Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

The in-vehicle display screen shows operational information for the planned transfer transportation. [Solution] The system comprises a travel route receiving unit that receives the travel route of a passenger in a vehicle, including the transfer from the vehicle to a scheduled public transport, from an external source; an operation-related information acquisition unit that acquires operation-related information of the scheduled public transport that the passenger is scheduled to transfer to; and a display control unit that displays the operation-related information on a display screen located inside the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In response to a route search request including a departure point and a destination, an information processing apparatus is known that searches for a reference route from the departure point to the destination, searches for an alternative route for a part of the reference route, and displays the result on the display screen of a terminal such as a personal computer or a mobile phone so that the time difference between the departure time on the route of the reference route and the departure time on the alternative route can be recognized (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, multimodal route search technology that performs route searches combining a plurality of transportation means has become widespread.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Now, consider a case where after a user performs a multimodal route search on a mobile terminal or the like, a travel route is searched in which the user takes a taxi to a railway station and then transfers to a train at the railway station. In this case, displaying the travel route of the taxi from the departure point to the arrival point on the display screen installed in the taxi has been conventionally performed, but the operation information of the train scheduled for transfer, for example, the departure time of the train scheduled for transfer, is not displayed. In this case, when a vehicle passenger wishes to obtain the operation information of the train scheduled for transfer, the vehicle passenger needs to look up the operation information of the train scheduled for transfer using a mobile terminal or the like, which leads to the problem of low convenience.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] Therefore, according to the present invention, in an information processing device mounted on a vehicle, A travel route receiving unit that receives from an external source the travel route of a vehicle's passengers, including travel routes involving transfers from the vehicle to scheduled public transportation, A unit for acquiring operational information that obtains operational information for scheduled transportation services that passengers are scheduled to transfer to, It includes a display control unit that displays operation-related information on a display screen located inside the vehicle, The information processing device provides operational information that includes the departure time, current time, and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger plans to transfer, as well as the time difference between the departure time and current time of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger plans to transfer, and the time difference between the departure time and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger plans to transfer. Furthermore, according to the present invention, in an information processing device mounted on a vehicle, A travel route receiving unit that receives from an external source the travel route of a vehicle's passengers, including travel routes involving transfers from the vehicle to scheduled public transportation, A unit for acquiring operational information that obtains operational information for scheduled transportation services that passengers are scheduled to transfer to, It includes a display control unit that displays operation-related information on a display screen located inside the vehicle, An information processing device is provided that performs a passenger authentication process when a passenger boards the vehicle, and after the authentication process is completed, the display control unit displays operation-related information on the display screen of a display device installed inside the vehicle. Furthermore, according to the present invention, in an information processing device mounted on a vehicle, The vehicle is an autonomous taxi. A travel route receiving unit that receives from an external source the travel route of a vehicle's passengers, including travel routes involving transfers from the vehicle to scheduled public transportation, A unit for acquiring operational information that obtains operational information for scheduled transportation services that passengers are scheduled to transfer to, It includes a display control unit that displays operation-related information on a display screen located inside the vehicle, An information processing device is provided that, after a passenger who has boarded the vehicle requests the vehicle to start moving, displays operation-related information on the display screen of a display device located inside the vehicle. Furthermore, according to the present invention, in an information processing method performed in a vehicle, Computers The vehicle receives from an external source the travel route of the vehicle's passengers, which includes a transfer from the vehicle to a regularly scheduled mode of transport. The passenger obtains operational information for the scheduled transportation service to which they plan to transfer. Operation-related information is displayed on a display screen located inside the vehicle. The information processing method provided includes, in addition to the departure time, current time, and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger plans to transfer, the time difference between the departure time and current time of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger plans to transfer, and the time difference between the departure time and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger plans to transfer. Furthermore, according to the present invention, The vehicle receives from an external source the travel route of the vehicle's passengers, which includes a transfer from the vehicle to a regularly scheduled mode of transport. The passenger obtains operational information for the scheduled transportation service to which they plan to transfer. A program that causes a computer in a vehicle to function in order to display operation-related information on a display screen located inside the vehicle, The program provides operational information that includes the departure time, current time, and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation to which the passenger plans to transfer, as well as the time difference between the departure time and current time of the scheduled transportation to which the passenger plans to transfer, and the time difference between the departure time and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation to which the passenger plans to transfer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] By allowing passengers to obtain operational information for their intended transfer routes from a display screen inside the vehicle, convenience can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an overall diagram of an information processing system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the information processing server shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the vehicle dispatch management server shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an autonomous driving taxi. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a functional configuration diagram of the autonomous driving taxi shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a diagram showing the overall flow of information processing in the information processing system. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a schematically represented road map. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a diagram showing the interior of the autonomous driving taxi. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an embodiment of display content presented on a display screen. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an input procedure to a terminal. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a diagram showing a route selection procedure at a terminal. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a flowchart for performing information processing. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a flowchart for performing information processing. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a flowchart for performing vehicle dispatch management. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a flowchart for performing driving control of an autonomous driving taxi. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a flowchart for performing driving control of an autonomous driving taxi. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a flowchart for performing driving control of an autonomous driving taxi. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a flowchart for executing display processing. [Figure 19]Figure 19 shows another example of the content displayed on the display screen. [Figure 20] Figure 20 shows yet another embodiment of the content displayed on the display screen. [Figure 21] Figure 21 shows yet another embodiment of the content displayed on the display screen. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] When a person travels to a destination, there are usually multiple routes to reach that destination, and one route is selected from among these multiple routes. In this case, the selected route may involve using multiple different types of transportation, for example, a route that involves transferring from a vehicle to a scheduled mode of transport. The present invention relates to information processing technology for providing a person traveling with operational information about the planned mode of transport on an in-vehicle display screen in such cases. In this case, the vehicles to which the present invention applies include manually driven vehicles, autonomous vehicles, private cars, and commercial vehicles including taxis, and the scheduled modes of transport to which the present invention applies include trains and other railways, monorails, buses, and airplanes. The present invention will be explained below using the case where the vehicle is an autonomous taxi and the scheduled mode of transport is a train and other railway as examples, but it goes without saying that the present invention is applicable to manually driven vehicles other than autonomous taxis, autonomous vehicles, private cars, and commercial vehicles including taxis, and is also applicable to monorails, buses, and airplanes other than railways.

