Commuting route determination system

Abstract

This system provides a suitable commute route determination system for assessing the appropriateness of a route. [Solution] The commuter expense calculation server 100 acquires first route information regarding the commute route used by an employee to travel between the nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace, which has been approved as conforming to the regulations' criteria. Based on the acquired first route information and the payment regulations information regarding the regulations' criteria, it acquires second route information regarding the route between the nearest station to the employee's home and the nearest station to their workplace that conforms to the regulations' criteria. Based on the acquired first and second route information, it determines whether the route to be judged conforms to the regulations' criteria. This makes it possible to determine whether the route to be judged conforms to the regulations' criteria.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for determining the suitability of a commuting route, and particularly relates to a commuting route determination system suitable for grasping the suitability of a route. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, as a technique for calculating the payment amount of commuting allowance based on a commuting route, for example, the technique described in Patent Document 1 is known.

[0003] The technique described in Patent Document 1 calculates the payment amount of commuting allowance based on the approved commuting route when approval is obtained for the commuting route applied by an employee (

[0106] to

[0129] ,

[0148] to

[0189] ).

[0004] Further, as a technique for determining the suitability of a commuting route, for example, the technique described in Patent Document 2 is known.

[0005] The technique described in Patent Document 2 performs route search based on search conditions to generate one or more pieces of route information, determines whether each route conforms to commuting allowance regulations, and approves commuting allowance based on the searched route information and determination results (see

[0035] to

[0041] of the same document). [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 7580099 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-49076 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0007] When the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are combined, an employee can search for and apply for one or more routes between their nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace that conform to the commuting expense reimbursement regulations. Once the route applied for by the employee is approved, commuting expenses are reimbursed based on the approved route. However, in this configuration, even if a route conforms to the commuting expense reimbursement regulations at the time of application, it may later become unsuitable due to fare revisions, etc.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the unresolved problems of the conventional technology, and aims to provide a commute route determination system suitable for determining the appropriateness of a route. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] [Invention 1] To achieve the above objective, the commute route determination system of Invention 1 comprises: a first route information acquisition means for acquiring first route information relating to a route used by an employee for travel between the nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace, which has been determined or approved to conform to route conformity criteria; a second route information acquisition means for acquiring second route information relating to a route between the nearest station to the employee's home and the nearest station to their workplace that conforms to the said route conformity criteria, based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquisition means and the criteria information relating to the route conformity criteria; and a conformity determination means for determining whether the route relating to the first route information conforms to the route conformity criteria, based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquisition means and the second route information acquired by the second route information acquisition means.

[0010] In this configuration, the first route information acquisition means acquires the first route information, and the second route information acquisition means acquires the second route information based on the acquired first route information and standard information. Then, the conformity determination means determines, based on the acquired first route information and second route information, whether or not the route related to the first route information conforms to the route conformity criteria.

[0011] Here, route information includes, for example, route information related to routes using public transportation. The same applies hereafter to the commute route determination system of Invention 2.

[0012] Furthermore, the term "station" in "nearest station" refers to a place used for passenger boarding and alighting or cargo loading and unloading, and includes, for example, railway stations and bus stops. The same applies hereafter to the commute route determination system of Invention 2.

[0013] Furthermore, route suitability criteria include, for example, payment regulations and other criteria regarding the payment of commuting expenses. The same applies hereafter to the commuting route determination system of Invention 2.

[0014] Furthermore, the first route information acquisition means and the second route information acquisition means may, for example, input route information from an input device, acquire or receive route information from an external terminal, read route information from a storage device or storage medium, or generate or calculate route information through information processing. Therefore, acquisition includes at least input, acquisition, reception, reading (including retrieval), generation, and calculation. The concept of acquisition is the same hereafter.

[0015] Furthermore, this system may be implemented as a single device, apparatus, terminal, or other device, or as a network system in which multiple devices, apparatus, terminals, or other devices are connected in a communicative manner. In the latter case, each component may belong to any of the multiple devices, as long as they are connected in a communicative manner. The same applies hereafter to the commute route determination system of Invention 2.

[0016] [Invention 2] Furthermore, the commute route determination system of Invention 2 includes: a first route information acquisition means for acquiring first route information relating to a route used by an employee to travel between the nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace, which has been determined or approved to conform to route conformity criteria; a second route information acquisition means for acquiring second route information relating to the route between the nearest station to the employee's home and the nearest station to their workplace, based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquisition means; and a conformity determination means for determining whether the route relating to the first route information conforms to the route conformity criteria, based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquisition means, the second route information acquired by the second route information acquisition means, and standard information relating to route conformity criteria.

[0017] In this configuration, the first route information acquisition means acquires the first route information, and the second route information acquisition means acquires the second route information based on the acquired first route information. Then, the conformity determination means determines whether the route related to the first route information conforms to the route conformity criteria based on the acquired first route information, second route information, and standard information.

[0018] [Invention 3] Furthermore, the commute route determination system of Invention 3 is a commute route determination system of Invention 1 and 2, which includes a revision determination means for determining whether or not there has been a revision of the fare or timetable for the route related to the first route information, and the conformity determination means makes a determination based on the determination result of the revision determination means.

[0019] In this configuration, the revision determination means determines whether or not there has been a revision to the fare or timetable for the route related to the first route information, and the conformity determination means makes a determination based on the result of that determination.

[0020] [Invention 4] Furthermore, the commute route determination system of Invention 4 is a commute route determination system of Invention 1 and 2, further comprising a filtering condition acquisition means for acquiring information relating to a company, workplace, employee, station, route, transportation company, or rules for the payment of commuter transportation expenses as filtering conditions, wherein the first route information acquisition means acquires first route information corresponding to the filtering conditions acquired by the filtering condition acquisition means from a storage means that stores first route information relating to a route used by an employee to travel between the nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace, which has been determined or approved to conform to the route suitability criteria, in association with information relating to the company to which the employee belongs, the workplace, the employee, the nearest station to their home or the nearest station to their workplace, the route used on the route, the transportation company that operates the route, or the rules for the payment of commuter transportation expenses applicable to the employee or the route.

[0021] In this configuration, the filtering condition acquisition means acquires the filtering conditions, and the first route information acquisition means acquires the first route information corresponding to the acquired filtering conditions from the storage means.

[0022] Here, storing the first path information in association with information about employees, etc. (referred to as "other information" in this paragraph) includes, for example, (1) storing the first path information and other information in a direct association, such as registering them in the same record, and (2) storing them through one or more pieces of information in between, such as having a table to store the first path information and intermediate information in association, and another table to store the other information and intermediate information in association. In other words, any data structure can be adopted as long as the first path information can be traced from the other information. Note that the first path information only needs to be stored in a storage means in association with the other information, and it is not necessarily required that the other information be stored in the storage means. The same applies to the concept of storing information in association below.

[0023] Further, the storage means stores the first route information by any means at any time, may store the first route information in advance, or may store the first route information by an external input or the like during operation of the present system without storing the first route information in advance.

[0024] [Invention 5] Further, the commuting route determination system according to Invention 5 is the commuting route determination system according to any one of Inventions 1 and 2, comprising notification means for issuing a notification when the conformity determination means determines that there is no conformity.

