of the travel section between the starting point S and the intermediate point G1. In step S210, in the case of Figure 6A, the control unit 200 refers to the travel plan information 300a and acquires 30 minutes, which is the difference between the planned arrival time at the intermediate point G1 and the planned departure time at the starting point S, as the travel time for that section.

[0058] If the last transmission time is the time at the loading / unloading point, the control unit 200 obtains the required time at the loading / unloading point based on the travel plan information 300a. Specifically, since the travel plan information 300a includes the required time at the loading / unloading point set by the operations manager, the control unit 200 obtains the required time included in the travel plan information 300a. Alternatively, the control unit 200 may obtain the difference between the scheduled arrival time and the scheduled departure time at the loading / unloading point, as included in the travel plan information 300a, as the required time at the loading / unloading point. Here, Figure 6B shows the case where the last transmission time is the time at transit point G1. Note that the interpretation of Figure 6B is the same as in Figure 6A. The upper part of Figure 6B also shows the scheduled required time of "30 minutes" at transit point G1. In Figure 6B, there is a "LOST" of at least 30 minutes from the time at transit point G1 in the travel plan. In step S210, in the case of Figure 6B, the control unit 200 refers to the travel plan information 300a and obtains the required time of 30 minutes at waypoint G1.

[0059] If the last transmission time is the time at the departure point, the control unit 200 obtains the required time at the departure point based on the travel plan information 300a. Specifically, since the travel plan information 300a includes the required time at the departure point set by the operations manager, the control unit 200 obtains the required time included in the travel plan information 300a. If the travel plan information 300a includes the scheduled start time of loading and unloading and the scheduled departure time at the departure point, the control unit 200 may obtain the difference between these scheduled start time and scheduled departure time as the required time at the departure point. Here, Figure 6C shows the case where the last transmission time is the time at the departure point S. Note that the interpretation of Figure 6C is the same as in Figure 6A. The upper part of Figure 6C also shows the scheduled required time at the departure point S, "30 minutes". In Figure 6C, there is a "LOST" of at least 30 minutes from the time at the departure point S in the travel plan. In step S210, in the case of Figure 6C, the control unit 200 refers to the travel plan information 300a and obtains the required time of 30 minutes at the starting point S.

[0060] Next, the control unit 200, using the function of the abnormality notification unit 210e, determines whether the difference between the current time T1 acquired in step S200 and the last transmission time T2 acquired in step S205 is greater than the required time T3 acquired in step S210 (step S215). The difference between T1 and T2 corresponds to the time during which the driving record (probe information) of the delivery vehicle is not acquired by the operation management system 100. If the difference between T1 and T2 is greater than T3 (step S215:Y), the control unit 200, using the function of the abnormality notification unit 210e, sets the above-mentioned normality flag to "1", which is a value indicating an abnormality (step S220). The control unit 200 then records (registers) the value of the normality flag in the recording medium 300, associating it with the delay information 300d and the identification information of the delivery vehicle registered in the recording medium 300 in step S7 of Figure 3 (step S120 of Figure 4). Furthermore, if the difference between T1 and T2 is greater than T3, it is assumed that a delay (arrival delay, cargo handling delay, departure delay) has occurred in the processing shown in Figure 4, and that delay information 300d is registered in the recording medium 300. Step S220 corresponds to step S9 in Figure 3.

[0061] Next, the control unit 200, using the function of the abnormality notification unit 210e, notifies the person to be notified that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location of the delivery vehicle (step S225). Specifically, the control unit 200 transmits notification information that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location of the delivery vehicle to the operation manager terminal 50 via the communication unit 400. When the control unit 52 of the operation manager terminal 50 receives this notification information via the communication unit 55, it causes the output unit of the user I / F unit 54 to display that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location of the delivery vehicle based on the notification information. Specifically, the control unit 52, for example, displays a warning mark such as an exclamation mark ("!") on the output unit of the user I / F unit 54. Then, based on the indication of that mark, the control unit 52, via the input unit of the user I / F unit 54, displays detailed information such as "Location information acquisition has not started or continued" for the delivery vehicle in question on the output unit of the user I / F unit 54. In this case, the control unit 52 may also display more detailed information, such as from which point or time the current location could not be acquired.