[0009] Figure 1 shows an overall diagram of an information processing system suitable for implementing the information processing technology according to the present invention. Referring to Figure 1, 1 represents a communication network, 2 represents a base station of communication network 1, 3 represents an information processing server managed by a route search service provider, 4 represents a dispatch management server managed by an autonomous taxi operator that provides dispatch services for autonomous taxis, 5 represents an autonomous taxi, and 6 represents a terminal owned by a user utilizing the dispatch service of autonomous taxi 5. In Figure 1, terminal 6 is depicted as a mobile terminal, but terminal 6 is not limited to a mobile terminal and may be a stationary terminal.

[0010] Figure 2 shows the information processing server 3 shown in Figure 1. Referring to Figure 2, an electronic control unit 10 is provided within the information processing server 3. This electronic control unit 10 consists of a digital computer and is equipped with a CPU (microprocessor) 12 connected to each other by a bidirectional bus 11, a memory 13 consisting of ROM and RAM, and input / output ports 14. This electronic control unit 10 is connected to a communication network 1.

[0011] Figure 3 shows the dispatch management server 4 shown in Figure 1. Referring to Figure 3, an electronic control unit 15 is provided within the dispatch management server 4. This electronic control unit 15 consists of a digital computer and is equipped with a CPU (microprocessor) 17 connected to each other by a bidirectional bus 16, a memory 18 consisting of ROM and RAM, and input / output ports 19. This electronic control unit 15 is connected to a communication network 1.

[0012] Figure 4 illustrates an example of an autonomous taxi 5. Referring to Figure 4, 20 is the vehicle drive unit for providing driving force to the drive wheels of the autonomous taxi 5, 21 is the braking device for braking the autonomous taxi 5, 22 is the steering device for steering the autonomous taxi 5, and 23 is the electronic control unit installed inside the autonomous taxi 5. As shown in Figure 4, the electronic control unit 23 consists of a digital computer and is equipped with a CPU (microprocessor) 25 connected to each other by a bidirectional bus 24, a memory 26 consisting of ROM and RAM, and input / output ports 27. In the example shown in Figure 4, the vehicle drive unit 20 consists of an electric motor driven by a secondary battery or an electric motor driven by a fuel cell, and the drive wheels are driven and controlled by these electric motors according to the output signals of the electronic control unit 23. In addition, braking control of the autonomous taxi 5 is performed by the braking device 21 according to the output signals of the electronic control unit 23, and steering control of the autonomous taxi 5 is performed by the steering device 22 according to the output signals of the electronic control unit 23. Furthermore, this electronic control unit 23 can be composed of one electronic control unit or multiple electronic control units.

[0013] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, the autonomous taxi 5 is equipped with various sensors 28 necessary for autonomous driving, namely sensors for detecting the state of the autonomous taxi 5 and surrounding detection sensors for detecting the area around the autonomous taxi 5. In this case, acceleration sensors, speed sensors, and azimuth sensors are used as sensors for detecting the state of the autonomous taxi 5, and onboard cameras that photograph the front, sides, and rear of the autonomous taxi 5, LiDAR, radar, etc. are used as surrounding detection sensors for detecting the area around the autonomous taxi 5. The autonomous taxi 5 is also equipped with a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 29, a map data storage device 30, a navigation device 31, and a display device 32 with a display screen.

[0014] The GNSS receiver 29 can detect the current position (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the autonomous taxi 5 based on information obtained from multiple satellites. Therefore, the current position of the autonomous taxi 5 can be obtained using this GNSS receiver 29. For example, a GPS receiver is used as this GNSS receiver 29. On the other hand, the map data storage device 30 stores map data and other information necessary for the autonomous taxi 5 to perform autonomous driving. These various sensors 28, the GNSS receiver 29, the map data storage device 30, the navigation device 31, and the display device 32 are connected to the electronic control unit 23. The autonomous taxi 5 is also equipped with a communication device 33 for communicating with the information processing server 3 and the dispatch management server 4 via the base station 2 and the communication network 1.

[0015] On the other hand, the terminal 6 owned by the user of the ride-hailing service is configured to communicate with the information processing server 3, the ride-hailing management server 4, and the autonomous taxi 5 via the base station 2 and the communication network 1. Thus, in the information processing system shown in Figure 1, the information processing server 3, the ride-hailing management server 4, the autonomous taxi 5, and the terminal 6 can communicate with each other via the communication network 1. In the example shown in Figure 1, the communication device 33 of the autonomous taxi 5 and the terminal 6 are each equipped with short-range wireless communication functions, and the communication device 33 of the autonomous taxi 5 and the terminal 6 are configured to communicate with each other using these short-range wireless communication functions.

[0016] Next, with reference to Figure 6, the overall flow of information processing used in the embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 6 shows the exchange between the information processing server 3, the dispatch management server 4, the autonomous driving taxi 5, and the terminal 6. Figure 6 shows the case where a travel route is selected in which the user boards the autonomous driving taxi 5 and then transfers to a regularly scheduled train. Now, referring to Figure 6, in (1), the user using the dispatch service (hereinafter simply referred to as "user") inputs the departure point, departure time, destination, desired arrival time at the destination, etc., into the terminal 6 using a travel route search application and requests a travel route search.

[0017] In (2), when the information processing server 3 receives the request to search for a travel route, in (3), the information processing server 3 searches for a travel route that satisfies the request based on the received departure point, departure time, destination, desired arrival time at the destination, etc. Next, in (4), the search results for the travel route are transmitted from the information processing server 3 to the terminal 6. In (5), when the terminal 6 receives the search results for the travel route, in (6), the user uses the travel route search application on the display screen of the terminal 6 to select the desired travel route from among the multiple travel routes that have been searched.