[0025] With such a configuration, the notification means issues a notification when the conformity determination means determines that there is no conformity.

[0026] Here, the notification means may have any configuration as long as it can issue a notification, and for example, a notification method such as email transmission or communication can be adopted. In addition, notification can also be performed by a notification method perceivable via the so-called five senses: vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch. As this notification method, for example, light emission, display, printing, sound generation, audio output, vibration, heat generation or the like can be adopted.

[0027] [Invention 6] Further, the commuting route determination system according to Invention 6 is the commuting route determination system according to any one of Inventions 1 and 2, wherein the route conformity criterion related to the reference information is the route conformity criterion related to the first route information.

[0028] With such a configuration, the conformity determination means determines whether or not the route related to the first route information conforms to the route conformity criterion related to the first route information.

[0029] [Invention 7] Further, the commuting route determination system according to Invention 7 is the commuting route determination system according to any one of Inventions 1 and 2, comprising criterion change determination means for determining whether or not there has been a change to the route conformity criterion related to the first route information, wherein the route conformity criterion related to the reference information is the route conformity criterion related to the change, and the conformity determination means performs determination based on the determination result of the criterion change determination means.

[0030] In this configuration, the criteria change determination means determines whether or not there has been a change in the route conformity criteria related to the first route information, and the conformity determination means makes a determination based on the result of that determination. The conformity determination means then determines whether or not the route related to the first route information conforms to the changed route conformity criteria. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] As explained above, the commute route determination system of Invention 1 or 2 makes it possible to determine whether the determined or approved route conforms to the route suitability criteria.

[0032] Furthermore, according to the commute route determination system of Invention 3, when there is a revision of fares or timetables, it is possible to determine whether the determined or approved route conforms to the route suitability criteria.

[0033] Furthermore, according to the commute route determination system of Invention 4, it is possible to determine whether a route that has been determined or approved meets the route suitability criteria, based on the routes narrowed down by the filtering conditions. In addition, the processing load can be reduced compared to when all routes are considered.

[0034] Furthermore, according to the commute route determination system of Invention 5, it is possible to determine that a determined or approved route does not conform to the route suitability criteria.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the commute route determination system of Invention 6, it is possible to determine whether the determined or approved route conforms to the route suitability criteria related to the route information.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the commute route determination system of Invention 7, if there is a change in the route suitability criteria, it is possible to determine whether the determined or approved route conforms to the changed route suitability criteria. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0037] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the network system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the hardware configuration of the commuter expense calculation server 100. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the data structures of the company master table 400, workplace master table 402, employee information master table 404, employee route information table 406, and employee payment information table 408. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the data structures of the employee-specific daily payment information table 410, department information table 412, system environment information table 414, batch job definition information table 416, and task scheduler information table 418. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the data structure of the fare information table 420 and the payment regulations information table 422. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the process for submitting a new route information request. [Figure 7] This is a diagram of the commute route application screen 510. [Figure 8] This is a diagram of the commute route application screen 520. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the process for re-evaluating the suitability of a commute route. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0038] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Figures 1 to 9 show these embodiments. In this embodiment, "employee" refers to full-time employees, part-time employees, and other workers.

[0039] 〔composition〕 First, the configuration of this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the network system according to this embodiment.

[0040] As shown in Figure 1, the Internet 199 is connected to a commuter expense calculation server 100 that calculates commuter expenses and the amount of commuter expense payments, a batch server 120 that performs update processing of various basic data for calculating the amount of commuter expense payments, a database server 130 that manages various table information used by the commuter expense calculation server 100 and the batch server 120, a route search server 140 that searches for routes in response to requests, and employee terminals 200 used by employees of companies that use the commuter expense calculation server 100.

[0041] [Commuting expense calculation server 100] Next, we will explain the configuration of the commuter expense calculation server 100.

[0042] Figure 2 shows the hardware configuration of the commuter expense calculation server 100. As shown in Figure 2, the commuter expense calculation server 100 consists of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 30 that controls calculations and the entire system based on a control program, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32 that stores the control program for the CPU 30 in a predetermined area, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 34 for storing data read from the ROM 32 and other memory, as well as calculation results necessary for the calculation process of the CPU 30, and an I / F (Interface) 38 that mediates data input and output to external devices. These components are connected to each other and enable data exchange via a bus 39, which is a signal line for data transfer.

[0043] I / F38 is connected to an external device, which includes an input device 40 consisting of a keyboard and mouse that can input data as a human interface, a storage device 42 that stores data and tables as files, a display device 44 that displays a screen based on an image signal, and a signal line for connecting to the Internet 199.

[0044] [Database Server 130] Next, we will describe the configuration of database server 130. The database server 130 has the same hardware configuration as the commuter expense calculation server 100.

[0045] Figures 3(a) to 3(e) show the data structures of the company master table 400, workplace master table 402, employee information master table 404, employee route information table 406, and employee payment information table 408.

[0046] As shown in Figures 3(a) to (e), the storage device of the database server 130 stores the following: a company master table 400 for registering company information, a workplace master table 402 for registering workplace information for each company, an employee information master table 404 for registering employee information, an employee route information table 406 for registering information on each employee's commute route, and an employee payment information table 408 for registering information on the payment of commute transportation expenses for each employee.

[0047] As shown in Figure 3(a), the company master table 400 contains one record for each company ID and effective start date. Each record contains key information, including company ID, company name, application control category, employee group category information, effective start date, effective end date, last update date, last updater, and other information.

[0048] Here, the company ID is information used to identify a company, and consists of a unique number for each company (for example, numbers only, or a combination of letters and numbers). The application control category is information that sets whether or not an application from an employee will be accepted, and the employee group category information is information that indicates the classification of the employee group receiving benefits, other employee groups, such as job type, office, and department.

[0049] As shown in Figure 3(b), the workplace master table 402 contains one record for each company ID, workplace ID, and effective start date. Each record contains key information including company ID, workplace ID, workplace name, workplace address, calendar ID, start time, end time, fuel unit price type ID, map information, effective start date, effective end date, last updated date, last updated person, and other information.

[0050] Here, the Workplace ID is information used to identify the workplace, and consists of a unique number for each workplace (e.g., numbers only, or a combination of letters and numbers). The Calendar ID is information used to identify the calendar set by each company, which shows the working days and holidays of the workplace, and consists of a unique number for each type of calendar (e.g., numbers only, or a combination of letters and numbers). The Fuel Price Type ID is information used to identify the fuel price type set by each company, and consists of a unique number for each price type (e.g., numbers only, or a combination of letters and numbers). Fuel price types include price types for each type of fuel, such as gasoline (regular), gasoline (premium), and diesel (diesel fuel), as well as price types for each type of eco-vehicle, such as EV (electric vehicle), PHV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle), and FCV (fuel cell vehicle). The map information includes the location information of the workplace and the nearest station information.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3(c), the employee information master table 404 contains one record for each company ID, employee ID, and effective start date. Each record contains key information including company ID, employee ID, employee name, employee name (in katakana), employee's home postal code, employee's home address, telephone number, email address, workplace ID, workplace name, department ID, department name, employee category, payment rule ID, password, authority level, map information, effective start date, effective end date, last updated date, last updated person, and other information.