[0062] The control unit 200 may notify the vehicle terminal 10 in step S225. In this case, the control unit 200 transmits notification information to the vehicle terminal 10 via the communication unit 400 indicating that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location of the delivery vehicle. When the control unit 12 of the vehicle terminal 10 receives this notification information via the communication unit 15, it causes the output unit 20 to display that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location of the delivery vehicle based on the notification information.

[0063] Furthermore, the control unit 200 may issue an abnormality notification in step S225 based on the dispatch manager terminal 50 instructing it to provide identification information for the delivery vehicle, or it may issue an abnormality notification spontaneously if no such instruction is received. In addition, the control unit 200 may issue an abnormality notification in step 225 in conjunction with the delay notification in step S125 in Figure 4, or it may issue an abnormality notification independently of the notification in step S125. Note that step S225 corresponds to step S10 in Figure 3. Steps S200 to S215 correspond to step S6 in Figure 3.

[0064] Refer to Figure 6 to illustrate the timing of the abnormality notification in step S225. Note that "LOST" in Figure 6 indicates that the current location cannot be acquired. As shown in Figure 6A, if "LOST" occurs in the middle of the travel section between the starting point S and the waypoint G1, the abnormality will not be notified until the difference between the current time and the last transmission time exceeds 30 minutes, which is the travel time for that section. The abnormality will be notified after 30 minutes have passed. Figure 6A shows an example where the abnormality is notified during the period for waypoint G1 in the travel plan.

[0065] As shown in Figure 6B, if "LOST" occurs in the middle of the period at waypoint G1, the anomaly will not be notified until the difference between the current time and the last transmission time exceeds 30 minutes, which is the time taken at waypoint G1. The anomaly will be notified after 30 minutes have passed. Figure 6B shows an example where the anomaly is notified during the period for the next travel section after waypoint G1 in the travel plan.

[0066] As shown in Figure 6C, if the message becomes "LOST" from the beginning of the period at the starting point S, the anomaly will not be notified until 30 minutes have passed, which is the time elapsed between the current time and the last transmission time at the starting point S. The anomaly will only be notified after 30 minutes have passed. Figure 6C shows an example where the anomaly is notified near the end of the period at the starting point S.

[0067] On the other hand, if the difference between T1 and T2 in step S215 is not greater than T3 (step S215:N), the control unit 200 terminates the process shown in Figure 5. In this case, the value of the normality flag is maintained at "0", which indicates normality.

[0068] (5) Effects The effects of this embodiment will now be explained. The operation management system 100 of this embodiment notifies the operation manager terminal 50 or the vehicle terminal 10 that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location, based on the current time, the last transmission time, and the required time for the travel section between the planned locations determined based on the travel plan information 300a, or the required time at the planned locations. This makes the operation manager, who is the recipient of the notification using the operation manager terminal 50, or the driver, who is the recipient of the notification using the vehicle terminal 10, aware that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location, and increases the likelihood that the abnormality in acquiring the current location will be resolved. This increases the likelihood that the situation in which the vehicle operation management service cannot be established due to the inability to acquire the current location will be resolved. In addition, the operation management system 100 can notify of the abnormality at a timing corresponding to the required time in the travel plan.

[0069] The operation management system 100 notifies the recipient of an anomaly in acquiring the current location if the last transmission time is within the travel section and the difference between the current time and the last transmission time is greater than the travel time within that section. In this case, the operation management system 100 may notify the recipient of a delay in arriving at the next scheduled destination within that section. Even if a delay in arrival is notified, notifying the recipient of an anomaly in acquiring the current location increases the likelihood that they will recognize the delay in arrival as being caused by an anomaly in acquiring the current location. In other words, it reduces the possibility that the operation manager may mistakenly believe that there is a delay in arrival even though there is no actual delay.

