Ride assistance device, ride assistance method, program, and ride assistance system

Abstract

To appropriately set a boarding place of a user in a vehicle allocation service.SOLUTION: A wait time calculation section 133 calculates a wait time for a user 1 to wait for a taxicab at a boarding place candidate extracted based on a current position of the user 1. A boarding place setting section 134 sets a boarding place candidate as a boarding place when the wait time is less than a predetermined time, and sets a boarding place candidate having a stop-around place in the periphery as the boarding place from the boarding place candidates extracted based on the current position of the user 1 when the wait time is equal to or more than the predetermined time. A vehicle allocation processing section 131 allows an electronic device 20 to display information (boarding place information) related to the boarding place set by the boarding place setting section 134 when the wait time is less than the predetermined time, and allows the electronic device 20 to display information (boarding place information) related to the boarding place set by the boarding place setting section 134 and also the stop-around place existing in the periphery of the boarding place when the wait time is equal to or more than the predetermined time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a ride assistance device, a ride assistance method, a program, and a ride assistance system that assist a user in riding in a ride dispatch service. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are technologies that support users in boarding a vehicle dispatch service. For example, a technology has been proposed in which recommended boarding locations are presented to a user in response to a vehicle dispatch request from the user, and a vehicle is dispatched to the boarding location selected by the user (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2018-526715 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional technology, if the dispatched vehicle is far from the boarding location or if the dispatched vehicle arrives at the boarding location late, the user may have to wait for a long time at the boarding location. Even in such a case where the user has to wait for a long time at the boarding location until the dispatched vehicle arrives at the boarding location, it is important to set a boarding location that allows the user to use the time effectively.

[0005] The present invention aims to appropriately set a user's boarding location in a ride-hailing service. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a ride assistance device that dispatches a vehicle based on a user's reservation and notifies the user of a boarding location where the user will board the vehicle. The ride assistance device includes a waiting time calculation unit that calculates a waiting time for the user to wait for a vehicle at a boarding location candidate extracted based on the user's current location based on the user's current location, based on the user's current location, the current location of the vehicle, and the position of the boarding location candidate, a boarding location setting unit that sets the boarding location candidate as the boarding location when the waiting time is less than a predetermined time, and sets a boarding location candidate with a stopover place in the vicinity from among the boarding location candidates extracted based on the user's current location when the waiting time is the predetermined time or more, as the boarding location, and an output unit that outputs information about the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit as boarding location information when the waiting time is less than the predetermined time, and outputs information about the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit and the stopover places in the vicinity of the boarding location as boarding location information when the waiting time is the predetermined time or more. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately set a boarding location for a user in a ride-hailing service. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a simplified system configuration example of a ride assistance system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the electronic device and the server. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram showing a map including the current location of a user who owns an electronic device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram showing the contents of the stop-off place DB stored in the storage unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation operation screen displayed on the input / output unit when a ride-hailing application is started up on the electronic device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a boarding location guide screen displayed on the input / output unit after a reservation operation is performed using a ride-hailing app in the electronic device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a boarding location setting process in the server. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of display transition of the boarding location guide screen displayed on the input / output unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of display transition of the boarding location guide screen displayed on the input / output unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the boarding location setting process in the server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] [First embodiment] [Example of ride assistance system configuration] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a simplified system configuration example of a ride assistance system 200. The ride assistance system 200 is a communication system that provides a vehicle dispatch reservation service, and includes a network 10, an electronic device 20, taxis 31 to 33, and a server 100. FIG. 1 shows an example in which one electronic device 20 exists, but is not limited to this. The ride assistance system 200 may include two or more electronic devices. FIG. 1 shows an example in which three taxis 31 to 33 exist, but is not limited to this. The ride assistance system 200 may include one, two, or four or more of various vehicles. The ride assistance system 200 may also be called a vehicle dispatch system, a people delivery service, or a vehicle dispatch service boarding location setting system.

[0011] The network 10 is a network such as a public line network, the Internet, etc. Each device constituting the ride assistance system 200 is connected to the network 10 by a communication method using wireless communication or a communication method using wired communication, or by both methods.

[0012] The electronic device 20 is a portable device that the user 1 can carry with him / her, and is capable of communicating with other devices using wireless or wired communication. As the electronic device 20, various electronic devices and information processing devices, such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a portable personal computer, a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, etc., can be used. Note that a wearable terminal is a device that can be used while being worn on the clothes or body of the user 1, and examples of such devices include wristwatch-type devices and headphone-type devices.

[0013] A vehicle dispatch application (vehicle dispatch app) used for reserving a taxi is installed in the electronic device 20, and the user 1 can make a reservation for a taxi using the vehicle dispatch app. The vehicle dispatch app is used when reserving the taxis 31 to 33. The vehicle dispatch app also provides a user interface when reserving the taxis 31 to 33.

[0014] The server 100 is an information processing device used for the dispatch reservation service for the taxis 31 to 33, and executes various processes related to the dispatch reservations for the taxis 31 to 33. The server 100 also communicates with the electronic device 20 and the taxis 31 to 33 via the network 10. The location where the server 100 is installed is not particularly limited, but the server 100 is installed, for example, in the management center of the business operator that operates the taxis 31 to 33.

[0015] For example, when the user 1 performs a vehicle dispatch reservation operation using a vehicle dispatch application of the electronic device 20, the server 100 accepts information related to the vehicle dispatch reservation (vehicle dispatch reservation information) and executes vehicle dispatch processing related to the vehicle dispatch reservation. In this case, the server 100 sets a boarding location where the user 1 boards a taxi based on the current location of the user 1, and sets a disembarking location (a location close to the destination) where the user 1 disembarks from the taxi based on the destination specified by the user 1. In this way, the ride assistance system 200 is an on-demand system in which the server 100 matches a boarding and disembarking location from among a plurality of boarding and disembarking locations (boarding and disembarking locations) set in various places (e.g., in a city) according to the current location and destination of the user 1. The ride assistance system 200 then realizes a travel service in which the user 1 boards a taxi at the boarding location set by the server 100 and heads to the destination.

[0016] Furthermore, the server 100 sets another boarding location according to the waiting time of the user 1 at the boarding location. The server 100 also notifies information on the set boarding location to both the user 1 and the assigned taxis 31 to 33. The method of setting the boarding location will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 3, 4, 7, etc.

[0017] The taxis 31 to 33 are vehicles capable of moving from a boarding location to a disembarking location based on instructions from the server 100, and are equipped with communication devices 35 to 37 capable of communicating with the server 100 via the network 10. For example, an autonomous vehicle without a driver or a normal vehicle with a driver can be used as the taxis 31 to 33. Note that an autonomous vehicle without a driver may be called a robot taxi or an unmanned taxi.

[0018] [Example of electronic device and server functional configuration] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the electronic device 20 and the server 100. As shown in FIG.

[0019] The server 100 includes a storage unit 110, a communication unit 120, and a control unit 130. In the server 100, these components are electrically connected via a bus (not shown) or the like. Note that a general-purpose computer or a dedicated computer can be used as the server 100.

[0020] The storage unit 110 is a storage medium that stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 110 stores various types of information (e.g., a control program, a map DB (Database), a customer DB, a boarding / alighting point DB, and a stopover place DB (see FIG. 4)) that are necessary for the control unit 130 to perform various processes. The storage unit 110 also stores various types of information acquired via the communication unit 120. As the storage unit 110, for example, various storage media such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and a SSD (Solid State Drive) can be used.

[0021] The map DB stores map information required for route guidance, such as road information and facility information. The map information includes road gradients, road intersections, the number of lanes on a road, road width information, and road undulation information. The map information also includes road signs indicating speed limits and one-way streets, as well as road markings indicating crosswalks and dividing lines. The map information may also include facility information such as road structures (e.g., traffic lights and telephone poles) and buildings.

[0022] The customer DB stores account information of users who use the vehicle dispatch reservation service of the ride assistance system 200, the taxi usage history of each user, attributes of each user, etc. The account information is, for example, a user ID.

[0023] The boarding and alighting point DB is a database that stores boarding and alighting point information related to a place where a user who has made a car reservation boards a taxi (referred to as a boarding point) and a place where the user gets off the taxi (referred to as a disembarking point). The boarding and alighting point information is information for identifying the positions of the boarding and alighting points, for example, latitude and longitude. The boarding and alighting points are places where boarding and alighting can be performed, and are set as places on roads or adjacent to roads where the vehicle can be parked. That is, since places where parking and alighting can be performed are determined on roads, if the user does not exist in a place where parking and alighting can be performed, the user cannot board the taxi allocated by the car reservation. Therefore, in the first embodiment, places on the road where parking and alighting can be performed are set in advance as boarding and alighting points (boarding and alighting points), and the boarding and alighting points are registered in advance in the boarding and alighting point DB. The density of the boarding and alighting points is set appropriately according to the road and the surrounding environment. In this way, the boarding point is a meeting place between the user who has made a car reservation and the taxi allocated by the car reservation. The drop-off point is a place where a user who has made a reservation for a ride gets off the taxi allocated by the reservation for a ride. For example, Fig. 3 shows an example where positions indicated by thick circles 51 to 53 are registered as boarding and alighting points, and Fig. 5 shows an example where positions indicated by dotted circles 41 to 43 are registered as boarding and alighting points. In the first embodiment, the positions referred to as boarding and alighting points refer to boarding and alighting points.

[0024] The boarding and disembarking locations are set by the server 100. For example, when reserving a ride using a ride-hailing app, the user 1 inputs the destination to which the user will board the taxi. For example, the destination may be specified on a map displayed on the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20, or may be specified from among a plurality of locations (e.g., tourist spots and facilities) that are set in advance. The method of specifying the destination will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5.

[0025] The communication unit 120 exchanges various information with other devices using at least one of wired communication and wireless communication under the control of the control unit 130. In this way, the communication unit 120 functions as an input unit and an output unit for transmitting and receiving data. At least one of an input unit and an output unit other than the communication unit 120 may be provided in the server 100, and input and output (for example, display and audio output) of various information may be performed in the server 100. As the communication unit 120, hardware such as a network adapter, various communication software, and combinations thereof may be used.

[0026] The control unit 130 controls each unit based on various programs stored in the storage unit 110. The control unit 130 is realized by a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), for example.

[0027] The control unit 130 includes a vehicle dispatch processing unit 131, a candidate boarding location extraction unit 132, a waiting time calculation unit 133, and a boarding location setting unit 134 as functional components related to vehicle dispatch reservation processing.

[0028] When the vehicle dispatch processing unit 131 receives vehicle dispatch reservation information transmitted from the electronic device 20 in response to the vehicle dispatch reservation operation of the user 1, it executes various vehicle dispatch reservation processes in response to the vehicle dispatch reservation information. This vehicle dispatch reservation information includes location information for identifying the current location of the user 1, location information for identifying the destination, and a user ID. Note that each piece of location information includes, for example, latitude, longitude, and altitude. Note that the vehicle dispatch reservation information may include, for example, information input at the time of the reservation operation in the electronic device 20 and information held in the storage unit 21 of the electronic device 20 (for example, information regarding physical condition, information regarding the presence or absence of a person walking together).