[0052] Here, the Department ID is information used to identify the department to which an employee belongs, and consists of a unique number for each department (for example, numbers only, or a combination of letters and numbers). The Employee Classification is information that distinguishes between full-time employees, part-time employees, etc., and the Authority Level is information that indicates one of the following: HR authority, superior authority, or employee authority. HR authority is the authority to use all functions related to commuting expense operations in this system, superior authority is the authority to only apply for commuting routes and approve application contents, and employee authority is the authority to only apply for commuting routes. In addition, the map information includes the location information of the employee's home and the nearest station information.

[0053] An employee may belong to multiple workplaces. For example, they might commute to workplace A in the first half of the month and to workplace B in the latter half. Therefore, the employee information master table 404 can register one or more workplace IDs and workplace names for each employee.

[0054] As shown in Figure 3(d), the employee route information table 406 contains one record for each company ID, employee ID, and route ID. Each record contains key information including company ID, employee ID, vehicle ID, route direction type, nearest station to employee's home, workplace ID, workplace name, nearest station to workplace, route ID, commute route, route usage period, 1-month pass fare, 3-month pass fare, 6-month pass fare, 12-month pass fare, one-way fare, one-way distance, one-way time, number of transfers, route reference date, application start date, application end date, last update date, last updater, and other information.

[0055] Here, the route direction type is information indicating the direction of use of the commute route, and can be for the outbound, return, or round trip. The route ID is information for identifying the commute route, and consists of a unique number for each commute route (for example, numbers only, a combination of letters and numbers). The commute route is the route from home to work. For example, if the mode of transportation is train, it would be "home → walking → nearest station (home) → intermediate station → nearest station (workplace) → walking → workplace," and if the mode of transportation is car, it would be "home → car → workplace." The 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month pass fares are the amounts of commuter transportation expenses for 1, 3, 6, and 12 months for the set mode of transportation and route direction type, and the route reference date is the reference date on which the commute route becomes valid.

[0056] If the destination or arrival point of a commuter route is the employee's workplace, the employee-specific route information table 406 registers the workplace ID and workplace name related to that destination or arrival point, associating them with the commuter route. Furthermore, as mentioned above, one employee may belong to multiple workplaces, so the employee-specific route information table 406 can register one or more route information for each employee. When registering route information for multiple workplaces, the employee-specific route information table 406 registers the workplace IDs and workplace names for multiple workplaces for each employee.

[0057] As shown in Figure 3(e), the employee payment information table 408 has one record registered for each company ID, employee ID, route ID, and payment ID. Each record contains key information including company ID, employee ID, route ID, payment ID, start date, end date, payment date, payment method, payment period, number of months covered, payment / deduction amount, employee contribution amount, type, period, remarks, cancellation date, payment details, number of regular months, number of regular tickets, payment amount, total payment amount, total employee contribution amount, and other information.

[0058] Here, the payment ID is information used to identify payment information, and consists of a unique number for each payment information (for example, numbers only, a combination of letters and numbers). The payment method is information indicating the payment method for commuting expenses, such as inclusion in salary, bank transfer, or payment in kind (cash). The number of months covered and the regular number of months can be 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months. The payment details indicate whether or not it is subject to continuous payment, whether or not it is subject to a fixed payment cycle, and whether or not it is subject to fare revision processing.

[0059] Figures 4(a) to 4(e) show the data structures of the employee-specific daily payment information table 410, department information table 412, system environment information table 414, batch job definition information table 416, and task scheduler information table 418.

[0060] As shown in Figures 4(a) to (e), the storage device of the database server 130 stores an employee-specific daily payment information table 410, which stores information on the payment of daily commuting expenses for each employee, and a department information table 412, which stores information on approvers and proxy applicants for each department. It also stores a system environment information table 414, which stores system environment information such as the IP address of the batch server 120, a batch job definition information table 416, which stores batch job definition information including information on the physical file name of the batch processing program, and a task scheduler information table 418, which stores information for executing tasks registered in the task scheduler.

[0061] As shown in Figure 4(a), the employee-specific daily payment information table 410 has one record registered for each company ID, employee ID, route ID, and daily payment ID. Each record contains key information including company ID, employee ID, route ID, daily payment ID, start date, end date, payment date, payment method, period covered by daily payment, number of days covered, direction of use (outbound / return / round trip), payment details, payment amount, total payment amount, and other information.

[0062] Here, the daily ID is information used to identify the daily expense information, and consists of a unique number for each daily expense information (for example, numbers only, a combination of letters and numbers). The daily payment period is information indicating the period for which commuting expenses are calculated on a daily basis, the number of days for which commuting expenses are paid on a daily basis within the daily payment period, and the direction of use type is information indicating the direction of use of the commuting route used during the daily payment period, and can be outbound, inbound, or round trip information. The payment details are information indicating whether or not the fare revision process is applicable.

[0063] As shown in Figure 4(b), the department information table 412 contains one record for each company and each department. Each record contains key information including company ID, department ID, approver ID, proxy applicant ID, effective start date, effective end date, last updated date, last updated person, and other information.

[0064] Here, the approver ID is the employee ID of an employee with supervisory authority who has the authority to approve commute route applications for employees belonging to the department corresponding to the department ID, and the proxy applicant ID is the employee ID of an employee who has the authority to submit commute route applications on behalf of other employees belonging to the same department.

[0065] As shown in Figure 4(c), the system environment information table 414 registers key information including the batch server IP address, batch server user ID, batch server user ID, password, service URL, packet name, actual cost packet name, and other information.

[0066] Here, the batch server user ID is information used to identify the user accessing batch server 120, and consists of a unique number for each user (e.g., only numbers, a combination of letters and numbers). The packet name is the packet name used to create the basic data for payroll linkage, and the actual cost packet name is the packet name used for actual cost processing.

[0067] As shown in Figure 4(d), the batch job definition information table 416 contains key information including tenant number, batch processing ID, batch name, batch path, batch physical file name, and other information.

[0068] Here, the tenant number is the number of the tenant executing batch processing, such as the creation of basic payroll data. The batch processing ID is information used to identify the type of batch processing, and consists of a unique number for each batch processing type (e.g., numbers only, a combination of letters and numbers). The batch path is the physical path (on the batch server 120 side) where the batch processing program is stored, and the batch processing physical file name is the physical file name of the batch processing program.

[0069] As shown in Figure 4(e), the task scheduler information table 418 contains one record for each tenant number, batch processing ID, and task ID. Each record contains key information including tenant number, batch processing ID, batch processing path, parameter information, task ID, status, execution flag, and other information.

[0070] Here, the batch processing path is information indicating the physical file name (full path) of the batch processing main program that oversees the batch processing, and the parameter information is the parameter information to be read by the batch processing. For example, in the case of a batch processing that creates basic data for payroll linkage (hereinafter referred to as "payroll linkage batch processing"), it is information for identifying payment information in which the amount of commuting expenses paid has changed, and includes information such as the company ID, employee ID, payment ID (and daily payment ID in the case of daily payment information).