[0070] The operation management system 100 notifies the recipient of an anomaly in acquiring the current location if the last transmission time is the time at the loading / unloading point, and the difference between the current time and the last transmission time is greater than the time required at the loading / unloading point. In this case, the operation management system 100 may notify the recipient of a loading / unloading delay at the loading / unloading point. Even if a loading / unloading delay is notified, notifying the recipient of an anomaly in acquiring the current location increases the likelihood that the recipient will recognize the loading / unloading delay as being caused by an anomaly in acquiring the current location. In other words, it reduces the possibility that the operation manager may mistakenly perceive a loading / unloading delay when there is no actual delay.

[0071] The operation management system 100 notifies the recipient of an anomaly in acquiring the current location if the last transmission time is the time at the departure point, and the difference between the current time and the last transmission time is greater than the time required at the departure point. In this case, the operation management system 100 may notify the recipient of a departure delay from the departure point. Even if a departure delay is notified, notifying the recipient of an anomaly in acquiring the current location increases the likelihood that the recipient will recognize the departure delay as being caused by an anomaly in acquiring the current location. In other words, it reduces the possibility that the operation manager may mistakenly believe that there is a departure delay when there is no actual delay.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the operation management system 100 notifies of an abnormality in acquiring the current location when the difference between the current time and the last transmission time is greater than the required time in the travel plan. In this way, by waiting for the required time in the travel plan to elapse before notifying of the abnormality, it is possible to reduce the frequency of notifications of abnormalities in acquiring the current location. Even if an abnormality occurs in acquiring the current location, if the abnormality is resolved before the required time in the travel plan has elapsed, services such as delay notifications can be continued without issuing an abnormality notification.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the operation management system 100 obtains the required time for the travel plan, which is compared with the difference between the current time and the last transmission time. This includes the required time from the scheduled start time of the travel section (scheduled departure time from the scheduled point), the required time from the scheduled start time at the loading / unloading point (scheduled arrival time at the loading / unloading point), or the required time from the scheduled start time at the departure point. This makes it easy to obtain the required time.

[0074] (6) Other embodiments: The above embodiments are just examples of how to implement the present invention, and various other embodiments can be adopted. For example, the above embodiments assume that the driving record information 300b includes the last transmission time, or in other words, that it includes at least one probe information. However, the delivery vehicle may be located indoors at the departure point. In this case, the GNSS receiver 16 of the vehicle terminal 10 may not be able to receive radio waves from the navigation satellite, and the operation management system 100 may not be able to acquire probe information for the delivery vehicle at the departure point even once. On the other hand, even indoors, wireless communication may be possible between the operation management system 100 and the vehicle terminal 10. In such cases, after the delivery vehicle has departed the departure point, it may be possible to acquire the current location, and the operation management service may be established. Assuming the above situation, the operation management system 100 may consider the time during which communication between the operation management system 100 and the vehicle terminal 10 is impossible as the time during which driving record (probe information) is not acquired, and may notify that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location based on the time during which communication is impossible.

[0075] Specifically, the control unit 200 may, for example, execute the normality determination process shown in Figure 7 when the delivery vehicle is located at the departure point. If probe information of the delivery vehicle can be obtained at the departure point, the control unit 200 may execute the process in Figure 5 instead of the process in Figure 7, or it may execute the process in Figure 7 instead of the process in Figure 5 regardless of whether probe information is obtained or not. Note that the process in Figure 7 is implemented by the function of the abnormality notification unit 210e. The process in Figure 7 is executed repeatedly at regular intervals. The process in Figure 7 is executed for each delivery vehicle. Furthermore, as a prerequisite for the process in Figure 7, the departure point is indoors, and within that indoors, the control unit 200 of the operation management system 100 communicates wirelessly with the vehicle terminal 10 via the communication unit 400 at regular intervals. The control unit 200 then records the history of the communication time with the vehicle terminal 10 in the recording medium 300.