[0029] The dispatch processing unit 131 outputs each piece of location information included in the dispatch reservation information (location information for identifying the current location of user 1, location information for identifying the destination) to the candidate boarding location extraction unit 132 and the waiting time calculation unit 133.

[0030] Further, the dispatch processing unit 131 assigns an appropriate taxi from among the multiple taxis 31 to 33 based on the dispatch reservation information. For example, the dispatch processing unit 131 assigns an available taxi that is closest to the boarding location desired by the user 1, using the location information (location information indicating the current location of the taxi) transmitted from the communication devices 35 to 37 and the map DB of the storage unit 110. Then, the dispatch processing unit 131 sets a travel route from the current location of the assigned taxi to the boarding location, using the map DB of the storage unit 110, and transmits instruction information to the communication device of the taxi to drive to the boarding location along the set travel route. Note that the travel route of the taxi set in this way is, for example, a route that can arrive in the shortest time among the routes from the current location of the assigned taxi to the boarding location.

[0031] The boarding location candidate extraction unit 132 uses the boarding and alighting location DB in the storage unit 110 to extract boarding location candidates corresponding to the ride reservation of the user 1 based on the location information (location information for identifying the current location of the user 1) output from the ride dispatch processing unit 131. Then, the boarding location candidate extraction unit 132 outputs information related to the extracted boarding location candidates to the ride dispatch processing unit 131, the waiting time calculation unit 133, and the boarding location setting unit 134. The method of extracting the boarding location candidates will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 3 and 7.

[0032] The waiting time calculation unit 133 calculates the waiting time of the user 1 at the candidate boarding location extracted by the candidate boarding location extraction unit 132 from the time the user 1 arrives at the candidate boarding location until the assigned taxi arrives at the candidate boarding location. The waiting time calculation unit 133 then outputs the calculated waiting time of the user 1 to the boarding location setting unit 134. The method of calculating the waiting time will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7.

[0033] The boarding location setting unit 134 sets the boarding location of the user 1 based on the waiting time of the user 1 calculated by the waiting time calculation unit 133, and outputs information on the set boarding location to the dispatch processing unit 131, the boarding location candidate extraction unit 132, and the waiting time calculation unit 133. Specifically, when the waiting time of the user 1 is less than a predetermined time, the boarding location setting unit 134 sets the boarding location candidate extracted by the boarding location candidate extraction unit 132 as the boarding location. On the other hand, when the waiting time of the user 1 is equal to or more than a predetermined time, the boarding location setting unit 134 sets the boarding location candidate where a drop-in place exists as the boarding location. The method of setting the predetermined time and the boarding location will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6, FIG. 7, etc.

[0034] The dispatch processing unit 131 also transmits to the electronic device 20 ride support information including a notice of acceptance of the dispatch reservation from the user 1 and boarding location information related to the set boarding location. Specifically, when the waiting time of the user 1 is less than a predetermined time, the dispatch processing unit 131 transmits information related to the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit 134 as boarding location information to the electronic device 20. On the other hand, when the waiting time of the user 1 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, the dispatch processing unit 131 transmits to the electronic device 20 boarding location information related to the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit 134 and the drop-off places existing around the boarding location. The dispatch processing unit 131 also transmits the boarding location of the user 1, the walking time to the boarding location, and the like to the communication device of the assigned taxi.

[0035] The electronic device 20 includes a storage unit 21, a communication unit 22, a position information acquisition unit 23, an input unit 24, a control unit 25, and an output unit 26. Each of the storage unit 21, the communication unit 22, the position information acquisition unit 23, the input unit 24, and the output unit 26 may be built into the electronic device 20 or may be a separate unit that can be removed from the electronic device 20.

[0036] The storage unit 21 is a storage medium that stores various information. For example, the storage unit 21 stores various information (for example, a control program, a vehicle dispatching application) required for the control unit 25 to perform various processes. The storage unit 21 also stores various information acquired via the communication unit 22. As the storage unit 21, for example, various storage media such as a ROM, a RAM, a HDD, and an SSD can be used.

[0037] The communication unit 22 exchanges various information with other devices by using at least one of wired communication and wireless communication under the control of the control unit 25. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the communication unit 22 communicates with the server 100 via the network 10. The configuration of the communication unit 22 may be the same as that of the communication unit 120 of the server 100.

[0038] The location information acquisition unit 23 acquires location information on the location where the electronic device 20 is located, and outputs the acquired location information to the control unit 25. The location information acquisition unit 23 can be realized by, for example, a GNSS receiver that acquires location information using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The location information includes data on the location such as latitude, longitude, and altitude at the time of receiving the GNSS signal. The location information may be acquired by other location information acquisition methods. For example, the location information may be derived using information from an access point or base station present in the vicinity. For example, the location information may be derived using a location estimation technique by a navigation device. The location information of the electronic device 20 acquired by the location information acquisition unit 23 may be transmitted to the server 100 at any timing, or may be included in the vehicle dispatch reservation information when the vehicle dispatch reservation information is transmitted to the server 100.

[0039] The input unit 24 receives operation input for operating the electronic device 20. For example, the input unit 24 can be a user interface such as various operating members (for example, switches and buttons) or a touch panel.

[0040] The control unit 25 controls each unit based on various programs stored in the storage unit 21. The control unit 25 is realized by a processing device such as a CPU, for example.

[0041] The output unit 26 outputs various information based on the control of the control unit 25. As the output unit 26, for example, a display panel such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel, or an audio output unit (for example, a speaker) that outputs various sounds can be used. The input unit 24 and the output unit 26 can be integrally configured using a user interface such as an input / output panel that allows a user to perform an operation input by touching or approaching the display surface with his / her finger. FIGS. 5, 6, 8, and 9 show an example in which the input unit 24 and the output unit 26 are integrally configured as an input / output unit 27.

[0042] Although an example of the configuration of the communication devices 35 to 37 provided in the taxis 31 to 33 is not shown in the drawings, each configuration of the communication devices 35 to 37 can be substantially similar to the configuration of the electronic device 20. The communication units of the communication devices 35 to 37 communicate with the server 100 via the network 10. Moreover, the taxi position information acquired by the position information acquisition units of the communication devices 35 to 37 is transmitted to the server 100 at a predetermined timing. Moreover, the taxis 31 to 33 are provided with a vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit). This vehicle ECU controls various actuators (such as a brake actuator, an accelerator actuator, and a steering actuator) based on control information received from the server 100.

[0043] [Example of boarding location extraction] FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram showing a map 50 including the current location of a user 1 who owns an electronic device 20. In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the boarding and disembarking locations (boarding and alighting locations) of a taxi arranged by a taxi dispatch reservation are extracted from pre-set locations. In the map 50, it is assumed that the locations indicated by thick circles (boarding locations 51 to 53) are set as the boarding locations of the reserved taxi. In addition, the right side of FIG. 5 shows disembarking locations 41 to 43 as pre-set disembarking locations. Note that information relating to the boarding and alighting locations (e.g., latitude and longitude) is stored in a boarding and alighting location DB stored in the storage unit 110.

[0044] In addition, it is assumed that there are stopover places P1 to P3 around the boarding location 52 on the map 50, and there is a stopover place P4 around the boarding location 53, but there is no stopover place around the boarding location 51. Here, a stopover place means a place where a user waiting for a taxi can spend time. A stopover place can also be called a POI (Point of interest), which means a specific place that is assumed to be of interest to the user. For example, if a user 1 who has made a taxi dispatch reservation arrives at the boarding location and has a long waiting time at the boarding location, the user 1 can wait for the arrival of a taxi by spending time at a stopover place without being aware of the waiting time. This makes it possible to prevent a user 1 who has made a taxi dispatch reservation from canceling the dispatch due to a long waiting time at the boarding location after arriving at the boarding location.

[0045] Stopover place P1 is a cafe (referred to as Cafe A in FIG. 4), stopover place P2 is a convenience store (referred to as Convenience Store B in FIG. 4), and stopover place P3 is a toilet (referred to as Public Toilet C in FIG. 4). Stopover place P4 is an ATM (referred to as Bank ATM D in FIG. 4). Note that the stopover places shown in FIG. 3 are just examples, and other possible stopover places include bookstores, supermarkets, places where you can buy things without having to wait in line, smoking areas, etc. Stopover places are stored in a stopover place DB (shown in FIG. 4) in association with the boarding point.

[0046] A method for setting the boarding location based on the current location of the user 1 (the current location of the electronic device 20) will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0047] [Example of contents stored in the stopover place DB] FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram showing the contents of the stop-off place DB stored in storage unit 110. As shown in FIG.

[0048] The stopover place DB is a database that manages stopover places related to the boarding place of the user who made the car dispatch reservation. Specifically, the boarding place 111, the stopover place 112, the stopover place position information 113, the round trip travel time 114 from the boarding place, the stay time 115, and the preferential treatment information 116 are stored in the stopover place DB in association with each other. Note that "WR51" of the boarding place 111 corresponds to the boarding place 51 (see FIG. 3), "WR52" of the boarding place 111 corresponds to the boarding place 52 (see FIG. 3), and "WR53" of the boarding place 111 corresponds to the boarding place 53 (see FIG. 3). Note that each place of the stopover place 112 corresponds to the stopover places P1 to P4 (see FIG. 3). Note that in FIG. 4, in order to clarify the correspondence with FIG. 3, the names of the stopover places 112 are indicated below with the symbols (P1 to P4) corresponding to the stopover places shown in FIG. 3.

[0049] The stopover place DB stores stopover places around the boarding place. The range around the boarding place means, for example, a predetermined range based on the boarding place. For example, in the case of the boarding place 52 shown in FIG. 3, the range within a circle with a radius R3 based on the boarding place 52 can be the periphery of the boarding place. The radius R3 is an example, and other values ​​may be used, and a range other than a circle may be set. In addition, the range around the boarding place may be appropriately set for each boarding place according to the environment around the boarding place. For example, in the case of a boarding place located in a downtown area, the range around the boarding place may be relatively narrow, and in the case of a boarding place located in a rural area, the range around the boarding place may be relatively wide.

[0050] The stop-off place position information 113 is information for identifying the position of the stop-off place, for example, latitude and longitude. Based on the stop-off place position information 113, it is possible to display a sign for identifying the position of the stop-off place on a map.

[0051] The round-trip travel time 114 from the boarding location is an estimated walking time when the user walks round trip between the boarding location and the drop-off location. This estimated walking time is set, for example, based on history information of walking times measured when multiple users have traveled round trip between the boarding location and the drop-off location in the past. The estimated walking time is also set based on a distance from the boarding location that the user 1 feels comfortable with (for example, a distance of about 3 to 5 minutes on foot). The round-trip travel time 114 from the boarding location may be set differently depending on the density of boarding and alighting locations.