[0018] It should be noted that the search results for travel routes in (4) may not include routes involving a transfer from the autonomous taxi 5 to a regularly scheduled train. However, the information processing flow shown in Figure 6 describes the case where the search results for travel routes in (4) include routes involving a transfer from the autonomous taxi 5 to a regularly scheduled train, and furthermore, in (6), the travel route involving a transfer from the autonomous taxi 5 to a regularly scheduled train is selected as the desired travel route.

[0019] Now, in (6), if a travel route involving a transfer from the autonomous taxi 5 to a regularly scheduled train is selected, in (7), the user registers the desired dispatch details, consisting of the desired pick-up location, desired pick-up time, and desired drop-off location of the autonomous taxi 5, using the dispatch reservation application on the display screen of terminal 6. Once the desired dispatch details are registered, a notification that a dispatch reservation has been made, along with the registered desired dispatch details and the user's desired travel route, is sent from terminal 6 to the information processing server 3. When the information processing server 3 receives the notification that a dispatch reservation has been made, along with the desired dispatch details and the user's desired travel route, the received desired dispatch details and the user's desired travel route are stored in the memory 18 of the information processing server 3, and in (8), a dispatch request is sent from the information processing server 3 to the dispatch management server 4. This dispatch request includes the user's desired travel route, information on railways where transfers are planned along the user's desired travel route, the desired pick-up location, desired pick-up time, and desired drop-off location for the autonomous taxi 5, and a user ID to identify the user. This dispatch request may also include the user's departure location, departure time, destination, and desired arrival time at the destination, which were received by the information processing server 3 in (2).

[0020] In (9), when the dispatch management server 4 receives a dispatch request, in (10), the dispatch management server 4 searches for an autonomous driving taxi 5 located near the user's desired pick-up location that can be dispatched to the user's desired pick-up location at the user's desired pick-up time, and selects an autonomous driving taxi 5 to be dispatched. In this case, the search can include autonomous driving taxis 5 that are currently vacant, and autonomous driving taxis 5 that are expected to become vacant near the user's desired pick-up time based on reservation information can also be included in the search. Once an autonomous driving taxi 5 to be dispatched is selected, in (11), a dispatch instruction is sent from the dispatch management server 4 to the selected autonomous driving taxi 5, along with the user's desired travel route, information on railways where transfers are planned on the user's desired travel route, the desired dispatch details such as the pick-up location, drop-off location and pick-up time of the autonomous driving taxi 5, and the user ID.

[0021] In (12), when the autonomous taxi 5 receives a dispatch request, the electronic control unit 23 of the autonomous taxi 5 generates a route from its current location to the user's desired pick-up location based on the user's desired pick-up location. Next, in (13), the autonomous driving of the autonomous taxi 5 is started, and the autonomous taxi 5 is driven along the generated route so as to arrive at the user's desired pick-up location at the user's desired pick-up time. Subsequently, in (14), when the autonomous taxi 5 arrives at the user's desired pick-up location, in (15), when the user boards the autonomous taxi 5, authentication of the user is performed between the user's terminal 6 that made the dispatch reservation and the autonomous taxi 5 using short-range communication. This authentication process is performed, for example, by comparing the user ID stored in the memory 26 of the autonomous taxi 5 at the time of the dispatch request with the user ID stored in the terminal 6 of the user who made the dispatch request, and when these user IDs match, the user holding the terminal 6 is authenticated as the user who made the dispatch request. Furthermore, various known authentication methods, such as facial recognition, are known for user authentication, and these known authentication methods can be used as the authentication process in (15).

[0022] In (15), when a user is authenticated when a user boards the autonomous taxi 5, in (16), a display process is performed to display information related to the operation of the connecting railway on the display screen of the display device 32 located inside the autonomous taxi 5. In other words, when a passenger is authenticated when a passenger boards the autonomous taxi 5, in (16), a display process is performed to display information related to the operation of the connecting railway on the display screen of the display device 32 located inside the autonomous taxi 5. Here, a specific example of this display process will be explained with reference to Figures 7 to 9.

[0023] Figure 7 illustrates an example of a road map including a railway station. In Figure 7, 50 indicates a railway station, 51 indicates a section of road, 52 indicates a vehicle pick-up / drop-off point for transferring to the railway, i.e., a railway transfer point, and 53 indicates the user's desired pick-up location in the autonomous taxi 5. Figure 7 also shows the case where the user's desired drop-off location is the vehicle pick-up / drop-off point 52, i.e., the railway transfer point. Meanwhile, Figure 8 shows the interior of the autonomous taxi 5, where 55 is the front windshield, 56 is the dashboard at the front of the vehicle, and 57 is the display screen of the display device 32 located inside the vehicle. In Figure 6 (14), when the autonomous taxi 5 arrives at the user's desired pick-up location 53 shown in Figure 7, passenger authentication is performed in Figure 6 (15). Once the passenger is authenticated, in Figure 6 (16), railway operation-related information for the transfer is displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32 shown in Figure 8.

[0024] Figure 9 shows a specific example of railway operation information for transfers displayed on the display screen 57. In the specific example shown in Figure 9, the date and current time are displayed in the blank area around the map screen where the vehicle's route is shown by the navigation device 31, as well as in a blank area on the map screen. The destination and estimated arrival time of the vehicle on the vehicle's route are displayed as "Estimated arrival time at xx station," and railway operation information for transfers (departure time, type of train such as local, express, limited express, etc., and destination) is displayed as "Railway operation information." In other words, the railway operation information for transfers displayed on the display screen 57 includes the departure time, type of train such as local, express, limited express, etc., and destination of the transfer railway. Note that in the specific example shown in Figure 9, multiple railways with different departure times and types are displayed.

[0025] Furthermore, in this specific example, regarding the operational information of the planned transfer, the time difference between the departure time of the planned transfer train and the current time, i.e., the remaining time until departure, is displayed as "~ minutes remaining," and the time difference Δt between the departure time of the planned transfer train and the estimated arrival time at the transfer location, i.e., the time difference between the departure time of the train and the estimated arrival time of the current vehicle, is displayed as "~ minutes after arrival." Therefore, the operational information of the planned transfer train displayed on the display screen 57 includes the time difference between the departure time of the planned transfer train and the current time, and the time difference between the departure time of the planned transfer train and the estimated arrival time at the transfer location.