[0076] When the process shown in Figure 7 begins, the control unit 200 acquires the communication downtime T4 with the vehicle terminal 10 (step S300). Specifically, the control unit 200 acquires the current time and the last communication time in the history of communication times with the vehicle terminal 10 recorded on the recording medium 300. Then, it acquires the difference between the current time and the last communication time as the communication downtime T4. Note that if communication between the operation management system 100 and the vehicle terminal 10 is impossible from the beginning, the history of communication times with the vehicle terminal 10 is not recorded on the recording medium 300. In this case, the control unit 200 acquires the current time and the scheduled start time of cargo handling at the departure point. Then, the control unit 200 acquires the difference between the current time and the scheduled start time of cargo handling as the communication downtime T4.

[0077] Next, the control unit 200 obtains the required time T3 in the travel plan, similar to step S210 in Figure 5 (step S305). Here, the control unit 200 obtains the required time at the starting point. Then, the control unit 200 determines whether the communication downtime T4 is greater than the required time T3 (step S310). If the communication downtime T4 is greater than the required time T3 (step S310:Y), the control unit 200 sets the value of the normality flag to "1", which indicates an abnormality (step S315). The control unit 200 notifies the person to be notified that there is an abnormality in obtaining the current location (step S320). Step S315 is the same as step S220 in Figure 5. Step S320 is the same as step S225 in Figure 5. On the other hand, if the communication downtime T4 is not greater than the required time T3 in step S310 (step S310:N), the control unit 200 terminates the process in Figure 7.

[0078] If the operation management system 100 and the vehicle terminal 10 are unable to communicate, the operation management system 100 cannot acquire the delivery vehicle's travel history, even if the delivery vehicle is located outdoors. In other words, the communication failure time T4 corresponds to the time during which the operation management system 100 cannot acquire the delivery vehicle's travel history. As a result, even if the GNSS receiver 16 of the vehicle terminal 10 is located indoors and cannot receive radio waves from navigation satellites, the operation management system 100 can still issue an anomaly notification. Furthermore, since the operation management system 100 waits for the communication failure time T4 to increase compared to the required time T3 before issuing an anomaly notification, the frequency of anomaly notifications can be reduced.

[0079] In step S210 of Figure 5, the control unit 200 obtained the time required from the scheduled start time at the travel section, loading / unloading point, or departure point. However, it is not limited to this, and the control unit 200 may also obtain an estimated time required from the last transmission time in step S210. Specifically, if the last transmission time is the time of the travel section, the control unit 200 obtains the travel point associated with the last transmission time (hereinafter referred to as the last acquired point) based on the travel performance information 300b. The control unit 200 calculates the remaining distance from the last acquired point to the next scheduled point based on the route of the travel section included in the travel plan information 300a and the map information 300c. The control unit 200 obtains an estimated time required from the last transmission time by multiplying the time required for the travel section by the remaining distance / (total distance of the travel section). Alternatively, if the last transmission time is the time of the travel section, the control unit 200 obtains the scheduled arrival time at the next scheduled point based on the travel plan information 300a. The control unit 200 may also obtain the difference between the scheduled arrival time and the last transmission time as the travel time for the section of the journey.

[0080] Furthermore, in step S210, if the last transmission time is at the loading / unloading point or departure point, the control unit 200 obtains the scheduled departure time at the loading / unloading point or departure point based on the travel plan information 300a. The control unit 200 may then obtain the difference between the last transmission time and the scheduled departure time as the estimated required time from the last transmission time.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the operation management system 100 acquired initial operation plan information planned by the operation manager as operation plan information 300a. However, it is not limited to this, and the control unit 200 may acquire actual traffic information such as congestion information while the delivery vehicle is in operation, and based on that traffic information, modify the planned route, planned times for planned locations (planned arrival time, planned departure time), or required time for the travel section in the initial operation plan information 300a. The control unit 200 may make the modification itself, or other devices such as the vehicle terminal 10 or the operation manager terminal 50 may make the modification, and the control unit 200 may acquire the modified operation plan information from the other devices. Based on the modified operation plan information, the control unit 200 may make a delay determination and notify an abnormality.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the vehicle terminal 10 obtained a transmission time associated with the current location of the delivery vehicle and transmitted probe information including the current location and transmission time to the operation management system 100. However, it is not limited to this, and for example, it may be as follows: The vehicle terminal 10 transmits probe information to the operation management system 100 that includes the current location of the delivery vehicle but does not include the transmission time. When the control unit 200 receives such probe information, it obtains the reception time as the transmission time when the vehicle terminal 10 transmitted the probe information.