[0052] The staying time 115 is the estimated staying time that the user who came to the drop-off place is estimated to stay at. This estimated staying time is set, for example, based on the history information of the time that a plurality of users stayed at the drop-off place in the past.

[0053] The preferential treatment information 116 is information that a user who uses the vehicle dispatch service can receive at a stopover point. For example, in the case of a restaurant, the preferential treatment information may be a free coupon or a discount coupon for food and drink, and in the case of a service industry, the preferential treatment information may be a coupon or a preferential service that can be used.

[0054] [Example of reservation operation screen] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing display examples of reservation operation screens 60, 65 displayed on the input / output unit 27 when the ride-hailing app is started in the electronic device 20. The left side of FIG. 5 shows a display example of a reservation operation screen 60 where the user selects a destination from a plurality of preset locations. The right side of FIG. 5 shows a display example of a reservation operation screen 65 where the user selects a desired destination on a map. These reservation operation screens can be switched by an operation of the user 1. The example shown in FIG. 5 shows an example where "ABC Castle" is selected as the destination. Note that, although an example in which the arrival time is not specified is shown in the first embodiment, the arrival time may be specified.

[0055] When making a reservation for a taxi using the taxi dispatch app of the electronic device 20, the user 1 starts the taxi dispatch app of the electronic device 20 and causes the input / output unit 27 to display a reservation operation screen. For example, the user 1 causes one of the reservation operation screens 60 and 65 to be displayed on the input / output unit 27. Next, the user 1 performs a designation operation to designate a destination to be traveled by the reserved taxi on the reservation operation screen displayed on the input / output unit 27. Although not described here, the destination may be designated by a character search operation (for example, a keyword search for an address, facility name, etc.).

[0056] When displaying the reservation operation screen 60 shown on the left side of FIG. 5, the user 1 performs a narrowing operation to narrow down the area including the destination by character search or map search. Then, the reservation operation screen 60 including a list display area 62 containing a plurality of places set in advance in the area extracted by the narrowing operation is displayed. In this example, an example is shown in which the list display area 62 is displayed by pressing the pull-down button 63, but the pull-down button 63 may be omitted and only the list display area 62 may be displayed. In addition, in this example, an example is shown in which a narrowing operation is performed using character search or map search, but the reservation operation screen 60 including the list display area 62 may be displayed by other methods. For example, when the electronic device 20 manages the schedule of the user 1, the control unit 25 of the electronic device 20 can estimate the destination based on the schedule. For example, assume that "ABC Castle with family from 11:00 on 7 / 27" is recorded in the schedule. In this case, if the user 1 makes a car dispatch reservation at around 10:00 on 7 / 27, the user 1 is likely to go to ABC Castle with his family. Therefore, based on the schedule "ABC Castle with family from 11:00 on 7 / 27", it is possible to display a reservation operation screen 60 including a list display area 62 of the area (e.g., city, town, village) where "ABC Castle" is located. In addition, the destination may be estimated and presented based on the past history information of the user 1, or may be estimated and presented using artificial intelligence.

[0057] When specifying a destination using the reservation operation screen 60 shown on the left side of Fig. 5, the user 1 searches for the desired destination from among the multiple locations included in the list display area 62 while referring to the operation support information 61. Then, if the destination desired by the user 1 is present among the multiple locations included in the list display area 62, the reservation operation is completed by the user 1 pressing the destination and then pressing the Confirm button 64. For example, the reservation operation is completed by pressing the Confirm button 64 after performing a selection operation (e.g., a touch operation) to select "ABC Castle" from the multiple locations displayed in a list after pressing the pull-down button 63.

[0058] When specifying a destination using the reservation operation screen 65 shown on the right side of Fig. 5, the user 1 causes a map including the destination to be displayed on the reservation operation screen 65 while referring to the operation support information 66. Then, the user performs a selection operation (e.g., a touch operation) to select a desired destination on the displayed map. In the example shown on the right side of Fig. 5, the location of ABC Castle selected by the selection operation is indicated by a dotted circle 67. In this way, the reservation operation is completed by pressing the confirm button 68 after performing the selection operation to select the location of "ABC Castle."

[0059] As described above, the drop-off point of the taxi arranged by the taxi dispatch reservation is selected from the preset locations. In the map displayed on the reservation operation screen 65 shown on the right side of Fig. 5, the locations indicated by the dotted circles (drop-off points 41 to 43) are set as the drop-off points of the reserved taxi. In addition, when "ABC Castle" is selected as the destination by the reservation operation of the user 1, the drop-off point 43 closest to "ABC Castle" is selected as the drop-off point of the taxi dispatched by the reservation operation.

[0060] Note that the reservation operation screens 60 and 65 may be provided with input fields for inputting various information related to the user 1 and the surrounding environment, and the user 1 may perform input operations as necessary. For example, as various types of information, input fields may be provided for inputting user preference information (e.g., convenience store lover, book lover, coffee lover, heat intolerant, cold intolerant, preferred temperature range), user attribute information (e.g., gender, age), user physical condition information (e.g., good, bad, foot injury), information on the number of people riding in the taxi, and the like.

[0061] When the above-mentioned reservation operation is performed, the control unit 25 of the electronic device 20 transmits the vehicle dispatch reservation information to the server 100. This vehicle dispatch reservation information includes location information on the current location of the user 1, location information on the destination, and a user ID. In addition, when the above-mentioned various information on the user 1 and the surrounding environment is input by the user 1 or is stored in the storage unit 21, the information is included in the vehicle dispatch reservation information and transmitted. When the electronic device 20 can acquire the environment (e.g., weather, temperature) around the user 1, the information on the environment may be included in the vehicle dispatch reservation information and transmitted. In addition, when the electronic device 20 is a device such as a smart watch that can be worn on the body of the user 1 and used, the electronic device 20 manages the physical condition of the user 1 based on various measurement results. Therefore, the physical condition managed by the electronic device 20 can be sequentially stored in the storage unit 21 and used. In addition, the number of people riding in the taxi may be estimated based on the schedule of the user 1 managed by the electronic device 20. For example, if it is a time period when the user 1 plans to go to ABC Castle with his / her family, it can be estimated that the user will ride in a taxi with his / her family.

[0062] The server 100 that receives the vehicle dispatch reservation information executes a process for setting a boarding location, a process for setting a disembarking location, and a process for allocating a taxi. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when ABC City is specified, the disembarking location 43 that is closest to ABC City is selected from among the disembarking locations stored in the boarding and disembarking DB. Other processes in the server 100 when the vehicle dispatch reservation information is received will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7. Then, the server 100 transmits the boarding support information, which is the processing result, to the electronic device 20. An example of the display of the input / output unit 27 after receiving the boarding support information is shown in FIG. 6.

[0063] [Example of boarding location information screen] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing display examples of boarding location guidance screens 70, 80 displayed on the input / output unit 27 after a reservation operation is performed using a ride-hailing app in the electronic device 20. The left side of Fig. 6 shows a display example of the boarding location guidance screen 70 when the waiting time at the boarding location 51 (see Fig. 3) closest to the current location of the user 1 is less than a predetermined time. The right side of Fig. 6 shows a display example of the boarding location guidance screen 80 when the waiting time at the boarding location 51 closest to the current location of the user 1 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time.

[0064] Here, the predetermined time is a value that makes the user 1 feel that the waiting time is long. For example, a value of about 5 to 15 minutes can be set as the predetermined time. Note that the predetermined time may be a fixed value, or may be set appropriately according to the preference of the user 1. Note that in the first embodiment, an example in which the predetermined time is fixed to 10 minutes is shown.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 25 of the electronic device 20 causes the input / output unit 27 to display boarding location guidance screens 70, 80 for assisting the user 1 in walking from his / her current location to the boarding location set by the server 100, based on the boarding assistance information transmitted from the server 100.

[0066] A current location indicator 72 indicating the current location of the user 1, a boarding location indicator 73 indicating the location of the boarding location, and an arrow indicator 74 indicating the walking route from the current location indicator 72 to the boarding location indicator 73 are displayed on the boarding location guidance screen 70 shown on the left side of FIG. 6. A walking time display area 75 indicating the walking time from the current location of the user 1 to the boarding location is also displayed on the boarding location guidance screen 70. The walking time display area 75 displays an estimated walking time when the user 1 walks the walking route indicated by the arrow indicator 74 based on the boarding support information transmitted from the server 100. In addition, the lower display area 71 of the boarding location guidance screen 70 displays the estimated arrival time of the taxi, the waiting time at the boarding location, the estimated arrival time at the destination, and the like, together with a message for supporting walking.

[0067] A current location indicator 82, a boarding location indicator 83, an arrow indicator 84, and a walking time display area 86 are displayed on a boarding location guidance screen 80 shown on the right side of FIG. 6. These are the same as those on the boarding location guidance screen 70 shown on the right side of FIG. 6, so their description will be omitted here. In addition, since there are stopover places P1 to P3 (see FIG. 3) around the boarding location corresponding to the boarding location indicator 83, stopover place indicators P1' to P3' indicating the positions of the stopover places P1 to P3 are displayed. In addition, a lower display area 81 of the boarding location guidance screen 80 displays a message to assist walking, the estimated arrival time of the taxi, the waiting time at the boarding location, the estimated arrival time at the destination, etc., as well as a message that it is possible to stop at a stopover place during the waiting time. In addition, a stopover place list display area 85 is displayed on the upper side of the lower display area 81.

[0068] Here, the right side of FIG. 6 shows an example in which the waiting time at the boarding location is 19 minutes (see the lower display area 81). In the first embodiment, only the places that can be stopped at within the waiting time (19 minutes) at the boarding location are displayed in the drop-off location list display area 85. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, there are drop-off locations P1 to P3 around the boarding location 52 corresponding to the boarding location sign 83. In this case, the dispatch processing unit 131 extracts the places that can be stopped at within the waiting time (19 minutes) at the boarding location from among the drop-off locations P1 to P3 based on the round-trip travel time 114 from the boarding location and the stay time 115 (see FIG. 4). Specifically, the places where the total value of the round-trip travel time 114 from the boarding location and the stay time 115 falls within the waiting time (19 minutes) at the boarding location are extracted. That is, the drop-off locations P2 and P3 shown by being surrounded by a dotted rectangle 117 in FIG. 4 are extracted. Then, information about the extracted stop-off places P2 and P3 (see FIG. 3) is displayed in the stop-off place list display area 85. Also, the identification numbers 1 and 2 in the stop-off place list display area 85 correspond to the numbers shown in the stop-off place signs P2' and P3'. The stop-off place sign P1' corresponding to the stop-off place P1 may not be displayed, or may be displayed in another display mode (for example, a dotted line or a different color).