[0026] In this example, the operating information of the connecting train (departure time, train type such as local, express, or limited express, and destination) is displayed on the display screen 57 installed inside the vehicle. Therefore, passengers of the autonomous taxi 5 can check the operating information of the connecting train on the in-vehicle display screen 57 while riding in the autonomous taxi 5, which is very convenient for passengers of the autonomous taxi 5. Furthermore, in this example, the remaining time until departure is displayed on the display screen 57, so passengers of the autonomous taxi 5 can determine whether they need to hurry to transfer to the train or not, which is very convenient for passengers of the autonomous taxi 5. In addition, in this example, the time difference Δt between the estimated arrival time of the vehicle and the departure time of the train is displayed on the display screen 57, so passengers of the autonomous taxi 5 can determine how much time they have before boarding the train, which is very convenient for passengers of the autonomous taxi 5.

[0027] Furthermore, the railway operation information for the planned transfer, as shown in Figure 9, is transmitted from the information processing server 3 to the autonomous taxi 5 in (17) of Figure 6 when the autonomous taxi 5 requests railway operation information. Returning to Figure 6, in (16) of Figure 6, when the railway operation information for the planned transfer is displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32, the doors of the autonomous taxi 5 open, and the user, or the user and several others, board the autonomous taxi 5. Next, when the boarding confirmation device installed inside the autonomous taxi 5 determines that the user, or the user and several others, have boarded, the doors of the autonomous taxi 5 close. Next, in (18), when a request is made for the autonomous taxi 5 to start driving, as shown in Figure 7, the driving route from the current position to the user's desired disembarking position 52 is generated in the electronic control unit 23 of the autonomous taxi 5. Next, in (19), the autonomous driving of the autonomous taxi 5 begins.

[0028] Next, we will describe the configurations of the information processing server 3, dispatch management server 4, autonomous taxi 5, and terminal 6 in order to execute the overall information processing flow shown in Figure 6. First, regarding the configuration of the information processing server 3, the information processing server 3 is configured to communicate with the dispatch management server 4, autonomous taxi 5, and terminal 6 via the communication network 1. On the other hand, the information processing server 3 is equipped with a railway information receiving unit that can receive railway operation information and railway delay information from railway operators in real time via the communication network 1. The information processing server 3 is also equipped with a search request receiving unit that receives a travel route search request from the user's terminal 6 along with the departure point, departure time, destination, desired arrival time at the destination, etc. Furthermore, the information processing server 3 is equipped with a travel route search unit that can search for multiple travel routes, including at least a multimodal travel route using the autonomous taxi 5 and the railway, based on the departure point, departure time, destination, desired arrival time at the destination, etc. received by the search request receiving unit.

[0029] Furthermore, the information processing server 3 is equipped with a search result transmission unit for transmitting multiple travel routes found by the travel route search unit to the user's terminal 6. The information processing server 3 is also equipped with a dispatch reservation reception unit for receiving the user's desired travel route, along with the desired dispatch details consisting of the desired pick-up location, desired pick-up time, and desired drop-off location for the autonomous taxi 5, and confirmation that a dispatch reservation has been made, from the user's terminal 6. The information processing server 3 also acquires the user's desired travel route, the desired dispatch details such as the pick-up location, drop-off location, and pick-up time for the autonomous taxi 5 to be used by the user on the desired travel route, and information regarding railways on the user's desired travel route. The information processing server 3 is equipped with a dispatch request transmission unit for transmitting a dispatch request containing the acquired user's desired travel route, desired dispatch details, and railway information to the dispatch management server 4. The information processing server 3 is also equipped with an operation-related information transmission unit for transmitting railway operation-related information to the autonomous taxi 5 when the autonomous taxi 5 requests such information.

[0030] Next, the configuration of the dispatch management server 4 will be described. The dispatch management server 4 is configured to communicate with the information processing server 3, the autonomous driving taxi 5, and the terminal 6 via the communication network 1. The dispatch management server 4 is equipped with a dispatch request receiving unit to receive information from the information processing server 3 regarding the user's desired travel route, the boarding location, alighting location, and boarding time of the autonomous driving taxi 5 to be used by the user, as well as information regarding planned railway transfers. The dispatch management server 4 is also equipped with a vehicle search unit to search for an autonomous driving taxi 5 located near the user's desired boarding location that can be dispatched to the user's desired boarding location at the user's desired boarding time, and select an autonomous driving taxi 5 to be dispatched. Furthermore, the dispatch management server 4 is equipped with a dispatch instruction transmitting unit to transmit a dispatch instruction along with the user's desired travel route, the boarding location, alighting location, and boarding time of the autonomous driving taxi 5 to be used by the user, as well as information regarding planned railway transfers, to the selected autonomous driving taxi 5.

[0031] Next, the configuration of terminal 6 will be described. Terminal 6 is equipped with a communication unit for communicating with the information processing server 3, the dispatch management server 4, and the autonomous driving taxi 5 via the communication network 1. Terminal 6 is also equipped with a current location acquisition unit, such as a GPS receiver, which can detect the current location of terminal 6 (e.g., latitude and longitude). Terminal 6 also has a display screen. On the display screen of terminal 6, it is possible to input the departure point, departure time, destination, desired arrival time at the destination, etc., using a travel route search application and request a travel route search. Terminal 6 is also configured to display multiple travel routes searched by the information processing server 3 on the display screen of terminal 6. On the display screen of terminal 6, the user can select their desired travel route from among the multiple travel routes searched by the information processing server 3, and furthermore, it is possible to reserve an autonomous driving taxi 5 on the display screen of terminal 6. In this case, it is also possible to configure the terminal 6's display screen to allow users to directly make a ride reservation to the ride management server 4 using a ride reservation application.