[0083] Furthermore, the transmission time included in the probe information may be the time when the vehicle terminal 10 acquires the current location of the delivery vehicle, or the time when the vehicle terminal 10 transmits the probe information.

[0084] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the operation management system 100 sends delay notifications and abnormality notifications to the operation manager terminal 50. However, the operation management system 100 is not limited to this, and may also send delay notifications or abnormality notifications to terminals used by shippers.

[0085] Furthermore, the abnormality notification in step S225 of Figure 5 or step S320 of Figure 7 may be output to the operation management screen generated by the operation management program (not shown) included in the operation manager terminal 50, or it may be output to the email screen of a general-purpose mailer (email software).

[0086] Each system constituting the above-described embodiment may consist of fewer devices that share functions. An example of this is the case in which at least one system shown in Figure 1 is composed of the same device as one or more other systems. For example, the operation management system 100 and the operation manager terminal 50 may be composed of a single device. Furthermore, the system shown in Figure 1 may consist of more systems. For example, the operation management system 100 may be composed of a cloud server.

[0087] Furthermore, at least some of the components of the operation management system 100 (the driving plan acquisition unit 210a, the driving performance acquisition unit 210b, the delay determination unit 210c, the delay notification unit 210d, and the abnormality notification unit 210e) may be divided among multiple devices. For example, the driving plan acquisition unit 210a, the driving performance acquisition unit 210b, the delay determination unit 210c, etc., may be executed on the vehicle terminal 10 or the operation manager terminal 50. In addition, configurations in which some of the components of the above embodiment are omitted, or in which processing is varied or omitted, are also conceivable.

[0088] The driving plan acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire a driving plan that includes planned locations and the planned times associated with those locations. In other words, the points that the vehicle should reach and the times associated with those locations are defined in advance as a driving plan, and the driving plan acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire that driving plan. Planned locations include the starting point of the vehicle's journey, i.e., the departure point. If there is one location to be reached after departure, then a total of two locations will be planned locations. If there are N locations to be reached after departure (where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2), then a total of N+1 locations will be planned locations.

[0089] The planned locations, including the departure point, may be locations where cargo handling takes place, as in the embodiments described above, or they may be locations for other purposes. For example, in the case of personnel transport, the locations where personnel board and disembark may be the planned locations, and in the case of a visit to a destination, the destination may be the planned location. Furthermore, the range considered to be the same planned location may be defined according to the nature of the plan. For example, when cargo handling takes place at multiple locations within a large base, each of the multiple locations may be designated as a planned location, or a representative location indicating the base may be designated as a planned location, and various configurations can be adopted.

[0090] The driving record acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire driving records that include the vehicle's current location and the time of transmission of the current location. For example, various timings are possible for acquiring the current location, such as at regular intervals, at regular distances, when the vehicle decelerates, when the vehicle stops, or when a predetermined operation is performed on the vehicle.

[0091] The delay detection unit only needs to be able to obtain the reason for the delay based on the actual travel time and the travel plan if a delay occurs in relation to the travel plan. That is, the actual travel time is information that associates the travel time with the travel points the vehicle has traveled, and the travel plan is information that associates the scheduled time with the scheduled destination. Therefore, by comparing the two, it is possible to identify at what stage of the travel plan the delay occurred, or at what stage it is estimated that the delay will occur. Thus, the reason for the delay can be obtained. Various reasons can be assumed for the delay, and it may be for reasons other than late arrival, late loading / unloading, or late departure. For example, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which, if a delay occurs when the vehicle is off the road and not at the scheduled destination, the reason for the delay is determined to be an excessive rest period.