[0069] Furthermore, for the extracted stop places P2 and P3, the priority of the stop places may be set based on the travel load of the user 1, and the display order of the stop place list display area 85 may be determined based on the priority. For example, the priority of the stop place P2 closest to the boarding location 52 may be set high, and the priority of the stop place P3 next closest to the boarding location 52 may be set low. Then, the stop place P2 with the high priority is displayed in the identification number 1 of the stop place list display area 85, and the stop place P3 with the second highest priority is displayed in the identification number 2 of the stop place list display area 85. That is, the vehicle dispatch processing unit 131 can set the priority of the stop places based on the travel load of the user 1, and associate the priority with the stop places and display them on the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20.

[0070] In addition, a "privilege information" display area and a "required time" display area are provided on the right side of the stop-off place list display area 85. In the "privilege information" display area, a check mark is added to a stop-off place whose privilege information is stored in the privilege information 116 of the stop-off place DB (see FIG. 4). Then, when the user 1 stops at the stop-off place P2 whose check mark is added in the "privilege information" display area, the user 1 can use privileges such as coupons that can be used at the stop-off place P2. In addition, the "required time" display area displays the time required to stop at the stop-off places P2 and P3 from the boarding place 52. Specifically, the sum of the round-trip travel time 114 from the boarding place and the staying time 115 (see FIG. 4) is displayed in the "required time" display area.

[0071] If there is a stopover point on the walking route to the boarding point of user 1, the "required time" display area may be displayed based on the value of round-trip travel time 114 from the boarding point minus the overlapping portion on the walking route. For example, there is a stopover point P2 on the walking route to the boarding point of user 1. In this case, the value "7 minutes" obtained by adding "2", which is 1 / 2 of the value "4" of round-trip travel time 114 from the boarding point, and "5", which is the value of staying time 115, may be displayed in the "required time" display area.

[0072] Although the description is omitted in the first embodiment, the boarding location guidance screen may display guidance for heading to the boarding location along the walking route, as in a well-known navigation system. The walking time displayed on the boarding location guidance screen may be decreased according to the user's walking, and "0" may be displayed when the user arrives at the boarding location. The control unit 25 of the electronic device 20 may sequentially display the latest information on the estimated arrival time of the taxi, the waiting time at the boarding location, and the estimated arrival time at the destination, based on the information from the server 100. The control unit 25 of the electronic device 20 may also provide such guidance by audio output.

[0073] Furthermore, when the scheduled arrival time of the taxi is significantly delayed and the waiting time at the boarding location is increased, the control unit 130 of the server 100 may refer to the drop-off location DB (see FIG. 4) in the storage unit 110 and present the user 1 with a drop-off location according to the increased waiting time. Note that an example of suggesting to the user 1 another boarding location that has a drop-off location when the scheduled arrival time of the taxi is significantly delayed while the user 1 is walking toward the boarding location and the waiting time at the boarding location is increased will be described in the second embodiment.

[0074] In addition, while Fig. 6 shows an example of displaying the walking time along the walking route to the boarding location, the estimated arrival time at the boarding location may be displayed instead of the walking time. The estimated arrival time at the boarding location can be calculated by adding the estimated walking time to the time when the user 1 made the reservation for the ride. In other words, each piece of information related to the arrival time along the walking route (e.g., estimated walking time, estimated arrival time) can be displayed according to the user 1's preference.

[0075] [Server operation example] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a boarding location setting process in the server 100. In this process example, the server 100 receives vehicle dispatch reservation information from the electronic device 20. This process example is executed by the control unit 130 based on a program stored in the storage unit 110. Fig. 7 will be described with reference to the examples shown in Figs. 1 to 6 as appropriate.

[0076] In step S301, the vehicle allocation processing unit 131 receives vehicle allocation reservation information transmitted from the electronic device 20 via the communication unit 120. Upon receiving this vehicle allocation reservation information, the vehicle allocation processing unit 131 executes various vehicle allocation processes according to the vehicle allocation reservation information.

[0077] In step S302, the candidate boarding location extraction unit 132 extracts candidate boarding locations at which the travel load for user 1 falls within a first predetermined value from among the boarding locations stored in the boarding and alighting location DB. That is, the candidate boarding location extraction unit 132 extracts candidate boarding locations at which the travel load for user 1 falls within a first predetermined value based on the location information (location information related to the current location of user 1) included in the received ride-allocation reservation information.

[0078] Here, the travel load of the user 1 is an evaluation value calculated based on the effort, travel time, travel distance, etc., when the user 1 moves, and can also be called the travel cost of the user 1. For example, when the travel distance is long or the road has a slope, the effort of the user 1 when moving increases and the time when the user 1 moves increases, so the travel load of the user 1 is high. On the other hand, when the travel distance is short or the road is flat, the effort of the user 1 when moving decreases and the time when the user 1 moves decreases, so the travel load of the user 1 is low. Also, for example, when it rains, the effort of the user 1 when moving increases and the time when the user 1 moves increases, so the travel load of the user 1 is high. On the other hand, even when it rains, when it is a pedestrian-only road with a roof, the effort of the user 1 when moving decreases and the time when the user 1 moves decreases, so the travel load of the user 1 is low. In this way, the travel load of the user 1 can be calculated according to the road conditions, weather, and surrounding environment of the walking route along which the user 1 moves. In the first embodiment, for ease of explanation, an example is shown in which the straight-line distance from the current location of the user 1 to the boarding location is used as the travel load of the user 1. Instead of the straight-line distance from the current location of the user 1 to the boarding location, the distance of a walking route from the current location of the user 1 to the boarding location may be used as the travel load of the user 1. In addition, when the travel load of the user 1 is low, it can also be referred to as low access difficulty, and when the travel load of the user 1 is high, it can also be referred to as high access difficulty.

[0079] The first predetermined value may be set by the user 1, or a predetermined value (e.g., tens to hundreds of meters) may be used. If there are multiple boarding locations where the travel load for the user 1 falls within the first predetermined value, the boarding location with the smallest travel load for the user 1 among those boarding locations is extracted as the boarding location candidate. In other words, the boarding location with the shortest straight-line distance from the current location of the user 1 is extracted as the boarding location candidate.

[0080] Fig. 3 shows an example of extracting boarding locations within a range of radius R1 based on the current location of user 1. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the only boarding location within a range of radius R1 based on the current location of user 1 is boarding location 51, so boarding location 51 is extracted as a candidate boarding location.

[0081] In step S303, the dispatch processing unit 131 selects a taxi that can pick up the candidate boarding location extracted in step S302. That is, the dispatch processing unit 131 assigns an appropriate taxi from among the multiple taxis 31 to 33 based on the position of the candidate boarding location extracted in step S302. For example, the dispatch processing unit 131 assigns an empty taxi that is closest to the candidate boarding location extracted in step S302 (or an empty taxi that can arrive at the candidate boarding location in the shortest time) using the location information (location information indicating the current location of the taxi) transmitted from the communication devices 35 to 37 and the map DB of the storage unit 110. Then, the dispatch processing unit 131 sets a travel route from the current location of the assigned taxi to the boarding location using the map DB of the storage unit 110, and transmits instruction information to the communication device of the taxi to drive to the boarding location along the set travel route. The travel route of the taxi set in this way is, for example, the route that can arrive in the shortest time among the routes from the current location of the assigned taxi to the boarding location.

[0082] In step S304, the waiting time calculation unit 133 calculates the waiting time of the user 1 at the candidate boarding location extracted in step S302. Specifically, the waiting time calculation unit 133 calculates the walking time of the user 1 to the candidate boarding location and the travel time of the assigned taxi to the candidate boarding location, and calculates the waiting time of the user 1 based on the difference between them.

[0083] For example, the waiting time calculation unit 133 executes a selection process to select a walking route from the current location of the user 1 to the boarding location candidate extracted in step S302 using the map DB in the storage unit 110. For example, when there are multiple walking routes from the current location of the user 1 to the boarding location candidate, the waiting time calculation unit 133 selects one walking route from the multiple walking routes based on a predetermined condition. In addition, the waiting time calculation unit 133 executes a calculation process of a walking time for the selected walking route. Specifically, the waiting time calculation unit 133 calculates the walking time of the selected walking route based on a general walking speed (walking speed) set in advance and the distance of the selected walking route. For example, the walking time can be calculated using the following formula. Walking time of a walking route = walking route distance / walking speed

[0084] The general walking speed set in advance may be appropriately changed based on the user's attributes (gender, adult, child, physical condition) and the walking environment (weather, temperature, presence or absence of slopes, bad roads), etc. For example, if it is known that the user 1 is in poor physical condition, a value lowered from the general walking speed set in advance is used. Also, for example, if it is raining when walking, a value lowered from the general walking speed set in advance is used. The user's attributes can be acquired based on user input or sensor information, and the weather and temperature can be acquired from various websites that provide weather-related information, for example. The presence or absence of slopes, bad roads, etc. can be acquired from the map DB in the storage unit 110.

[0085] Also, for example, the waiting time calculation unit 133 executes a calculation process of the travel time for the taxi travel route set in step S303. Specifically, the waiting time calculation unit 133 calculates the travel time for the set travel route based on the distance of the set travel route and the vehicle speed that is set in advance for the travel route taking into account the legal speed limit and traffic congestion. Note that the vehicle speed that is set in advance may be appropriately changed and used based on the road condition (traffic congestion) and the like. For example, the travel time can be calculated using the following formula. Travel time of a travel route = Distance of a travel route / Travel speed

[0086] Next, the waiting time calculation unit 133 calculates a difference between the walking time of the user 1 to the candidate boarding location and the travel time of the taxi to the candidate boarding location. In this case, if the walking time of the user 1 to the candidate boarding location is shorter than the travel time of the taxi to the candidate boarding location, the user 1 will wait at the candidate boarding location for the difference value. Therefore, the difference value is calculated as the waiting time of the user 1. On the other hand, if the walking time of the user 1 to the candidate boarding location is longer than the travel time of the taxi to the candidate boarding location, the taxi will wait at the candidate boarding location, and no waiting time will occur for the user 1. Therefore, 0 is calculated as the waiting time of the user 1.

[0087] In step S305, the boarding location setting unit 134 determines whether the waiting time of the user 1 at the boarding location candidate calculated in step S304 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time. Here, the predetermined time is a value that the user 1 feels is a long waiting time as shown in Fig. 6, and can be set to a value of, for example, about 5 to 15 minutes.

[0088] The predetermined time may be variable based on at least one of the preference information of the user 1, the attribute information of the user 1, the physical condition information of the user 1, the environmental information around the user 1, the environmental information around the boarding location candidate, and the information on the number of people riding in a taxi with the user 1. Here, a case where the environmental information around the user 1 and the environmental information around the boarding location candidate are used will be described. For example, when it is raining at the boarding location, it is assumed that the user 1 feels the waiting time is long even if the waiting time is relatively short. Therefore, when it is raining at the boarding location, the predetermined time is set to a shorter value than when the boarding location is sunny. Also, for example, when the temperature at the boarding location is extremely low or extremely high, it is assumed that the user 1 feels the waiting time is long even if the waiting time is relatively short. Therefore, when the temperature at the boarding location is extremely low or extremely high, the predetermined time is set to a shorter value than when the temperature at the boarding location is warm.