[0071] Figures 5(a) to 5(c) show the data structures of the fare information table 420 and the payment regulations information table 422.

[0072] As shown in Figures 5(a) to (c), the storage device of the database server 130 stores a fare information table 420 for registering fare information related to fares for transportation services such as trains and buses, and a payment regulations information table 422 for registering payment regulations information related to the payment of commuting expenses.

[0073] As shown in Figure 5(a), the fare information table 420 has one record registered for each fare ID. Each record contains key information including the fare ID, section information (e.g., station numbers for departure and arrival stations), fare type (e.g., 1-month pass fare, 3-month pass fare, 6-month pass fare, 12-month pass fare, one-way fare), fare, fare revision date, last update date, last updater, and other information. When a fare is revised, records with different revision dates are registered for the same section. In this case, the fare associated with the record with the older revision date can be identified as the pre-revision fare (hereinafter referred to as the "pre-revision fare"), and the fare associated with the record with the newer revision date can be identified as the revised fare (hereinafter referred to as the "post-revision fare"). The revision date of a record is the effective date of the fare. The period from the older revision date to the day before the new revision date for both records is the effective period of the pre-revision fare, and the period from the revision date of the new record onward is the effective period of the post-revision fare. Similarly, for past revisions, the pre-revision fare, post-revision fare, effective date, and effective period of the fare can be identified from the fare and revision date in the record.

[0074] Employee commuting expenses can be calculated by accumulating the fares related to the commuting route based on the route information in employee-specific route information table 406 and the fare information in fare information table 420.

[0075] Furthermore, when commuting expenses are paid on a daily basis, an employee's commuting expenses can be calculated by accumulating the fares related to the commuting route based on the route information in employee-specific route information table 406, the daily payment information in employee-specific daily payment information table 410, and the fare information in fare information table 420. When calculating commuting expenses, for each commuting route, the fare for the applicable date or period corresponding to the day or period of use is applied to calculate the commuting expenses for the day or period of use using that commuting route.

[0076] As shown in Figure 5(b), the payment regulations information table 422 has one record registered for each company ID. Each record contains key information including the company ID, the criteria for determining the regulations, and other information.

[0077] Here, the criteria for determining the suitability of a commuting route are set by each company in accordance with its own commuting expense reimbursement regulations. As criteria for determining the suitability of a commuting route in accordance with the commuting expense reimbursement regulations, for example, the following can be set: (1) the route with the shortest travel time, (2) the route with the fewest transfers, (3) the route with the cheapest one-way fare, (4) the route with the cheapest one-month pass fare, (5) the route with the cheapest three-month pass fare, or (6) the route with the cheapest six-month pass fare. In addition, it can be set to (1) apply IC fares (fares applicable when using IC card tickets), or (2) apply regular fares instead of IC fares.

[0078] Although not shown in the diagram, the storage device of the database server 130 also stores tables other than tables 400 to 422, such as tables containing various definition data for calculating commuting expenses, and tables containing various basic data for linking commuting expenses with salary. Specifically, the basic data tables include a salary basic data table, a tax basic data table, a social insurance basic data table, and an employment insurance basic data table.

[0079] Here, the basic salary data is the amount of commuting allowance paid, the basic tax data is the amount of tax or non-tax on the amount of commuting allowance paid, the basic social insurance data is the amount of social insurance premiums on the amount of commuting allowance paid, and the basic employment insurance data is the amount of employment insurance premiums on the amount of commuting allowance paid.

[0080] [Route search server 140] Next, we will explain the configuration of the route search server 140. The route search server 140 has the same hardware configuration as the commuter expense calculation server 100.

[0081] The route search server 140 is configured to have a database that stores route information and fare information. When the route search server 140 receives a request that includes the departure station, arrival station, and route search conditions, it searches the database for the route and fare from the departure station to the arrival station according to the route search conditions, and sends the route information and fare information found as search results to the terminal that made the request.

[0082] A request may include one or more departure stations and one or more arrival stations. For a request that includes one departure station and one arrival station, the route search server 140 searches for the route and fare from the one departure station to the one arrival station and returns the search results.

[0083] For a request that includes multiple departure stations and one arrival station, the route search server 140 searches for the route and fare from each departure station to the arrival station and returns the search results. For example, if the departure stations are A and B and the arrival station is C, the search results will include route AC and its fare, and route BC and its fare.

[0084] For a request that includes one departure station and multiple arrival stations, the route search server 140 searches for the route and fare from one departure station to each arrival station and returns the search results. For example, if the departure station is A and the arrival stations are B and C, the search results will include route AB and its fare, and route AC and its fare.

[0085] For requests involving multiple departure and arrival stations, the route search server 140 searches for the route and fare from each departure station to each arrival station and returns the search results. For example, if the departure stations are A and B and the arrival stations are C and D, the search results will include routes AC and their fares, routes BC and their fares, routes AD and their fares, and routes BD and their fares.

[0086] Route search conditions can include, for example, (1) the route with the shortest travel time, (2) the route with the fewest transfers, (3) the route with the cheapest one-way fare, (4) the route with the cheapest 1-month pass fare, (5) the route with the cheapest 3-month pass fare, or (6) the route with the cheapest 6-month pass fare. Additionally, you can choose to (1) apply IC card fares, or (2) apply regular fares instead of IC card fares. For example, if the departure station is A, the arrival station is B, and you set the route search condition to (1), the search results will show the shortest route AB and its fare.

[0087] [Batch Server 120] Next, we will describe the configuration of batch server 120. The batch server 120 has the same hardware configuration as the commuter expense calculation server 100.

[0088] [Employee terminal 200] Next, we will explain the configuration of the 200 employee terminals. The employee terminals 200 consist of either stationary terminals, such as the commuter expense calculation server 100, or portable terminals such as smartphones and tablets. In the former case, the hardware configuration is the same as that of the commuter expense calculation server 100. In the latter case, the hardware configuration is the same as that of a general computer, with a CPU, ROM, RAM, and I / F connected via a bus. Various accessories such as touch panels, storage devices, wireless communication devices, and video cameras are connected to the I / F.

[0089] [Operation] [New Route Information Application Processing] First, we will explain the operation of the commuter expense calculation server 100 when an employee submits new route information. Note that while access to tables 400-422 is actually performed by the commuter expense calculation server 100 communicating with the database server 130, for the sake of simplicity, we will assume that the commuter expense calculation server 100 accesses tables 400-422 directly. Furthermore, since each company logs in with its own account to use the commuter expense calculation server 100, in the following explanation, "company" refers to the company corresponding to the logged-in account.

[0090] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the process for submitting a new route information request. The CPU 30 consists of an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) and the like, and starts a predetermined program stored in a predetermined area of ​​the ROM 32, and executes the new route information application process shown in the flowchart of Figure 6 according to that program.

[0091] When the new route information application process is executed on the CPU 30, as shown in Figure 6, it first proceeds to step S100 to determine whether or not a new application request has been received from the employee terminal 200. If it is determined that a new application request has been received (YES), it proceeds to step S102.