[0032] Finally, regarding the configuration of the autonomous taxi 5, the overall configuration of the autonomous taxi 5 has already been explained with reference to Figure 4, so here, the various controls performed by the electronic control unit 23 of the autonomous taxi 5 will be explained with reference to the functional configuration diagram shown in Figure 5. Referring to Figure 5, the autonomous taxi 5 comprises a travel route receiving unit 40, a driving route generation unit 41, an automatic driving control unit 42, a communication unit 43, an authentication unit 44, an operation-related information acquisition unit 45, a display control unit 46, and a current location acquisition unit 47. In one embodiment of the information processing device according to the present invention, the travel route receiving unit 40, the communication unit 43, the operation-related information acquisition unit 45, and the display control unit 46 constitute the information processing device.

[0033] In Figure 5, the travel route receiving unit 40 receives information from the dispatch management server 4, including the user's desired travel route, the pick-up location, drop-off location, and pick-up time of the autonomous taxi 5 to be used by the user, as well as information about the railway lines to which transfers are planned. In this case, the travel route receiving unit 40 can also receive this information from the information processing server 3. Meanwhile, the driving route generation unit 41 generates the driving route of the autonomous taxi 5 from the current location to the user's desired pick-up location, and the driving route of the autonomous taxi 5 from the user's desired pick-up location to the user's desired drop-off location, based on this information.

[0034] The automatic driving control unit 42 controls the automatic driving of the autonomous taxi 5 along the generated driving route. The communication unit 43 is connected to the communication device 33 and can communicate with the information processing server 3, the dispatch management server 4, and the terminal 6 through the communication device 33. The authentication unit 44 authenticates that the person who boards the autonomous taxi 5 is the user who made the reservation for the autonomous taxi 5. The operation-related information acquisition unit 45 acquires railway operation-related information from the information processing server 3. The display control unit 46 is connected to the display device 32 which has a display screen located inside the autonomous taxi 5, and the display content of the display screen 57 located inside the autonomous taxi 5 is controlled by the display control unit 46. In addition, the current location acquisition unit 47 acquires the current location of the autonomous taxi 5 based on the received data received by the GNSS receiver 29.

[0035] Next, with reference to Figures 10 to 18, we will describe one embodiment for executing the overall flow shown in Figure 6. Figure 10 shows the user's input procedure to terminal 6 as described in Figure 6(1). Referring to Figure 10, first, in A1, the user uses the route search application to display the route search input screen on the terminal 6's display screen. Next, in A2, for example, the user enters the departure location in the departure location field on the input screen. In this case, the user can also specify the departure location on the map displayed on the terminal 6's display screen. Next, in A3, the user enters the departure time in the departure time field on the input screen. Next, in A4, for example, the user enters the destination in the destination field on the input screen. In this case, the user can also specify the destination on the map displayed on the terminal 6's display screen. Next, in A5, the user enters the desired arrival time at the destination in the desired arrival time field on the input screen. Next, in A6, for example, the user touches the search request button displayed on the input screen. When the search request button is touched, a route search request is sent to the information processing server 3 along with the entered departure location, departure time, destination, and desired arrival time at the destination.

[0036] Figure 11 shows the procedure for selecting a route on terminal 6 performed by the user in steps (5) to (7) of Figure 6. Referring to Figure 11, first, in B1, the search results for multiple travel routes transmitted from the information processing server 3 are displayed on the display screen of terminal 6. Next, in B2, the desired travel route is selected from among these multiple travel routes. At this time, the case in which a travel route involving a transfer from the autonomous driving taxi 5 to a regularly scheduled train is selected as the desired travel route will be explained. Once the desired travel route is selected in B2, in B3, the user registers the desired pick-up location, desired pick-up time, and desired drop-off location for the autonomous driving taxi 5 in the registration fields for the desired pick-up location, desired pick-up time, and desired drop-off location, respectively, using the ride-hailing reservation application on the display screen of terminal 6. In this case as well, the registration of the desired pick-up location and desired drop-off location can also be done by specifying the desired pick-up location and desired drop-off location on the map displayed on the display screen of terminal 6. Once the desired dispatch details, consisting of the desired pick-up location, desired pick-up time, and desired drop-off location, are registered, B4 transmits a message from terminal 6 to information processing server 3 indicating that a dispatch reservation has been made, along with the registered desired dispatch details and the user's desired travel route.

[0037] Figures 12 and 13 show the information processing routines executed in the electronic control unit 10 of the information processing server 3, and these routines are executed repeatedly. Referring to Figures 12 and 13, first, in step 60, current railway operation information and current railway delay information are received from the railway operator, and the received current railway operation information and current railway delay information are stored in the memory 13 of the electronic control unit 10. Next, in part A from step 61 to step 65, the processing shown in (2) to (4) of Figure 6 is performed.

[0038] Specifically, in step 61, it is determined whether or not a travel route search request has been received from terminal 6. If it is determined that a travel route search request has been received from terminal 6, the process proceeds to step 62, where the received data, such as the user's departure point, departure time, destination, and desired arrival time at the destination, received along with the travel route search request, is stored in the memory 13 of the electronic control unit 10. Next, in step 63, a search for multiple travel routes that satisfy the user's request is performed. Next, in step 64, the travel route search results are stored in the memory 13 of the electronic control unit 10. Next, in step 65, the travel route search results are transmitted to terminal 6. Next, the process proceeds to step 66. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 61 that a travel route search request has not been received from terminal 6, the process jumps to step 66.

[0039] In section B, from step 66 to step 68, the process shown in (8) of Figure 6 is performed. Specifically, in step 66, it is determined whether or not a reservation has been received from terminal 6, along with the desired pick-up location, desired pick-up time, desired drop-off location, and the user's desired travel route for the autonomous taxi 5. If it is determined that a reservation has been received from terminal 6, the process proceeds to step 67, where the received desired pick-up location, desired pick-up time, desired drop-off location, and the user's desired travel route are stored in the memory 13 of the electronic control unit 10. Next, in step 68, a dispatch request including the user's desired travel route, information on railways where transfers are planned along the user's desired travel route, the desired pick-up location, desired pick-up time, and desired drop-off location for the autonomous taxi 5, and a user ID to identify the user is sent to the dispatch management server 4. Then, the process proceeds to step 69. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 66 that a reservation has not been received from terminal 6, the process jumps to step 69.