[0089] Also, for example, when it is possible to determine, using attribute information of user 1 or information on the number of people, that user 1 is a child or that user 1 is with a child, a short value is set as the predetermined time. Also, for example, when it is possible to determine, using attribute information of user 1, that user 1 is old or young, a short value is set as the predetermined time. Also, for example, when it is possible to determine, using physical condition information of user 1, that user 1 is unwell or has some kind of injury, a short value is set as the predetermined time.

[0090] Also, for example, if it is possible to determine using information regarding the number of people that User 1 is with friends, it is possible that the two will have a long conversation at the boarding location, so a long value is set as the specified time.

[0091] Also, for example, if it is possible to know, using the preference information of the user 1, how long the user 1 had to wait before cancelling a car reservation in the past, a time shorter than that waiting time is set as the predetermined time. Also, if it is possible to know the environment (weather, temperature, etc.) around the user 1 at the time of the cancellation, it is also possible to set the predetermined time using that information.

[0092] Furthermore, the user 1 may register the temperature preferred by the user 1 as the user's preference information in the electronic device 20, and set the predetermined time to be shorter as the difference between the registered temperature and the current temperature increases. That is, the boarding location setting unit 134 may acquire weather information as the environment around the boarding location candidate, set the temperature preferred by the user 1 as a reference temperature, and set the predetermined time to a smaller value as the temperature difference between the temperature around the boarding location candidate and the reference temperature increases. In this way, the boarding location setting unit 134 can change and use the predetermined time based on the preference information of the user 1, the attribute information of the user 1, and the like.

[0093] If the waiting time of user 1 at the boarding location candidate is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S308. On the other hand, if the waiting time of user 1 at the boarding location candidate is less than the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S306.

[0094] In step S306, the boarding location setting unit 134 sets the boarding location candidate extracted in step S302 as the boarding location.

[0095] In step S307, the dispatch processing unit 131 executes a notification process for notifying the user of boarding location information related to the boarding location set in step S306. The boarding location information is, for example, a walking route and walking time to the boarding location, a waiting time at the boarding location, a scheduled boarding time of a taxi at the boarding location, and a scheduled arrival time at the destination. Specifically, the dispatch processing unit 131 transmits to the electronic device 20 boarding assistance information including information that a dispatch reservation from the user 1 has been accepted and boarding location information related to the boarding location set. The control unit 25 of the electronic device 20 that has received the boarding assistance information displays the boarding location information included in the boarding assistance information on the input / output unit 27 (an example of a display unit) based on the boarding assistance information. For example, as shown on the left side of FIG. 6, a boarding location guide screen 70 is displayed on the input / output unit 27. In this way, the dispatch processing unit 131 functions as an output unit or an output control unit that executes control to output the boarding location information from the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20. In other words, the dispatch processing unit 131 functions as a display control unit that executes control for displaying boarding location information on the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20. The estimated arrival time of the taxi at the boarding location is calculated based on the travel time of the taxi. The estimated arrival time at the destination is calculated based on the travel route of the taxi from the boarding location to the destination and the taxi speed that is set in advance taking into account the legal speed limit and traffic congestion on that travel route, and is calculated based on the travel time.

[0096] In step S308, the boarding location setting unit 134 determines whether or not there is a stop-off location around the boarding location candidate extracted in step S302. Specifically, the boarding location setting unit 134 determines whether or not there is a stop-off location around the boarding location candidate extracted in step S302 by using the stop-off location DB (see FIG. 4). For example, assume that the boarding location 51 shown in FIG. 3 is extracted as the boarding location candidate. In this case, the boarding location 51 stored in the stop-off location DB ("WR51" of the boarding location 111 shown in FIG. 4) is not associated with the stop-off location 112 and stored. For this reason, it is determined that there is no stop-off location around the boarding location candidate. On the other hand, assume that the boarding location 52 shown in FIG. 3 is extracted as the boarding location candidate. In this case, the boarding location 52 stored in the stop-off location DB ("WR52" of the boarding location 111 shown in FIG. 4) is associated with three pieces of information (A cafe, B convenience store, C public toilet) as the stop-off location 112 and stored. Therefore, it is determined that there is a stop-off place around the boarding location candidate. If there is a stop-off place around the boarding location candidate, the process proceeds to step S311. On the other hand, if there is no stop-off place around the boarding location candidate, the process proceeds to step S309.

[0097] In step S309, the boarding location candidate extraction unit 132 determines whether or not there is a boarding location that has a drop-off place and where the user 1's waiting time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time among the second boarding location candidates in which the travel load of the user 1 is within the second predetermined value. Specifically, the boarding location candidate extraction unit 132 extracts one or more second boarding location candidates in which the travel load of the user 1 is within the second predetermined value from among the boarding locations stored in the boarding and alighting locations DB, based on the location information (location information related to the current location of the user 1) included in the received ride-allocation reservation information. Here, the travel load of the user 1 is the same as the travel load shown in step S302. In addition, the second predetermined value is a value larger than the first predetermined value shown in step S302. The second predetermined value may be set by the user 1, or a unique value (for example, tens of meters to hundreds of meters) may be used.

[0098] Fig. 3 shows an example in which boarding locations within a radius R2 are extracted as second boarding location candidates based on the current location of user 1. In the example shown in Fig. 3, boarding locations within a radius R2 based on the current location of user 1 are boarding locations 51 and 52, so boarding location 52 other than boarding location 51 is extracted as the second boarding location candidate.

[0099] Next, the boarding location setting unit 134 judges whether or not there is a boarding location among the extracted second boarding location candidates that has a drop-off location in the vicinity and the waiting time of the user 1 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time. Specifically, the boarding location setting unit 134 judges whether or not there is a drop-off location in the vicinity of the extracted second boarding location candidate using the drop-off location DB (see FIG. 4) in the same manner as the judgment process in step S308, and extracts the second boarding location candidate that has a drop-off location in the vicinity. Next, the boarding location setting unit 134 judges whether or not the waiting time of the user 1 at the second boarding location candidate that has a drop-off location in the vicinity is equal to or longer than a predetermined time. Note that the waiting time of the user 1 at the second boarding location candidate is calculated by the waiting time calculation unit 133 in the same manner as the calculation process in step S304. The predetermined time shown here is the same as the predetermined time shown in step S305. In other words, even if a boarding location has a drop-off location, if the walking time to the boarding location is long and the waiting time of the user 1 at the boarding location is short, the user 1 cannot stop at the drop-off location in the vicinity of the boarding location. In this case, even if the second boarding location candidate has a stop-off location, it will not be set as the boarding location.

[0100] For example, assume that boarding location 52 shown in Fig. 3 is extracted as the second boarding location candidate. In this case, three pieces of information (A cafe, B convenience store, C public restroom) are stored as stop-off locations 112 in association with boarding location 52 stored in the stop-off location DB ("WR52" of boarding location 111 shown in Fig. 4). For this reason, it is determined that there are stop-off locations around the second boarding location candidate. In this case, if it is determined that the waiting time of user 1 at boarding location 52 is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S310.

[0101] If there is a second boarding location candidate in the vicinity that has a stopover place and the waiting time of user 1 is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S310. On the other hand, if there is no second boarding location candidate in the vicinity that has a stopover place, or if there is a second boarding location candidate in the vicinity that has a stopover place but the waiting time of user 1 at the second boarding location candidate is less than the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S306. In this case, the process recommends the first boarding location to user 1, rather than recommending a boarding location with a stopover place.

[0102] In step S310, the boarding location setting unit 134 sets the second boarding location candidate determined to be applicable in step S309 as the boarding location.

[0103] In step S311, the boarding location setting unit 134 sets the boarding location candidate extracted in step S302 as the boarding location.

[0104] In step S312, the dispatch processing unit 131 executes a notification process for notifying the user of boarding location information related to the boarding location set in step S310 or S311. The boarding location information is, for example, a walking route and walking time to the boarding location, a waiting time at the boarding location, an estimated arrival time of a taxi at the boarding location, an estimated arrival time at the destination, a stopover place existing around the boarding location, and the like. Specifically, similar to step S307, the dispatch processing unit 131 transmits to the electronic device 20 boarding assistance information including information that a dispatch reservation from the user 1 has been accepted and boarding location information related to the set boarding location. The control unit 25 of the electronic device 20 that has received the boarding assistance information causes the input / output unit 27 (an example of a display unit) to display the boarding location information included in the boarding assistance information based on the boarding assistance information. For example, a boarding location guide screen 80 is displayed on the input / output unit 27 as shown on the right side of FIG. 6.

[0105] In addition, the priority of the stopover places may be set using the user's preference information (e.g., likes convenience stores, likes books, likes coffee), and the display order of the stopover place list display area 85 (see FIG. 6) may be determined based on the priority. For example, when a stopover place preferred by the user 1 is extracted using the user's preference information, the priority of the stopover place preferred by the user 1 is set high. In addition, the boarding location where the stopover place exists may be set using the user's preference information (e.g., likes convenience stores, likes books, likes coffee). For example, even if a stopover place exists in a boarding location, it is assumed that the stopover place preferred by the user 1 does not exist in the boarding location. In this case, it is assumed that the user 1 cannot use the time effectively. Therefore, the boarding location setting unit 134 may use whether or not a stopover place preferred by the user 1 exists as a judgment criterion in the judgment process of steps S308 and S309.

[0106] Here, if a boarding location with a low travel load for user 1 is set without considering the waiting time of user 1 at the boarding location, user 1 may be forced to wait for a taxi to arrive at the boarding location for a predetermined time or more after moving to the boarding location. For example, if a waiting time of a predetermined time or more occurs at the boarding location and user 1 is simply forced to wait at the boarding location without a place to stop by, the usability of the ride-hailing app may be reduced. In particular, if a waiting time of a predetermined time or more occurs at a boarding location in a storm or in a severe cold and hot environment, some user 1 may not be able to wait for a taxi to arrive, and may cancel the reservation and make another reservation.

[0107] Therefore, in the first embodiment, when it is determined that the waiting time of the user 1 at the boarding location where the travel load of the user 1 is the lowest is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, another boarding location with a nearby drop-off place is set. That is, when it is determined that the waiting time of the user 1 at the boarding location is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, it is possible to suggest another boarding location where the user 1 can effectively use his / her time. This makes it possible to wait for the arrival of a taxi while effectively using time at the drop-off place. In addition, by not making the user aware of the waiting time at the boarding location, it is possible to prevent cancellation of the dispatch. In addition, by preventing the dispatch cancellation, it is possible to prevent an increase in the calculation process related to the dispatch cancellation and the calculation process related to the re-dispatch reservation, and it is possible to reduce the amount of calculation of the control unit 130.