[0092] New route information applications are submitted in situations such as when a new employee registers route information for the first time, when someone moves and their commute route changes, or when a workplace is added or changed.

[0093] Step S102 executes the application information input process. During the application information input process, route information such as the means of commuting (vehicle ID), reason for application, nearest station to the employee's home, nearest station to the workplace, and route direction type can be entered via the input screen.

[0094] Figure 7 shows the commute route application screen 510. In the application information input process, the commute route application screen 510 is first displayed as shown in Figure 7. On the commute route application screen 510, the applicant (employee) enters the start date of application, mode of transportation, transportation company, reason for application, employee's home address, company name, workplace, and route direction type.

[0095] For employee home addresses, the employee home address corresponding to the applicant's employee ID is retrieved from employee information master table 404 and displayed.

[0096] For the workplace, the workplace corresponding to the applicant's employee ID is retrieved from the employee information master table 404 and displayed in the dropdown list 511. If multiple workplaces are registered for a single employee, multiple workplaces will be displayed in the dropdown list 511. The applicant selects one of these workplaces.

[0097] The route direction type can be selected from three options: "outbound," "return," and "round trip." In other words, if you only use the outbound route, only use the return route, have different commute routes for the outbound and return routes, or use the service for both outbound and return trips, you can set individual commute routes for the outbound, return, and round trip.

[0098] Figure 8 shows the commute route application screen 520. The applicant enters other route information and clicks the "Next" button 512, at which point the commute route application screen 520 is displayed as shown in Figure 8. On the commute route application screen 520, the applicant enters the nearest station to their home, intermediate stations, the nearest station to their workplace, etc.

[0099] For the nearest station to an employee's home, the nearest station corresponding to the applicant's employee ID is retrieved from the employee information master table 404 and displayed in text box 521. If multiple nearest stations are registered for an employee's home, all of them will be displayed in text box 521. Alternatively, the nearest station to an employee's home can be manually entered by clicking the "Search" button 522.

[0100] For the nearest station to the workplace, the nearest station corresponding to the employee ID of the workplace selected on the commute route application screen 510 is retrieved from the employee information master table 404 and displayed in text box 523. If multiple nearest stations to the workplace are registered, all of them will be displayed in text box 523. Alternatively, the nearest station to the workplace can be manually entered by clicking the "Search" button 524.

[0101] After the applicant enters other route information and clicks the "Next" button 525, candidate commute routes between the employee's nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace will be displayed. If there are multiple nearest stations to the employee's home or workplace, candidate commute routes between the employee's nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace will be displayed for all combinations of those nearest stations. The applicant can select one of the displayed candidate commute routes and submit it as their commute route. The specific process for route searching is the same as the process in steps S208 to S212 described below.

[0102] Next, the process moves to step S104 to determine whether or not a registration request has been received from the employee terminal 200. If it is determined that a registration request has been received (YES), the process moves to step S106.

[0103] In step S106, the applicant's department information (department ID) is obtained from the employee information master table 404, and the approval recipient information (employee ID of the employee with approval authority) corresponding to the obtained department ID is obtained from the department information table 412.

[0104] Here, the Department ID is a workflow-specific identification piece, and it is possible to set it so that employees belonging to different physical organizations have the same Department ID. For example, employees A-D belonging to the General Affairs Department and employees F-I belonging to the Sales Department can all be assigned the same Department ID, "B1". The physical organizations are registered in the Employee Group ID in the Employee Information Master Table 404.

[0105] Furthermore, let's assume, for example, that employees A and F are employees with supervisory authority and are therefore granted approval authority in the workflow. Also, let's assume that employee E is a regular employee and is granted proxy application authority. Here, approval authority is the authority to approve the content of applications submitted by employees belonging to the same department (e.g., B1) in the workflow, and proxy application authority is the authority for employees other than those in the Human Resources Department to submit applications on behalf of other employees. In other words, employees A and F, who have approval authority, can approve the applications of employees B-E and G-I in the same department B1. Also, employee E, who has proxy application authority, can process the applications of employees A-D and F-I in the same department B1 on their behalf.

[0106] This allows for cross-organizational approval and proxy application processing, even if the actual organizations are different, as long as they are managed under the same department ID defined in department information table 412. In other words, an amoeba-like approval route can be constructed.

[0107] Next, the process moves to step S108, where an approval route is constructed based on the acquired approval destination information. Subsequently, an approval request for the application information is sent to each approver at the route destination based on the constructed approval route.

[0108] For example, if a regular employee (other than A and F) belonging to department B1 submits a commute route application, the approval will be granted by both employees A and F. The review after approval will be conducted by employees with personnel authority (hereinafter referred to as "HR employees"), for example, the three HR employees J through L who are in charge of department B1. Furthermore, HR employees have the authority to conduct reviews for any department.

[0109] In other words, the approval route is first "Employees A and F," and if Employee A approves first, it becomes "Employee A → HR Employees J-L." On the other hand, if Employee F approves first, it becomes "Employee F → HR Employees J-L." In short, approval only needs to be given by either Employee A or F, and approval from both is not required. Furthermore, the post-approval review will be conducted by the three HR employees J-L who are in charge of department B1, and the review only needs to be conducted by any one of HR employees J-L.

[0110] In this way, once approval and inspection are performed and the application is permitted, the application information is registered in the employee-specific route information table 406, the employee-specific payment information table 408, and the employee-specific daily payment information table 410. In other words, when a new commuting route is registered, a change occurs in the payment information or daily payment information stored in the employee-specific payment information table 408 or the employee-specific daily payment information table 410, resulting in a change in the amount of commuting expenses paid.

[0111] Once the process in step S108 is completed, the series of processes ends and the program returns to the original process. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S104 that no registration application has been received (NO), the process proceeds to step S110 to determine whether or not a cancellation request has been received from the employee terminal 200. If it is determined that a cancellation request has been received (YES), the series of processes is terminated and the process returns to the original state.

[0112] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S110 that no cancellation request has been received (NO), the process proceeds to step S104.

[0113] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S100 that no new application request will be received (NO), the system waits in step S100 until a new application request is received.

[0114] [Payroll Integration Basic Data Creation Task Registration Process] Next, we will explain how the commuter expense calculation server 100 works when it interacts with the batch server 120.

[0115] On the commuter expense calculation server 100, the payroll linkage basic data creation task registration process is executed, and based on the route information in the employee-specific route information table 406 (route information related to approved commuter routes), the payroll linkage basic data creation task is registered with the batch server 120. The payroll linkage basic data creation task registration process is the same as the process described in Patent Documents 1

[0148] to

[0172] .

[0116] [Payroll-linked batch processing program execution process] Next, we will explain how the batch server 120 works when it interacts with the commuter expense calculation server 100.

[0117] On the batch server 120, the payroll linkage batch processing program execution process is executed, and the payroll linkage basic data creation task registered by the commuter transport expense calculation server 100 is batch processed, and the amount of commuter transport expenses to be paid is calculated. The payroll linkage batch processing program execution process is the same as the process described in Patent Documents 1

[0173] to

[0189] .

[0118] [Re-evaluation process for suitability of commute route] Next, we will explain the process when re-evaluating the suitability of an approved commuting route after its initial approval.