[0040] In section C, from step 69 to step 71, the process shown in (17) of Figure 6 is performed. Specifically, in step 69, it is determined whether or not the autonomous taxi 5 has requested information on the current operation and delays of the connecting railway. If it is determined that there has been a request for information on the current operation and delays of the connecting railway, the process proceeds to step 70, where the current operation and delays of the connecting railway are searched for. Next, the process proceeds to step 71, where the search results for the current operation and delays of the connecting railway are sent to the autonomous taxi 5. Then, the processing cycle ends. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 69 that there has been no request for information on the current operation and delays of the connecting railway, the processing cycle ends.

[0041] Figure 14 shows the dispatch management routine for performing the processes described in (9) to (11) of Figure 6, and this dispatch management routine is repeatedly executed in the electronic control unit 15 of the dispatch management server 4. Referring to Figure 14, first, in step 80, it is determined whether or not a dispatch request has been received from the information processing server 3. If it is determined that no dispatch request has been received from the information processing server 3, the processing cycle ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that a dispatch request has been received from the information processing server 3, the process proceeds to step 81, where the received information is processed, including the user's desired travel route, information on railways where transfers are planned on the user's desired travel route, the desired boarding location for the autonomous taxi 5, the desired boarding time and desired alighting location, and the user ID. The received data, such as this, is stored in the memory 18 of the electronic control unit 15.

[0042] Next, in step 82, an autonomous driving taxi 5 located near the user's desired pick-up location is searched for, and an autonomous driving taxi 5 that can be dispatched to the user's desired pick-up location at the user's desired pick-up time is searched for. In this case, the search can include autonomous driving taxis 5 that are currently available, and autonomous driving taxis 5 that are scheduled to become available near the user's desired pick-up time based on reservation information can also be included in the search. Next, in step 83, an autonomous driving taxi 5 to be dispatched is selected from the searched autonomous driving taxis 5. Once an autonomous driving taxi 5 to be dispatched is selected, in step 84, the dispatch instruction is sent from the dispatch management server 4 to the selected autonomous driving taxi 5, along with the user's desired travel route, information on railways where transfers are planned on the user's desired travel route, the desired dispatch details such as the pick-up location, drop-off location and pick-up time of the autonomous driving taxi 5, and the user ID. Next, in step 85, a message is sent to the terminal 6 indicating that the dispatch has been completed.

[0043] Figures 15 to 18 show the driving control routine of an autonomous taxi for performing the processes in Figure 6 (12) to (19) and thereafter, and this routine is repeatedly executed in the electronic control unit 23 of the dispatched autonomous taxi 5. Referring to Figures 15 to 18, first, in step 90, it is determined whether or not a dispatch instruction has been received from the dispatch management server 4. If it is determined that no dispatch instruction has been received from the dispatch management server 4, the processing cycle ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that a dispatch instruction has been received from the dispatch management server 4, the process proceeds to step 91, where the received data, such as the user's desired travel route, information on railways where transfers are planned on the user's desired travel route, the desired boarding location of the autonomous taxi 5, the desired boarding time and desired alighting location, and the user ID, is stored in the memory 26 of the electronic control unit 23.

[0044] Next, in step 92, the user's desired pick-up location is read from memory 26. Then, in step 93, based on the current location of the autonomous taxi 5 acquired by the GNSS receiver 29 and the user's desired pick-up location read from memory 26, the navigation device 31 creates a route for the autonomous taxi 5 from its current location to the user's desired pick-up location. Next, in step 94, based on the detection results of sensors such as cameras, LiDAR, and radar that photograph the area in front of the autonomous taxi 5, the driving trajectory and speed of the autonomous taxi 5 are determined to avoid contact with other vehicles and pedestrians. Next, in step 95, the driving control of the autonomous taxi 5 is performed according to the determined driving trajectory and speed.

[0045] Next, in step 96, it is determined whether the autonomous taxi 5 has reached the user's desired pick-up location. If it is determined that the autonomous taxi 5 has not reached the user's desired pick-up location, the process returns to step 94, and autonomous driving of the autonomous taxi 5 continues. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 96 that the autonomous taxi 5 has reached the user's desired pick-up location, the process proceeds to step 97, and the autonomous taxi 5 is stopped. Next, in step 98, user authentication is performed between the user's terminal 6, which made the ride reservation, and the autonomous taxi 5 using short-range communication. This authentication is performed, for example, by comparing the user ID stored in the memory 26 of the autonomous taxi 5 at the time of the ride request with the user ID stored in the terminal 6 of the user who made the ride request. When these user IDs match, the user holding the terminal 6 is authenticated as the user who made the ride request. Various known authentication methods, such as facial recognition, are known for user authentication, and these known authentication methods can also be used for the authentication process in step 98.

[0046] Next, in step 99, it is determined whether the user holding terminal 6 was authenticated as the user who requested the ride during the authentication process in step 98. If the user holding terminal 6 is not authenticated as the user who requested the ride during the authentication process, the process jumps to step 113, and the dispatch management server 4 is instructed to provide instructions for the next action. At this time, the autonomous taxi 5 is, for example, made to move autonomously towards the desired pick-up location of another user who requested the ride. On the other hand, if the user holding terminal 6 is authenticated as the user who requested the ride during the authentication process, the process proceeds to step 100, where the display process shown in (15) of Figure 6 is performed. This display process is shown in Figure 18.

[0047] Referring to Figure 18, in step 200, the time it will take for the autonomous taxi 5 to arrive at the user's desired drop-off location is estimated based on the user's desired drop-off location and the traffic information received by the autonomous taxi 5 from the traffic information center. Next, in step 201, the arrival time when the autonomous taxi 5 arrives at the user's desired drop-off location is estimated based on the time it will take to arrive at the user's desired drop-off location estimated in step 200 and the current time. Next, in step 202, the autonomous taxi 5 requests the information processing server 3 to provide information related to the operation of the railway line the user plans to transfer to.