[0092] The delay notification unit only needs to be able to output delay information such as the reason for the delay. The output destination is not limited to an external device (the operations manager operating the device), as in the embodiment described above, but may also be an output unit (such as a display or speaker) provided by the operations management system.

[0093] The abnormality notification unit only needs to be able to notify the recipient that there is an abnormality in acquiring the current location, based on the current time, the last transmission time, and the estimated travel time in the travel plan. The recipient of the notification is not limited to an external device (a dispatch manager, shipper, or driver operating the device), as in the embodiment described above, but may also be an output unit (such as a display or speaker) provided by the operation management system.

[0094] Furthermore, the methods disclosed herein are also applicable as programs and methods. Moreover, such systems, programs, and methods may be implemented as standalone devices or by utilizing shared components with various parts of a vehicle, encompassing a variety of embodiments. For example, it is possible to provide methods and programs implemented using such systems. Furthermore, they can be modified as appropriate, such as being partly software and partly hardware. The invention also functions as a recording medium for a program that controls a device. Of course, the recording medium for the software may be a magnetic recording medium, a semiconductor memory, or any recording medium developed in the future; the same principle applies. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] 10...Vehicle terminal, 12...Control unit, 15...Communication unit, 16...GNSS receiver, 17...Vehicle speed sensor, 18...Gyro sensor, 19...Time acquisition unit, 20...Output unit, 50...Operation manager terminal, 52...Control unit, 54...User I / F unit, 55...Communication unit, 100...Operation management system, 200...Control unit, 210...Operation management program, 210a...Driving plan acquisition unit, 210b...Driving record acquisition unit, 210c...Delay determination unit, 210d...Delay notification unit, 210e...Anomaly notification unit, 300...Recording medium, 300a...Driving plan information, 300b...Driving record information, 300c...Map information, 300d...Delay information, 400...Communication unit

Claims

1. A driving plan acquisition unit acquires a driving plan that includes the planned location of the vehicle and the planned time associated with the said planned location, A driving record acquisition unit acquires driving records including the current location of the vehicle and the transmission time of the current location. An abnormality notification unit notifies the recipient that an abnormality has occurred in acquiring the current location, based on the current time, the last transmission time which is the last transmission time acquired by the driving record acquisition unit, and the time required for the driving section between the planned locations or the time required at the planned locations, which is determined based on the driving plan. A traffic management system equipped with the following features.

2. The system includes a delay determination unit that determines the delay in arrival at the scheduled destination based on the aforementioned travel plan and the aforementioned travel record. The operation management system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality notification unit notifies of the abnormality when the last transmission time is a time in the driving section and the difference between the current time and the last transmission time is greater than the required time in the driving section.

3. The aforementioned planned locations include the loading / unloading site, where loading and unloading takes place. The system includes a delay determination unit that determines a delay in cargo handling at the cargo handling point based on the aforementioned travel plan and the aforementioned travel record. The operation management system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality notification unit notifies of the abnormality when the last transmission time is the time at the loading / unloading point, and the difference between the current time and the last transmission time is greater than the time required at the loading / unloading point.

4. The aforementioned planned locations include the departure point. The system includes a delay determination unit that determines the departure delay from the departure point based on the aforementioned travel plan and the aforementioned travel record. The aforementioned abnormality notification unit, If the aforementioned last transmission time is the time at the departure point, and the difference between the current time and the aforementioned last transmission time is greater than the aforementioned time required at the departure point, The operation management system according to claim 1, which notifies of the abnormality in at least one of the following cases: when the time during which the aforementioned driving record is not acquired is longer than the aforementioned time required at the departure point.

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