[0119] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the process for re-evaluating the suitability of the commute route. In the commuter expense calculation server 100, the CPU 30 starts a predetermined program stored in a predetermined area of ​​the ROM 32, and executes the commuter route suitability re-determination process shown in the flowchart of Figure 9 according to that program.

[0120] When the commute route suitability reassessment process is executed on the CPU 30, as shown in Figure 9, it first proceeds to step S200, where the company's payment regulations information is obtained from the payment regulations information table 422.

[0121] Next, the process moves to step S202, where the workplace ID of the first target workplace is obtained from the workplace master table 402. The target workplace can be any workplace, or specific workplaces can be targeted by providing filtering conditions. Filtering conditions can include, for example, company ID, workplace ID, employee ID, station, line, or transportation. If company ID is set as a filtering condition, the workplaces of the company identified by that company ID become the target workplaces. If workplace ID is set as a filtering condition, the workplaces identified by that workplace ID become the target workplaces. If employee ID is set as a filtering condition, the workplaces to which the employee identified by that employee ID belongs become the target workplaces. If station is set as a filtering condition, workplaces whose nearest station is that station become the target workplaces. If line is set as a filtering condition, workplaces whose nearest station is on that line become the target workplaces. If you specify transportation as a filtering condition, the target workplaces will be those whose nearest station is on that transportation line.

[0122] Next, the process moves to step S204, where employee information, including the employee ID of the first target employee, is retrieved from the employee information master table 404. The target employees can be all employees, or specific employees can be targeted by specifying filtering conditions. Filtering conditions can include, for example, company ID, workplace ID, employee ID, station, route, transportation, or payment rule ID. If company ID is set as a filtering condition, employees belonging to the company specified by that company ID will be targeted. If workplace ID is set as a filtering condition, employees belonging to the workplace specified by that workplace ID will be targeted. If employee ID is set as a filtering condition, employees specified by that employee ID will be targeted. If station is set as a filtering condition, employees who use that station as their nearest station to their home or workplace will be targeted. If route is set as a filtering condition, employees who use that route will be targeted. If transportation is set as a filtering condition, employees who use the route of that transportation will be targeted. If a payment rule ID is set as a filtering condition, the target employees will be those to whom the payment rule identified by that payment rule ID applies.

[0123] Next, the process moves to step S206, where, based on the workplace ID and employee ID obtained in steps S202, S204, S224, and S226, route information regarding the commute route used by the target employee to travel between the nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace (hereinafter referred to as the "route to be determined") is obtained from the employee-specific route information table 406, and the process moves to step S208.

[0124] In step S208, a request is generated to the route search server 140 based on the provision regulations information and route information obtained in steps S200 and S206.

[0125] If the target employee has only one nearest station to their home and one nearest station to their workplace, a request is generated as a single request, with the target employee's nearest station to their home as the departure station, the nearest station to their workplace as the arrival station, and the prescribed criteria set as the route search conditions.

[0126] If the target employee has one nearest station to their home and multiple nearest stations to their workplace, a request is generated as a single request, with the target employee's home nearest station as the departure station, the multiple nearest stations to the workplace as the arrival stations, and the prescribed criteria as the route search conditions.

[0127] If an employee has multiple nearest train stations to their home and only one nearest station to their workplace, a single request is generated with the multiple nearest stations to the employee's home as the departure station, the single nearest station to the workplace as the arrival station, and the prescribed criteria as the route search conditions.

[0128] If the target employee has multiple nearest stations to their home and multiple nearest stations to their workplace, a single request is generated with the multiple nearest stations to the employee's home as the departure station, the multiple nearest stations to the workplace as the arrival station, and the prescribed criteria as the route search conditions.

[0129] Route search conditions can include, for example, (1) the route with the shortest travel time, (2) the route with the fewest transfers, (3) the route with the cheapest one-way fare, (4) the route with the cheapest one-month pass fare, (5) the route with the cheapest three-month pass fare, or (6) the route with the cheapest six-month pass fare.

[0130] Next, the process moves to step S210, where the generated request is sent to the route search server 140. Then, it moves to step S212, where the search results for the sent request are received from the route search server 140, and finally, it moves to step S214.

[0131] In step S214, it is determined whether the fare or the timetable has been revised. A fare revision can be determined, for example, by checking whether a record with a newer fare revision date than the last execution date of the commute route suitability reassessment process is registered in the fare information table 420. A timetable revision can be determined by querying an external server. The external server, for example, has a database that registers timetable revision history information (e.g., route, revision date), and in response to a query from the commuter expense calculation server 100, it checks whether a record with a newer timetable revision date than the last execution date of the commute route suitability reassessment process is registered in the database, and sends the result of that check to the commuter expense calculation server 100.

[0132] If it is determined in step S214 that the fare or schedule has been revised (YES), the process proceeds to step S216. In step S216, it is determined whether the route to be judged conforms to the prescribed criteria based on the route information obtained in step S206 and the search results received in step S212. Since the prescribed criteria are set as route search conditions, the search results include routes that conform to the prescribed criteria. Therefore, the conformity can be determined, for example, by determining whether the route to be judged matches one or more routes included in the search results.

[0133] If, in step S216, it is determined that the route to be judged does not conform to the prescribed judgment criteria (NO), the process proceeds to step S218 to perform notification processing. For example, notification processing can include sending an email to the email address of the HR employee or the employee in question, or sending a notification to the HR employee or the employee's account.

[0134] Next, the process moves to step S220 to determine whether the processing in steps S208 to S218 has been completed for all target employees. If it is determined that the processing has been completed for all target employees (YES), the process moves to step S222 to determine whether the processing in steps S206 to S220 has been completed for all target workplaces. If it is determined that the processing has been completed for all target workplaces (YES), the series of processes ends.

[0135] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S222 that processing has not been completed for all target workplaces (NO), the process proceeds to step S224, where the workplace ID of the next target workplace is obtained from the workplace master table 402, and the process proceeds to step S206.

[0136] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S220 that processing has not been completed for all target employees (NO), the process proceeds to step S226, where the employee ID of the next target employee is obtained from the employee information master table 404, and the process proceeds to step S208.

[0137] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S216 that the route to be judged conforms to the prescribed judgment criteria (YES), and if it is determined in step S214 that the fare or timetable has not been revised (NO), the process proceeds to step S220.

[0138] [Effects of the embodiment] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, first route information is obtained regarding the commuting route used by an employee to travel between the nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace, which has been approved as conforming to the regulations' criteria. Based on the obtained first route information and the payment regulations information relating to the regulations' criteria, second route information is obtained regarding the route between the nearest station to the employee's home and the nearest station to their workplace that conforms to the regulations' criteria. Based on the obtained first and second route information, it is determined whether or not the route to be judged conforms to the regulations' criteria.

[0139] This makes it possible to determine whether the route being judged conforms to the prescribed judgment criteria. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is determined whether or not there has been a revision to the fare or schedule, and if it is determined that there has been a revision to the fare or schedule, it is determined whether or not the route to be judged is suitable.

[0140] This makes it possible to determine whether the route being evaluated meets the prescribed criteria when there are changes to fares or schedules.