[0108] Generally, users who make a reservation for a ride often want to arrive earlier than the scheduled boarding time due to anxiety about missing the taxi, and therefore often walk faster than the normal walking speed on the walking route to the boarding location. Users who arrive at the boarding location early tend to wait near the boarding location. For this reason, it is expected that a waiting time longer than the waiting time at the boarding location estimated at the time of the reservation for the ride may occur. In this way, even if a long waiting time occurs, by providing a place to stop by, the waiting time can be reduced and the waiting time can be turned into useful time.

[0109] [Example of display that allows the user to select the desired boarding location] In the above, an example was shown in which the user is notified of a boarding location where there is a drop-in place when a waiting time of a predetermined time or more occurs at the boarding location. However, it is assumed that some users do not wish to stop at the drop-in place and wish to wait at the boarding location. Therefore, FIG. 8 shows an example in which a desired boarding location is selected by the user.

[0110] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of display transition of boarding location guide screens 76, 80 displayed on the input / output unit 27 after a reservation operation is performed using a ride-hailing app in the electronic device 20. The boarding location guide screen 76 is a display screen that displays information on both the boarding location guide screens 70, 80 shown in Fig. 6, and therefore information common to the boarding location guide screens 70, 80 is indicated by the same reference numerals. Note that in Fig. 8, the boarding locations 51, 52 (see Fig. 3) will be described as boarding locations A and B.

[0111] Furthermore, the boarding location guide screen 76 displays both a walking time display area 78 for boarding location A and a walking time display area 79 for boarding location B. Furthermore, a lower display area 77 of the boarding location guide screen 76 displays the waiting times for both boarding locations A and B, a message that there are stopover places around boarding location B, and a message that a desired boarding location can be selected from boarding locations A and B.

[0112] The example shown in Fig. 8 shows an example in which boarding location B is selected as the desired boarding location by a selection operation (e.g., a touch operation) to select either boarding location sign 73 or 83. When this selection operation is performed, a boarding location guide screen 80 is displayed on the input / output unit 27, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 8. This boarding location guide screen 80 is similar to the boarding location guide screen 80 shown in Fig. 6, and is therefore indicated by the same reference numerals as the boarding location guide screen 80.

[0113] In this way, user 1 can select a desired boarding location from among a plurality of boarding locations with different conditions.

[0114] [Configuration and Effects of the First Embodiment] The server 100 (an example of a riding assistance device) according to the first embodiment is a riding assistance device that dispatches a taxi (an example of a vehicle) upon reservation by user 1 and notifies user 1 of the boarding location where user 1 will board the taxi. The server 100 also includes a waiting time calculation unit 133 that calculates the waiting time for the user 1 to wait for a taxi at the boarding location candidate extracted based on the current location of the user 1 based on the current location of the user 1, the current location of the taxi, and the position of the boarding location candidate, a boarding location setting unit 134 that sets the boarding location candidate having a stopover place in the vicinity as the boarding location from among the boarding location candidates extracted based on the current location of the user 1 when the waiting time is less than a predetermined time, and a dispatch processing unit 131 (an example of an output unit) that outputs information on the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit 134 as boarding location information from the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20 when the waiting time is less than the predetermined time, and outputs information on the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit 134 and the stopover places in the vicinity of the boarding location from the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20 when the waiting time is more than the predetermined time. The ride assistance device according to the first embodiment may be realized by the electronic device 20, or may be realized by each device constituting the ride assistance system 200.

[0115] According to such a server 100, if the waiting time of the user 1 at the boarding location is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, a boarding location with a nearby drop-off place is set, so that the user 1 can effectively use the time at the drop-off place while waiting for the arrival of the taxi. Also, by not making the user 1 aware of the waiting time at the boarding location, cancellation of the dispatch can be prevented.

[0116] In addition, in the server 100 according to the first embodiment, the waiting time calculation unit 133 calculates the travel time of user 1 on the travel route from the user 1's current location to the candidate boarding location, and also calculates the travel time of the taxi on the travel route from the taxi's current location to the candidate boarding location, and calculates the waiting time at the candidate boarding location from when user 1 arrives at the candidate boarding location to when the taxi arrives at the candidate boarding location based on the difference between the user's travel time and the taxi's travel time.

[0117] Such a server 100 can improve the accuracy of calculation of waiting times at candidate boarding locations, making it possible to set an appropriate boarding location.

[0118] In addition, the server 100 according to the first embodiment further includes a boarding location candidate extraction unit 132 that extracts one or more boarding locations where the travel load of the user 1 is equal to or less than a first predetermined value based on the current location of the user 1 as boarding location candidates. When the waiting time is equal to or more than a predetermined time and there is no stop-off location around the boarding location candidate, the boarding location candidate extraction unit 132 extracts one or more boarding locations where the travel load of the user 1 is equal to or less than a second predetermined value that is greater than the first predetermined value as second boarding location candidates. In addition, when the waiting time is equal to or more than a predetermined time and there is a stop-off location around the boarding location candidate extracted using the first predetermined value, the boarding location setting unit 134 sets the boarding location candidate as the boarding location when there is a stop-off location around the boarding location candidate extracted using the second predetermined value, and when there is no stop-off location around the boarding location candidate, sets the second boarding location candidate with a stop-off location around it as the boarding location from among the second boarding location candidates extracted using the second predetermined value.

[0119] According to such a server 100, when there are no stopover places around the candidate boarding location, the extraction conditions are relaxed to extract the candidate boarding location, so that a boarding location with stopover places around it can be appropriately set.

[0120] In addition, in the server 100 according to the first embodiment, the specified time is variable based on at least one of the preference information of user 1, the attribute information of user 1, the physical condition information of user 1, the environmental information around user 1, the environmental information around the candidate boarding location, and the information regarding the number of people riding in the taxi with user 1.

[0121] According to such a server 100, it is possible to extract candidate boarding locations using a specified time that has been changed based on user 1's preference information, etc., so that an appropriate boarding location can be set according to user 1.

[0122] In addition, in the server 100 according to the first embodiment, the boarding location setting unit 134 acquires weather information as the environment around the candidate boarding location, sets the temperature preferred by user 1 as the reference temperature, and sets the specified time to a smaller value as the temperature difference between the temperature around the candidate boarding location and the reference temperature increases.

[0123] According to such a server 100, it is possible to extract candidate boarding locations using a predetermined time period that is changed based on the user 1's preferred temperature, so that an appropriate boarding location can be set according to the user 1.

[0124] In the server 100 according to the first embodiment, the dispatch processing unit 131 (an example of an output unit) outputs, as information related to the stopover location, at least one of the name of the stopover location, the estimated travel time when traveling between the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit 134 and the stopover location, the estimated stay time at the stopover location, and preferential treatment information available at the stopover location from the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20. For example, a boarding location guide screen 80 shown on the right side of FIG. 6 is displayed on the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20. Note that, although FIG. 6 shows an example in which the total value of the estimated travel time and the estimated stay time is displayed as the required time, both the estimated travel time and the estimated stay time may be displayed instead of the required time.

[0125] Such a server 100 makes it easier for the user 1 to grasp information about the drop-off places.

[0126] Furthermore, in the server 100 according to the first embodiment, when there are multiple stop-off places to be output, the dispatch processing unit 131 (an example of an output unit) sets priorities of the stop-off places based on the travel load of the user 1, associates the priorities with the stop-off places, and outputs them from the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20. For example, a stop-off place list display area 85 of a boarding location guide screen 80 shown on the right side of FIG. 6 is displayed on the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20.

[0127] Such a server 100 allows the user 1 to extract places to stop by with reference to the priority of the places to stop by.

[0128] In the server 100 according to the first embodiment, the dispatch processing unit 131 (an example of an output unit) outputs at least one of the scheduled arrival time of the dispatched taxi at the destination and the waiting time at the boarding location from the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20 as boarding location information. For example, the scheduled arrival time of the taxi at the destination and the waiting time at the boarding location are displayed in the lower display area 71 of the boarding location guide screen 70 shown on the left side of FIG. 6, and the scheduled arrival time of the taxi at the destination and the waiting time at the boarding location are displayed in the lower display area 81 of the boarding location guide screen 80 shown on the right side of FIG. 6. Note that, although FIG. 6 shows an example in which both the scheduled arrival time of the taxi at the destination and the waiting time at the boarding location are displayed, one of them may be displayed. Also, the information to be displayed may be selectable by a user operation.

[0129] According to such a server 100, the user 1 can easily know the waiting time at the set boarding location and the scheduled arrival time of the taxi at the destination.

[0130] Furthermore, in the server 100 according to the first embodiment, the dispatch processing unit 131 (an example of an output unit) displays a boarding location indicator indicating the position of the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit 134 on the map on the input / output unit 27 (an example of a display unit) of the electronic device 20 when the waiting time is less than a predetermined time, and displays a boarding location indicator indicating the position of the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit 134 and a stop-off place indicator indicating the positions of stop-off places existing around the boarding location on the map on the input / output unit 27 when the waiting time is equal to or greater than the predetermined time. For example, when the waiting time is less than the predetermined time, a boarding location guidance screen 70 shown on the left side of FIG. 6 is displayed, and when the waiting time is equal to or greater than the predetermined time, a boarding location guidance screen 80 shown on the right side of FIG. 6 is displayed.

[0131] According to such a server 100, the user 1 can easily grasp the set boarding location and the surrounding drop-off locations on a map.

[0132] Moreover, the ride assistance method according to the first embodiment is a ride assistance method in which a taxi (an example of a vehicle) is dispatched upon reservation by user 1, and user 1 is notified of the boarding location where user 1 will board the taxi. This boarding assistance method includes a calculation step (step S304) of calculating a waiting time for user 1 to wait for a taxi at a candidate boarding location extracted based on user 1's current location based on the user 1's current location, the current location of the taxi, and the position of the candidate boarding location; a setting step (steps S305, S306, S308 to S311) of setting the candidate boarding location as the boarding location if the waiting time is less than a predetermined time, and setting a candidate boarding location having a stop-off place in the vicinity from among the candidate boarding locations extracted based on the current location of user 1 as the boarding location if the waiting time is the predetermined time or more; and an output step (steps S307, S312) of outputting information about the boarding location set in the setting step as boarding location information from the input / output unit 27 (an example of an output unit) of the electronic device 20 if the waiting time is less than the predetermined time, and outputting information about the boarding location set in the setting step and the stop-off places in the vicinity of the boarding location from the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20 as boarding location information if the waiting time is the predetermined time or more. Moreover, the program according to the first embodiment is a program for causing a computer to realize a riding assistance function for realizing such a riding assistance method, and is a program for causing a computer to execute each of the processing procedures (steps S304 to S306 to S312).

[0133] According to such a ride support method and program, when the waiting time of the user 1 at the boarding location is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, a boarding location with a nearby drop-off place is set, so that the user 1 can wait for the arrival of a taxi while making effective use of time at the drop-off place. Also, by not making the user 1 aware of the waiting time at the boarding location, cancellation of the dispatch can be prevented.