[0048] When a request is made for operational information regarding the planned transfer train, the information processing server 3 searches for current operational information and delay information for the planned transfer train (step 70 in section C of Figure 13). Then, the search results regarding the current operational information and delay information for the planned transfer train are sent from the information processing server 3 to the autonomous taxi 5 (step 71 in section C of Figure 13). Next, in step 203, the system waits until the search results for operational information regarding the planned transfer train are received. Once the search results are received, the system proceeds to step 204, where the current departure time and delay time of the planned transfer train are obtained and stored in the memory 26 of the electronic control unit 23 of the autonomous taxi 5. Next, in step 205, the time difference between the current departure time of the planned transfer train and the current time, i.e., the remaining time until departure, and the time difference Δt between the estimated arrival time of the autonomous taxi 5 at the user's desired drop-off location and the departure time of the planned train are calculated.

[0049] Next, in step 206, operational information for the connecting train is displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32 installed inside the autonomous taxi 5. In the example shown in Figure 9, the date and current time, the destination and estimated arrival time of the vehicle on the vehicle's route, operational information for the connecting train (departure time, train type such as local, express, limited express, etc., destination), remaining time until departure (in minutes), and the time difference Δt between the vehicle's estimated arrival time and the train's departure time (in minutes after arrival) are displayed. Next, the process proceeds to step 101 in Figure 16. In step 101 of Figure 16, the door of the autonomous taxi 5 is opened. Once the door of the autonomous taxi 5 is opened, the user who requested the ride, or several people including the user who requested the ride, get into the autonomous taxi 5.

[0050] Next, in step 102, a boarding confirmation process is performed to confirm that the user who requested the ride, or several other passengers including the user who requested the ride, have boarded the autonomous taxi 5. This boarding confirmation process is performed by a boarding confirmation device installed inside the autonomous taxi 5, for example, by analyzing the video from a boarding confirmation camera that films the interior of the vehicle. Next, in step 103, it is determined whether or not the boarding of the user who requested the ride, or several other passengers including the user who requested the ride, has been confirmed to have boarded the autonomous taxi 5. If it is determined that boarding has not been confirmed, the process returns to step 102 and the boarding confirmation process continues. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 102 that boarding has been confirmed, the process proceeds to step 104.

[0051] In step 104, the doors of the autonomous taxi 5 are closed. Once the doors of the autonomous taxi 5 are closed, the process proceeds to step 105, where a request is made to start driving the autonomous taxi 5. This request to start driving the autonomous taxi 5 is made, for example, by the passenger touching the start button displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32 inside the autonomous taxi 5. Once the request to start driving the autonomous taxi 5 is made, the process proceeds to step 106, where the user's desired drop-off location is read from the memory 26. Next, in step 107, the navigation device 31 creates a driving route for the autonomous taxi 5 from its current location to the user's desired drop-off location, based on the current location of the autonomous taxi 5 acquired by the GNSS receiver 29 and the user's desired drop-off location read from the memory 26.

[0052] Next, in step 108, the driving trajectory and speed of the autonomous taxi 5 are determined based on the detection results of sensors such as cameras, LiDAR, and radar that photograph the area in front of the autonomous taxi 5, ensuring that it does not come into contact with other vehicles or pedestrians. Next, in step 109, the driving control of the autonomous taxi 5 is performed according to the determined driving trajectory and speed. Next, in step 110, it is determined whether or not the autonomous taxi 5 has reached the user's desired drop-off location. If it is determined that the autonomous taxi 5 has not reached the user's desired drop-off location, the process returns to step 108, and the autonomous driving of the autonomous taxi 5 continues. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 110 that the autonomous taxi 5 has reached the user's desired drop-off location, the process proceeds to step 111, and the autonomous taxi 5 is brought to a stop.

[0053] Next, in step 112, a disembarkation confirmation process is performed to confirm that the user, or several people including the user, have disembarked from the autonomous taxi 5. This disembarkation confirmation process is performed by a disembarkation confirmation device installed inside the autonomous taxi 5, for example, by analyzing the video from a disembarkation confirmation camera that films the inside of the vehicle. Next, in step 113, instructions for the next action are requested from the dispatch management server 4.

[0054] Figure 19 shows another embodiment of the operational information related to the transfer to the railway line, which is displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32 located inside the autonomous taxi 5 in step 206 of Figure 18. In this embodiment, if there is a delay in the transfer to the railway line, the words "Delay Occurred" are displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32 for the delayed railway line, in a more emphasized form than other characters, for example, in bolder letters or in a different color. At this time, in order to make it easier for passengers of the autonomous taxi 5 to notice that there is a delay in the transfer to the railway line, at least one of the following is executed: a voice generation process that generates sound, a seat belt vibration process that vibrates the seat belt, an illumination lighting process that turns on the illumination, and an odor generation process that generates a smell.

[0055] Figure 20 shows yet another embodiment of the railway operation information for the planned transfer, which is displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32 located inside the autonomous taxi 5, in step 206 of Figure 18. In this embodiment, if the planned transfer railway is delayed, the words "Delay Occurred" are displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32 in a more emphasized form than other characters, along with the delay time (e.g., 20-minute delay or 30-minute delay). This delay time is provided by the railway operator to the information processing server 3, and then provided from the information processing server 3 to the autonomous taxi 5. In addition, in the example shown in Figure 20, the remaining time until departure (in minutes) and the time difference Δt (in minutes after arrival) between the vehicle's scheduled arrival time and the railway's departure time are also displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32.

[0056] Figure 21 shows yet another embodiment of the railway operation information for the planned transfer, which is displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32 located inside the autonomous taxi 5 in step 206 of Figure 18. In this embodiment, if there is a delay in the planned transfer railway, in addition to the railway operation information shown in Figure 9, delay information searched on social networking services (SNS), such as posts about delays on SNS, is displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32. These posts are searched for by the information processing server 3 on the SNS search site using the "route name" and "delay" of the planned transfer railway as keywords, and the searched posts are provided from the information processing server 3 to the autonomous taxi 5. Note that only messages posted within the last few minutes are displayed on the display screen 57 of the display device 32.