[0141] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a notification is given if it is determined that the route to be judged does not conform to the prescribed judgment criteria.

[0142] This makes it possible to identify whether the route being judged does not meet the prescribed judgment criteria. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the regulation determination criteria related to the payment regulation information acquired in step S200 are the regulation determination criteria related to the route information acquired in step S206.

[0143] This makes it possible to determine whether the route being evaluated conforms to the prescribed criteria related to that route information.

[0144] [Correspondence] In this embodiment, step S206 corresponds to the first route information acquisition means of Invention 1, step S212 corresponds to the second route information acquisition means of Invention 1, step S214 corresponds to the revision determination means of Invention 3, and step S216 corresponds to the conformity determination means of Invention 1, 3, or 5. Furthermore, step S218 corresponds to the notification means of Invention 5, the supply regulations information corresponds to the standard information of Invention 1 or 6, and the regulations determination criteria correspond to the route conformity criteria of Invention 1 or 6.

[0145] [Variation] In the above embodiment and its modified form, a regulation judgment criterion is set as a route search condition in step S208, but the method is not limited to this, and it is not necessary to set a regulation judgment criterion as a route search condition. In this case, as the conformity determination in step S216, for example, it is possible to determine whether the route to be determined and one or more routes included in the search results that conform to the regulation judgment criterion are the route to be determined, based on the provision regulation information obtained in step S200. For example, if (1) the route with the shortest travel time is set as the regulation judgment criterion, and the search results include three routes, it is determined whether the route with the shortest travel time among the total of four routes (the route to be determined and the three routes) is the route to be determined. Also, for example, if (2) the route with the fewest number of transfers is set as the regulation judgment criterion, and the search results include three routes, it is determined whether the route with the fewest number of transfers among the total of four routes is the route to be determined.

[0146] This makes it possible to determine whether the route being judged conforms to the prescribed judgment criteria. Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modifications, the suitability of the commuting route used by each employee for travel between their nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace was re-evaluated for each workplace and each employee. However, the system is not limited to this, and the commuting routes can be narrowed down using filtering conditions, and the suitability of the narrowed-down commuting routes can be re-evaluated. For example, filtering conditions can include a company ID, workplace ID, employee ID, station, line, mode of transport, or payment rule ID. If a company ID is set as a filtering condition, the commuting routes of employees belonging to the company specified by that company ID will be targeted. If a workplace ID is set as a filtering condition, the commuting routes of employees belonging to the workplace specified by that workplace ID will be targeted. If an employee ID is set as a filtering condition, the commuting routes of employees specified by that employee ID will be targeted. If a station is set as a filtering condition, the commuting routes of employees who use that station as their nearest station to their home or workplace will be targeted. If a line is set as a filtering condition, the commuting routes of employees who use that line will be targeted. If transportation is set as a filtering condition, the target will be the commuting routes of employees who use the routes of that transportation. If payment rule ID is set as a filtering condition, the target will be the commuting routes of employees to whom the payment rule identified by that payment rule ID applies.

[0147] This allows us to determine whether approved commuting routes, filtered by the specified criteria, meet the prescribed standards. Furthermore, it reduces the processing load compared to processing all commuting routes.

[0148] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modifications, it was determined whether the route to be judged conforms to the prescribed judgment criteria related to the route information. However, the system is not limited to this, and if there is a change in the prescribed judgment criteria, it is possible to determine whether the route to be judged conforms to the changed prescribed judgment criteria. As for the timing of execution, for example, it is determined whether there has been a change in the prescribed judgment criteria, and if it is determined that there has been a change, the suitability of the route to be judged is determined.

[0149] Furthermore, in the above embodiments and their modifications, the suitability of a commuting route that has been approved as conforming to the regulations' criteria was determined. However, the invention is not limited to this, and even if approval is not granted and a commuting route that has been determined to conform to the regulations' criteria is adopted as eligible for the payment of commuting expenses, the suitability of a commuting route that has been determined to conform to the regulations' criteria can still be determined.

[0150] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modified form, step S214 determines whether or not there has been a revision of the fare or schedule, and if it is determined that there has been a revision of the fare or schedule, it determines whether or not the route to be judged is suitable. However, it is not limited to this, and it is also possible to determine whether or not there has been a revision of the fare or schedule for the route to be judged, and if it is determined that there has been a revision of the fare or schedule, it determines whether or not the route to be judged is suitable. For example, when multiple routes to be judged are targeted, it is determined for each route whether or not there has been a revision of the fare or schedule, and if there has been a revision, whether or not it is suitable.

[0151] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modified form, the processing in steps S216 to S218 was executed when there was a revision of the fare or timetable. However, the system is not limited to this, and (1) a configuration that can be executed at any time (for example, when an instruction is given to execute, when a specified time has arrived, or when a specified time has elapsed) or (2) a configuration that can be executed on an employee-by-employee basis or on a commute route basis when checking or maintaining commute routes can be adopted.

[0152] Furthermore, although notification processing was performed in step S218 in the above embodiment and its modifications, the system is not limited to this, and configurations that do not perform notification processing or that perform other processing can be adopted. For example, the following configurations can be adopted as other processing.

[0153] The first configuration displays candidate routes that conform to the prescribed judgment criteria (hereinafter referred to as "suitable route candidates") from the search results received in step S212 and compares them with the route to be judged.

[0154] The second configuration involves stopping the application of the route to be judged and registering a new commute route from the list of suitable route candidates.

[0155] The third configuration involves sending a notification to the HR staff or the employee concerned, prompting them to resubmit their commute route information. This notification process can involve sending an email to the HR staff or the employee concerned's email address, or sending a notification to the HR staff or the employee concerned's account.

[0156] The fourth configuration can employ output processing. Output processing can include, for example, display, printing, audio output, writing to storage devices or media, transmission to other equipment, devices, terminals or other devices, vibration, heat generation, or other methods of outputting information.

[0157] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modifications, the process in step S218 was performed when it was determined that the route to be judged did not conform to the prescribed judgment criteria. However, the process is not limited to this, and a predetermined process can be performed when it is determined that the route to be judged conforms to the prescribed judgment criteria. For example, the notification process in step S218 or the other processes described above can be employed.

[0158] This makes it possible to determine whether the route being evaluated conforms to the prescribed evaluation criteria. Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modified form, the suitability determination result of the route to be judged can be applied to other commuting routes where the nearest station to the home and the nearest station to the workplace are the same, and which have not yet been judged as suitable. This reduces the number of searches or processing load.

[0159] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modifications, the outbound and return routes were not distinguished, but the system is not limited to this, and it is possible to search by distinguishing between the outbound and return routes, for example, when the fares differ for the outbound and return routes. For example, the following configuration can be adopted.