[0134] The ride assistance system 200 according to the first embodiment is a ride assistance system including an electronic device 20 (an example of a first device) that performs a taxi (an example of a vehicle) dispatch reservation operation using wireless communication, and a server 100 (an example of a second device) that executes control to transmit to the electronic device 20 boarding location information regarding a boarding location where a user 1 who possesses the electronic device 20 boards a taxi, by setting a taxi dispatch setting in response to the taxi dispatch reservation operation. The electronic device 20 includes an input / output unit 27 (an example of a display unit) that displays an operation screen for performing a taxi dispatch reservation operation, and a communication unit 22 that, when a taxi dispatch reservation operation is performed by the user 1, transmits to the server 100 taxi dispatch reservation information including the destination of the user 1 set by the taxi dispatch reservation operation and location information of the electronic device 20. The server 100 also includes a waiting time calculation unit 133 that calculates the waiting time that user 1 will wait for a taxi at the candidate boarding location extracted based on the location information of the electronic device 20, based on the current location of user 1, the current location of the taxi, and the location of the candidate boarding location, which correspond to the location information of the electronic device 20; a boarding location setting unit 134 that sets the candidate boarding location as the boarding location if the waiting time is less than a predetermined time, and sets a candidate boarding location that has a stop-off place in the vicinity as the boarding location from among the candidate boarding locations extracted based on the current location of user 1, as the boarding location if the waiting time is greater than or equal to the predetermined time; and a dispatch processing unit 131 (an example of an output unit) that transmits information regarding the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit 134 as boarding location information to the electronic device 20 if the waiting time is less than the predetermined time, and transmits information regarding the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit 134 and the stop-off places in the vicinity of the boarding location as boarding location information to the electronic device 20 if the waiting time is greater than or equal to the predetermined time. In addition, the electronic device 20 displays information regarding the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit 134 on the input / output unit 27 (an example of a display unit) based on the boarding location information transmitted from the server 100, and if the boarding location information includes information regarding a stop-off place, displays information regarding the stop-off place on the input / output unit 27 together with the information regarding the boarding location.

[0135] According to such a ride support system 200, the user 1 can make a reservation for dispatching a taxi by performing a reservation operation using the electronic device 20. In addition, if the waiting time of the user 1 at the boarding location is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, a boarding location with a nearby stopover place is set, so that the user 1 can wait for the arrival of the taxi while making effective use of time at the stopover place.

[0136] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the waiting time at the candidate boarding location is calculated at the time when the user 1 makes a reservation for a ride and the boarding location is set based on this waiting time. Therefore, when a boarding location with a short waiting time is set, it is assumed that there is no stopover place around the boarding location.

[0137] Here, it is assumed that after the user 1 starts walking to the boarding location, the allocated taxi arrives at the boarding location late due to traffic congestion or the like. In this case, the waiting time at the boarding location increases by the amount of time the taxi is delayed. For example, if the waiting time calculated at the time of vehicle dispatch reservation is short and a boarding location with no nearby drop-off places is set, it is assumed that the user will wait for a long time at the boarding location. Therefore, in the second embodiment, an example is shown in which, if it is determined that the allocated taxi will arrive at the boarding location late due to traffic congestion or the like while the user 1 is walking to the boarding location, a new boarding location is set and proposed to the user. This makes it possible for the user 1 to spend time at drop-off places that exist around the boarding location even if the allocated taxi arrives at the boarding location late due to traffic congestion or the like. Note that the second embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment, and detailed explanations of parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0138] [Display transition example of boarding location information screen] 9 is a diagram showing an example of display transition of boarding location guide screens 70, 90 displayed on the input / output unit 27 after a reservation operation is performed using a ride-hailing app in the electronic device 20. Note that the boarding location guide screen 70 is the same as the boarding location guide screen 70 shown on the left side of FIG. 6, so it is given the same reference numeral as the boarding location guide screen 70 and its description will be omitted here.

[0139] 9 shows an example in which the boarding location guidance screen 70 is displayed because it is determined that the waiting time at the boarding location 51 (see FIG. 3) closest to the current location of the user 1 will be less than a predetermined time at the time when the user 1 makes a car reservation. Then, the user 1 starts walking toward the boarding location 51 corresponding to the boarding location sign 73 displayed on the boarding location guidance screen 70.

[0140] In this way, assume that while the user 1 is walking to the boarding location 51, it is detected that the allocated taxi arrives at the boarding location 51 late due to traffic congestion or the like. In this case, the waiting time at the boarding location 51 increases by the amount of time the taxi is delayed. For example, it is assumed that the waiting time at the boarding location 51 may exceed a predetermined time due to a taxi delay. In this case, the waiting time at the boarding location 51 where there are no nearby drop-off places may become long, and it may be difficult for the user 1 to spend time appropriately. Therefore, if it is detected that the allocated taxi arrives at the boarding location 51 late due to traffic congestion or the like after the user 1 starts walking to the boarding location 51, a boarding location 52 (see FIG. 3) where there are nearby drop-off places is suggested to the user 1.

[0141] Specifically, a boarding location guidance screen 90 is displayed on the input / output unit 27, and since the allocated taxi will arrive late at boarding location 51, the system asks user 1 whether to change to boarding location 52, which has nearby stopover points.

[0142] The boarding location guidance screen 90 displays a current location indicator 91, a boarding location indicator 83, an arrow indicator 84, stop-off place indicators P1' to P3', and a stop-off place list display area 85. These are substantially the same as the boarding location guidance screen 80 shown on the right side of Fig. 6, except that the position of the current location indicator 91 has moved in response to the movement of the user 1. Therefore, the same reference numerals as those in the boarding location guidance screen 80 are used and the description of these will be omitted.

[0143] Furthermore, since the user 1 has not approved the change to the new boarding location 52, the boarding location sign 73 corresponding to the current boarding location 51 is displayed on the boarding location guidance screen 90. Furthermore, a message is displayed in a lower display area 92 of the boarding location guidance screen 90, indicating that the arrival of the reserved taxi is delayed from the scheduled time, so that the waiting time at the boarding location 51 will be longer than a predetermined time, and recommending that the user change to the new boarding location 52 and stop by a stopover location.

[0144] Also displayed in the lower display area 92 are a Yes button 93 that is pressed when approving the change to the new boarding location, and a No button 94 that is pressed when not approving the change to the new boarding location. When the Yes button 93 is pressed, the user's boarding location is changed from boarding location 51 to boarding location 52, and so a boarding location guide screen that is substantially similar to the boarding location guide screen 80 displayed on the right side of Fig. 6 is displayed. On the other hand, when the No button 94 is pressed, the user's boarding location remains boarding location 51, and so the original boarding location guide screen 70 is displayed.

[0145] In addition, above the lower display area 92, a walking time display area 95 is displayed that indicates the walking time from the user 1's current location to the boarding location 51 as well as the walking time from the user 1's current location to the new boarding location 52. By displaying the walking time display area 95, it is possible to make it easier for the user 1 to determine whether or not to set a new boarding location 52.

[0146] [Server operation example] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a boarding location setting process in the server 100. This process example is a partial modification of Fig. 7, and differs in that steps S321 to S334 are executed after step S307. Note that steps S301 to S311 shown in Fig. 7 are common to the process example shown in Fig. 10, so Fig. 10 shows only steps S306 and S307 out of steps S301 to S311, and omits illustration of other processing procedures.

[0147] In step S321, the dispatch processing unit 131 determines whether the user 1 has arrived at the boarding location set in step S306. For example, the control unit 25 of the electronic device 20 held by the user 1 sequentially transmits the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 23 to the server 100, and the server 100 can acquire the current location of the user 1 based on the location information. Thus, the dispatch processing unit 131 can determine whether the current location of the user 1 has arrived at the boarding location. If the user 1 has arrived at the boarding location, the operation of the boarding location setting process is terminated. On the other hand, if the user 1 has not arrived at the boarding location, the process proceeds to step S322.

[0148] In step S322, the waiting time calculation unit 133 calculates the waiting time of user 1 at the boarding location set in step S306. In this case, since both the taxi and user 1 have started moving, the waiting time of user 1 is calculated based on the current location of the taxi after the movement, the current location of user 1 after the movement, and the position of the boarding location. Note that the method of calculating this waiting time is the same as that in step S304, except that the current locations of the taxi and user 1 have moved, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0149] In step S323, the boarding location setting unit 134 determines whether the waiting time of the user 1 at the boarding location calculated in step S322 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time. The predetermined time shown here may be the same as the predetermined time shown in step S305, or another value may be used. For example, if the waiting time of the user 1 is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, the original boarding location will be changed, which will impose some burden on the user 1. For this reason, a second predetermined time greater than the predetermined time shown in step S305 may be used to recommend a change of the boarding location only when the waiting time of the user 1 is equal to or longer than the second predetermined time. If the waiting time of the user 1 at the boarding location is less than the predetermined time, the process returns to step S321. On the other hand, if the waiting time of the user 1 at the boarding location is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S324.

[0150] In step S324, the boarding location setting unit 134 determines whether or not there is a stop-off location around the boarding location set in step S306. Specifically, the boarding location setting unit 134 uses the stop-off location DB (see FIG. 4) to determine whether or not there is a stop-off location around the boarding location set in step S306. This determination method is the same as the determination method in step S308 shown in FIG. 7. If there is a stop-off location around the boarding location, the process proceeds to step S325. On the other hand, if there is no stop-off location around the boarding location, the process proceeds to step S326.

[0151] In step S325, the dispatch processing unit 131 executes a notification process for notifying the user of boarding location information related to the boarding location set in step S306. In this notification process, in addition to the information notified in step 307, information is notified that the taxi will be delayed, the new scheduled boarding time, and information related to stop-off places existing around the boarding location.

[0152] In step S326, the boarding location candidate extraction unit 132 determines whether or not there is a boarding location with a drop-off location in the vicinity among other boarding locations existing within a predetermined range based on the boarding location set in step S306. Specifically, the boarding location candidate extraction unit 132 extracts one or more new boarding location candidates existing within the predetermined range from other boarding locations stored in the boarding / alighting location DB based on the position information of the boarding location set in step S306. In addition, in the second embodiment, for ease of explanation, an example is shown in which a range of radius R4 (see FIG. 3) centered on the boarding location 51 set in step S306 is set as the predetermined range. In addition, the predetermined range may be set by the user 1, or may be a circular range specified by a radius of a unique value (for example, tens of meters to hundreds of meters). A range other than a circle may also be used.

[0153] Fig. 3 shows an example in which other boarding locations within a radius R4 centered on boarding location 51 are extracted as new boarding location candidates. In the example shown in Fig. 3, other boarding locations within a radius R4 centered on boarding location 51 are boarding locations 52 and 53, so boarding locations 52 and 53 are extracted as new boarding location candidates.