[0057] In the embodiments described so far, after the authentication process for passengers boarding the autonomous taxi 5 is performed, a display process is performed to display operation-related information on the display screen 57 of the display device 32. In this case, it is also possible to have the display process to display operation-related information on the display screen 57 of the display device 32 be performed after a passenger boarding the autonomous taxi 5 requests that the autonomous taxi 5 start driving.

[0058] As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an information processing device mounted on a vehicle includes a travel route receiving unit that receives from an external source the travel route of a passenger in the vehicle, which involves a transfer from the vehicle to a scheduled transportation service; an operation-related information acquisition unit that acquires operation-related information of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer; and a display control unit that displays the operation-related information on a display screen located inside the vehicle.

[0059] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an information processing method is provided for an information processing method performed in a vehicle, which receives from an external source the travel route of a passenger in the vehicle, which includes a transfer from the vehicle to a scheduled public transport service, obtains operation-related information of the scheduled public transport service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer, and displays the operation-related information on a display screen located inside the vehicle. Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a program is provided which is executed in a vehicle and which receives from an external source the travel route of the vehicle's passengers, a travel route that involves a transfer from the vehicle to a scheduled public transport service, obtains operational information of the scheduled public transport service that the passengers are scheduled to transfer to, and causes a computer to function to display the operational information on a display screen located inside the vehicle.

[0060] Furthermore, in embodiments of the present invention, the operational information of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer includes the departure time of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer. In addition, in embodiments of the present invention, this operational information includes the time difference between the departure time of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer and the current time, and further, this operational information includes the time difference between the departure time of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer and the scheduled arrival time at the transfer location.

[0061] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, when a passenger boards the vehicle, a passenger authentication process is performed, and after the authentication process is completed, the above-mentioned display control unit displays information related to the operation of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer on the display screen of a display device installed inside the vehicle. In another embodiment of the present invention, after a passenger who has boarded the vehicle requests the vehicle to start moving, the above-mentioned display control unit displays information related to the operation of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer on the display screen of a display device installed inside the vehicle.

[0062] On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention, the operational information of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer includes delay information of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer. In this case, this delay information is displayed on the display screen of the display device installed inside the vehicle in a more emphasized form than other operational information excluding the delay information by the display control unit described above. In this case, in addition to displaying this delay information on the display screen, at least one of the following is performed: a sound generation process to generate sound, a seat belt vibration process to vibrate the seat belt, an illumination lighting process to turn on the illumination, and an odor generation process to generate an odor. Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the operational information of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer includes delay information that is searched on social networking services (SNS). [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1. Communication Network 3. Information Processing Server 4. Dispatch management server 5. Self-driving taxis 6 terminals 10, 15, 23 Electronic control units 32 Display device 57 Display screen

Claims

1. In an information processing device installed in a vehicle, A travel route receiving unit that receives from an external source the travel route of a vehicle's passengers, including travel routes involving transfers from the vehicle to scheduled public transportation, A unit for acquiring operational information of the scheduled transportation service that the passenger is scheduled to transfer to, The system comprises a display control unit that displays the aforementioned operation-related information on a display screen located inside the vehicle, The aforementioned operation-related information includes, in addition to the departure time, current time, and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer, the time difference between the departure time and current time of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer, and the time difference between the departure time and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer.

2. In an information processing device installed in a vehicle, A travel route receiving unit that receives from an external source the travel route of a vehicle's passengers, including travel routes involving transfers from the vehicle to scheduled public transportation, A unit for acquiring operational information of the scheduled transportation service that the passenger is scheduled to transfer to, The vehicle comprises a display control unit that displays the aforementioned operation-related information on a display screen located inside the vehicle, An information processing device in which an authentication process is performed for the passenger when the passenger boards the vehicle, and after the authentication process is performed, the display control unit displays the operation-related information on the display screen of a display device installed inside the vehicle.

3. In an information processing device installed in a vehicle, The vehicle is an autonomous taxi. A travel route receiving unit that receives from an external source the travel route of a vehicle's passengers, including travel routes involving transfers from the vehicle to scheduled public transportation, A unit for acquiring operational information of the scheduled transportation service that the passenger is scheduled to transfer to, The vehicle comprises a display control unit that displays the aforementioned operation-related information on a display screen located inside the vehicle, An information processing device in which, after a passenger who has boarded the vehicle requests that the vehicle start moving, the display control unit displays the operation-related information on the display screen of a display device located inside the vehicle.

4. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the aforementioned operation-related information includes delay information of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display control unit displays the delay information on the display screen of a display device installed inside the vehicle in a manner that emphasizes it more than other operation-related information excluding the delay information.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, which, in addition to displaying the delay information on the display screen, performs at least one of the following: sound generation processing to generate sound, seat belt vibration processing to vibrate a seat belt, illumination lighting processing to light up illumination, and odor generation processing to generate odor.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the aforementioned operation-related information includes delay information searched on social networking services.

8. In an information processing method performed in a vehicle, Computers The vehicle receives from an external source the travel route of the vehicle's passengers, which includes a transfer from the vehicle to a regularly scheduled mode of transport. The passenger obtains operational information related to the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer. The aforementioned operation-related information is displayed on a display screen located inside the vehicle. The aforementioned operation-related information includes, in addition to the departure time, current time, and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer, the time difference between the departure time and current time of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer, and the time difference between the departure time and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer.

9. The vehicle receives from an external source the travel route of the vehicle's passengers, which includes a transfer from the vehicle to a regularly scheduled mode of transport. The passenger obtains operational information related to the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer. A program that causes a computer in a vehicle to function so as to display the aforementioned operation-related information on a display screen located inside the vehicle, The aforementioned operation-related information is a program that includes, in addition to the departure time, current time, and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer, the time difference between the departure time and current time of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer, and the time difference between the departure time and estimated arrival time at the transfer point of the scheduled transportation service to which the passenger is scheduled to transfer.

Images