[0160] The first configuration adopts the route and fare obtained when searching for a route as an outbound journey (by setting the nearest station to the employee's home as the departure station and the nearest station to the workplace as the arrival station) for each target employee if they use the searched route for their outbound commute. Similarly, when searching for a route as an return journey (by setting the nearest station to the workplace as the departure station and the nearest station to the employee's home as the arrival station) for the same target employee, the route and fare obtained when searching for a route as a return journey (by setting the nearest station to the workplace as the departure station and the nearest station to the employee's home as the arrival station) are adopted. Furthermore, when searching for a route for a round trip commute, the route and fare obtained when searching for both the outbound and return journeys are adopted. The distinction between outbound, return, or round trip may be set, for example, by registering information such as the route direction type in the employee-specific route information table 406 or other tables, or by specifying whether the searched route is outbound, return, or round trip in the simulation results.

[0161] The second configuration determines the route from the search results of the route search server 140 based on the route direction type corresponding to the commute route, if the route searched for the target employee is registered as the target employee's commute route in the employee-specific route information table 406. If the route direction type is outbound, the route searched as outbound is determined. If the route direction type is inbound, the route searched as inbound is determined. If the route direction type is round trip, the routes searched as outbound and inbound are determined respectively.

[0162] The third configuration involves registering information in a table about departure and arrival stations where the fares differ for the outbound and return journeys, and then referring to the table to apply the first or second configuration to routes with departure and arrival stations where the fares differ for the outbound and return journeys.

[0163] Furthermore, in the above embodiments and their modified examples, (1) to (6) and (1) to (2) were given as examples of criteria for determining compliance with the regulations, but the criteria are not limited to these, and (7) allowing changes in the mode of transport (e.g., train to bus, bus to train) or (8) allowing different routes for the outbound and return journeys may also be included as criteria for determining compliance with the regulations. These criteria may be set independently of (1) to (6) and (1) to (2), or they may be set as additional criteria after satisfying any of (1) to (6) and (1) to (2).

[0164] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modified form, one request was generated for each target workplace and each target employee, but the system is not limited to this, and one request can be generated for each target employee. Specifically, if a target employee has multiple nearest train stations to their home, a single request is generated with the departure station set to the multiple nearest train stations to the employee's home and the arrival station set to the nearest train stations to the multiple target workplaces.

[0165] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modified form, the request was set to the nearest station to the employee's home as the departure station and the nearest station to the employee's workplace as the arrival station. However, the request is not limited to this, and it is also possible to set the nearest station to the employee's workplace as the departure station and the nearest station to the employee's home as the arrival station.

[0166] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modifications, the specified criteria were set as route search conditions in the request, but the invention is not limited to these, and other conditions may be set as route search conditions, or no route search conditions may be set at all.

[0167] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modified form, route information and fare information were obtained from the route search server 140, but the invention is not limited to this, and only one of the route information or fare information may be obtained.

[0168] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modifications, the route direction type and usage direction type are configured as outbound, return, or round-trip information, but the invention is not limited to these configurations. Either one or both of the route direction type and usage direction type can be configured as one-way or round-trip information.

[0169] Furthermore, while the above embodiments and their modifications are implemented as a network system, they are not limited to this and can be implemented as a single device or application.

[0170] Furthermore, while the above embodiments and their modifications have described their application to a network system consisting of the Internet 199, the invention is not limited to this, and may also be applied to, for example, a so-called intranet that communicates using the same method as the Internet 199. Of course, it is not limited to networks that communicate using the same method as the Internet 199, but can be applied to any network using any communication method.

[0171] Furthermore, in the above embodiments and their modifications, the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 6 or Figure 9 was described in the case where a program pre-stored in ROM 32 is executed. However, the invention is not limited to this, and a program describing these procedures may be read into RAM 34 from a storage medium in which such a program is stored and then executed.

[0172] Furthermore, while the above embodiments and their modifications applied the present invention to the case of determining the suitability of a commuting route, the invention is not limited to this and can be applied to other cases without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the present invention can also be applied when providing travel expenses for business trips or other transportation expenses. [Explanation of symbols]

[0173] 100…Commuting expense calculation server, 30…CPU, 32…ROM, 34…RAM, 38…I / F, 39…Bus, 40…Input device, 42…Storage device, 44…Display device, 120…Batch server, 130…Database server, 140…Route search server, 200…Employee terminal, 199…Internet, 400…Company master table, 402…Workplace master table, 404…Employee information master table, 406…Employee-specific route information table, 408…Employee-specific payment information table, 410…Employee-specific daily payment information table, 412…Department information table, 414…System environment information table, 416…Batch job definition information table, 418…Task scheduler information table, 420…Fare information table, 422…Payment regulations information table, 510, 520…Commuting route application screen, 511…Dropdown list, 512, 522, 524, 525…Button, 521, 523…Text box

Claims

1. A first route information acquisition means for acquiring first route information relating to routes used by employees for travel between the nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace, which have been determined or approved to meet route suitability criteria, A second route information acquisition means acquires second route information relating to a route between the nearest station to the home and the nearest station to the workplace that conforms to the said route conformity criteria, based on the first route information and the criteria information relating to the route conformity criteria acquired by the first route information acquisition means. A commute route determination system characterized by comprising: a conformity determination means that determines whether or not the route related to the first route information conforms to the route conformity criteria, based on the first route information obtained by the first route information acquisition means and the second route information obtained by the second route information acquisition means.

2. A first route information acquisition means for acquiring first route information relating to routes used by employees for travel between the nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace, which have been determined or approved to meet route suitability criteria, A second route information acquisition means acquires second route information relating to the route between the nearest station to the home and the nearest station to the workplace, based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquisition means. A commute route determination system characterized by comprising: a conformity determination means that determines whether or not the route related to the first route information conforms to the route conformity criteria, based on the first route information obtained by the first route information acquisition means, the second route information obtained by the second route information acquisition means, and the criteria information related to the route conformity criteria.

3. In either claim 1 or 2, The system includes a revision determination means for determining whether or not there has been a revision to the fare or timetable for the route related to the first route information, A commute route determination system characterized by performing a determination by the conformity determination means based on the determination result of the revision determination means.

4. In either claim 1 or 2, It includes a means for obtaining filtering conditions that retrieve information about companies, workplaces, employees, stations, routes, transportation companies, or rules for paying commuting expenses, as filtering conditions. A commute route determination system characterized in that the first route information acquisition means acquires the first route information corresponding to the filtering conditions acquired by the filtering condition acquisition means from a storage means that stores first route information relating to routes used by an employee for travel between the nearest station to their home and the nearest station to their workplace, which have been determined or approved to conform to route suitability criteria, in association with information relating to the company to which the employee belongs, the workplace, the employee, the nearest station to their home or the nearest station to their workplace, the routes used on the route, the transportation company that operates the routes, or the rules for paying commute transportation expenses applicable to the employee or the route.

5. In either claim 1 or 2, A commute route determination system characterized by comprising a notification means for providing notification when the conformity determination means determines that the route is not conformity.

6. In either claim 1 or 2, A commute route determination system characterized in that the route suitability criteria related to the aforementioned standard information are the route suitability criteria related to the first route information.

7. In either claim 1 or 2, The system includes a criteria change determination means for determining whether or not there has been a change in the route suitability criteria related to the first route information, The route suitability criteria related to the aforementioned reference information are the route suitability criteria related to the aforementioned change. A commute route determination system characterized by performing a determination by the conformity determination means based on the determination result of the standard change determination means.

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