[0154] Next, the boarding location setting unit 134 judges whether or not there is a boarding location with a drop-off place in the vicinity among the extracted new boarding location candidates. Specifically, the boarding location setting unit 134 judges whether or not there is a drop-off place in the vicinity of the extracted new boarding location candidate using the drop-off place DB (see FIG. 4) in the same manner as the judgment process in step S308, and extracts the boarding location candidate with a drop-off place in the vicinity. If there is a boarding location with a drop-off place in the vicinity within a predetermined range based on the boarding location set in step S306, the process proceeds to step S327. On the other hand, if there is no boarding location with a drop-off place in the vicinity within a predetermined range based on the boarding location set in step S306, the process proceeds to step S328.

[0155] In step S327, the boarding location setting unit 134 determines whether or not there is a boarding location among the new boarding location candidates extracted in step S326, where the walking distance of the user 1 is within a predetermined value and the estimated arrival time of the taxi is close to the estimated boarding time. Here, the walking distance of the user 1 means the distance of the walking route from the current location of the user 1 to the target boarding location. In addition, the predetermined value is a value that the user 1 feels is long to the changed boarding location when the boarding location is changed. As the predetermined value, for example, a value of about several tens of meters to several hundreds of meters can be set. Note that the predetermined value may be a fixed value, or may be appropriately set according to the preference of the user 1. In addition, since the boarding location to be determined is a place different from the boarding location set in step S306, the estimated arrival time of the taxi is different from the estimated arrival time obtained for the boarding location set in step S306. In addition, the fact that the estimated arrival time of the taxi is close to the estimated boarding time means that the estimated boarding time obtained for the boarding location set in step S306 and the estimated boarding time obtained for the boarding location to be determined are within a predetermined range. A value ranging from several minutes to several tens of minutes can be set as this predetermined range. A fixed value can be used as this predetermined range, or it can be set appropriately according to the user 1's preference.

[0156] If the walking distance of user 1 is within a predetermined value and there is a boarding location where the estimated arrival time of the taxi is close to the scheduled boarding time, the process proceeds to step S329. On the other hand, if the walking distance of user 1 is not within the predetermined value, or there is no boarding location where the estimated arrival time of the taxi is close to the scheduled boarding time, the process proceeds to step S328. Note that the estimated arrival time of the taxi means the estimated time when the taxi will arrive at the boarding location, and the scheduled boarding time means the estimated time when user 1 will board the taxi at the boarding location. If user 1 arrives at the boarding location earlier than the taxi, the estimated arrival time and the scheduled boarding time will be the same.

[0157] In step S328, the dispatch processing unit 131 executes a notification process for notifying the user of boarding location information related to the boarding location set in step S306. In this notification process, in addition to the information notified in step 307, the user is notified of the fact that the taxi will be delayed, the new scheduled boarding time, and the like.

[0158] In step S329, the boarding location setting unit 134 sets, as a boarding location, a boarding location candidate that is determined to be within a predetermined walking distance of the user 1 and that the estimated arrival time of the taxi is close to the estimated boarding time. If there are multiple boarding location candidates that satisfy these conditions, one boarding location candidate is set as a new boarding location based on the predetermined conditions.

[0159] In step S330, the dispatch processing unit 131 executes a notification process for notifying the user that the taxi will be delayed and the boarding location information related to the boarding location newly set in step S329. Specifically, the dispatch processing unit 131 transmits to the electronic device 20 boarding support information including the information that the taxi will be delayed and the boarding location information related to the boarding location newly set in step S329. The control unit 25 of the electronic device 20 that has received the boarding support information causes the input / output unit 27 (an example of a display unit) to display the information that the taxi will be delayed and the boarding location information related to the newly set boarding location based on the boarding support information. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a boarding location guide screen 90 is displayed on the input / output unit 27. In addition, when the user 1 performs a pressing operation of pressing the Yes button 93 or the No button 94 on the boarding location guide screen 90, the control unit 25 of the electronic device 20 transmits operation information corresponding to the pressed button to the server 100.

[0160] In step S331, the dispatch processing unit 131 determines whether or not the user 1 has given his / her approval. Specifically, the dispatch processing unit 131 determines whether the operation information transmitted from the electronic device 20 is operation information corresponding to the Yes button 93 or operation information corresponding to the No button 94. If the operation information transmitted from the electronic device 20 is operation information corresponding to the Yes button 93, it is determined that the user 1 has given his / her approval, and the process proceeds to step S332. On the other hand, if the operation information transmitted from the electronic device 20 is operation information corresponding to the No button 94, it is determined that the user 1 has not given his / her approval, and the process proceeds to step S333.

[0161] In step S332, the dispatch processing unit 131 executes a notification process to notify the user 1 of boarding location information regarding the new boarding location, and to notify the allocated taxi of the new boarding location and the travel route to the boarding location.

[0162] In step S333, the boarding location setting unit 134 resets the original boarding location, that is, the boarding location set in step S306.

[0163] In step S334, the dispatch processing unit 131 executes a notification process to notify the user again of the boarding location information related to the original boarding location.

[0164] For example, since the walking speed of a person can be estimated by a calculation with a relatively high degree of accuracy, the scheduled time at which the user 1 will arrive at the boarding location can be estimated with a relatively high degree of accuracy. However, the scheduled arrival time of a taxi may be delayed due to traffic congestion, accidents, road closures, etc. In this way, when the scheduled arrival time of a taxi is delayed, the user 1 may waste time. In particular, when a waiting time of more than a predetermined time occurs at a boarding location in a storm or in a severe cold and hot environment, the user 1 may not be able to bear the wait and may cancel the car dispatch reservation. In this case, since the taxi allocated by the car dispatch reservation is already heading to the boarding location, the taxi may lose an opportunity to pick up another person or waste energy going to the boarding location. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a place with low access difficulty is basically set as the boarding location, and when the scheduled arrival time of the taxi changes after the setting, a new boarding location that has a drop-off place nearby where time can be effectively used is extracted according to the waiting time at the boarding location. This makes it possible to prevent the user from being aware of the waiting time and to prevent the car dispatch cancellation.

[0165] It is also assumed that the user 1 walks or runs to the boarding location. In this case, the waiting time of the user 1 increases, so a new boarding location that has nearby drop-off places that allow the user 1 to make effective use of the time may be proposed according to the waiting time at the boarding location.

[0166] 9 shows an example in which one boarding location 52 (see FIG. 3) is recommended to the user 1 as a boarding location having a stopover place. However, a plurality of boarding locations having a stopover place may be recommended to the user 1, and the user 1 may select a boarding location having a place that the user 1 wants to stop by through a selection operation.

[0167] In the first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which each process for creating the ride support information to be provided to the electronic device 20 is executed in the server 100, but all or part of each process for creating the ride support information may be executed in other devices. In this case, the ride support system is configured by each device that executes part of each process for creating the ride support information. In addition, in the first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which each DB (map DB, customer DB, boarding / alighting DB, stopover place DB (see FIG. 4)) used when creating the ride support information to be provided to the electronic device 20 is managed in the server 100. However, all or part of these DBs may be managed by one or more devices other than the server 100, and the server 100 may acquire and use the DBs managed by the other devices.

[0168] Also, a part (or the whole) of the ride assistance system 200 including the functions of the server 100 may be provided by an application that can be provided via the network 10. This application is, for example, SaaS (Software as a Service).

[0169] Further, all or part of the processes for creating the ride support information may be executed in the electronic device 20. In this case, the control unit 25 of the electronic device 20 executes all or part of the processes of the dispatch processing unit 131, the boarding location candidate extraction unit 132, the waiting time calculation unit 133, and the boarding location setting unit 134 included in the control unit 130 of the server 100. Further, the storage unit 110 of the electronic device 20 may store some of the above-mentioned DBs (map DB, customer DB, boarding / alighting location DB, and stop-off location DB (see FIG. 4)). Note that, when the electronic device 20 uses each of these DBs, it may acquire them from an external device and use them.

[0170] For example, personal information of the user 1 may be managed in the electronic device 20 instead of the server 100, and ride support information may be created in the electronic device 20. When all or part of the processes of the server 100 are executed in the electronic device 20 in this manner, the electronic device 20 functions as a ride support device.

[0171] Also, for example, the electronic device 20 may access the server 100 that provides a function of a ride-hailing application, receive the function, and display the execution result of the function transmitted from the server 100 on the browser.

[0172] Each process shown in the first and second embodiments is executed based on a program for causing a computer to execute each processing procedure. Therefore, the first and second embodiments can also be understood as embodiments of a program for realizing a function for executing each process, and a recording medium for storing the program. For example, an update process for adding a new function to the riding assistance device can store the program in a storage device of the riding assistance device. This makes it possible to cause the updated riding assistance device to execute each process shown in the first and second embodiments.

[0173] [Configuration and Effects of the Second Embodiment] In the server 100 (an example of a boarding assistance device) according to the second embodiment, the waiting time calculation unit 133 calculates a new waiting time at the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit 134 based on the current location of the user 1 and the current location of the taxi (an example of a vehicle). In addition, when the waiting time at the time of setting the boarding location by the boarding location setting unit 134 is determined to be less than a predetermined time and then the waiting time is newly determined to be equal to or more than a predetermined time, if there is a stop-off place around the boarding location, the dispatch processing unit 131 (an example of an output unit) outputs information on the stop-off place together with the boarding location as new boarding location information from the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20, and when there is no stop-off place around the boarding location, outputs information on the stop-off place together with other boarding locations where stop-off places extracted based on the position of the boarding location exist as new boarding location information from the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20.

[0174] According to such a server 100, if the estimated arrival time of a taxi changes after the boarding place is set, a new boarding place that has nearby drop-off places that allow the user to make effective use of time can be set according to the waiting time at the boarding place. This makes it possible to prevent the user from being aware of the waiting time and to prevent the dispatch of the car from being canceled.

[0175] Furthermore, in the server 100 according to the second embodiment, the boarding location setting unit 134 sets the other boarding location as a new boarding location on condition that the user 1 performs an approval operation after information prompting the user 1 to change to another boarding location is output from the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20. For example, as information prompting the user 1 to change to another boarding location, a boarding location guide screen 90 shown in Fig. 9 is displayed on the input / output unit 27 of the electronic device 20. Furthermore, when the Yes button 93 on the boarding location guide screen 90 is pressed, it is determined that the user 1 has performed an approval operation, and the new boarding location is set.

[0176] According to such a server 100, if the estimated arrival time of the taxi changes after the boarding location is set, a new boarding location is set after confirming that user 1 has given his / her approval, so that an appropriate boarding location can be set according to user 1.

[0177] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-mentioned embodiments merely show some of the application examples of the present invention, and it is not intended that the technical scope of the present invention be limited to the specific configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0178] 10 network, 20 electronic device, 21 memory unit, 22 communication unit, 23 location information acquisition unit, 24 input unit, 25 control unit, 26 output unit, 27 input / output unit, 100 server, 110 memory unit, 120 communication unit, 130 control unit, 131 vehicle dispatch processing unit, 132 boarding location candidate extraction unit, 133 waiting time calculation unit, 134 boarding location setting unit, 35 to 37 communication device

Claims

1. A ride support device that allocates a vehicle based on a user's reservation and notifies the user of a boarding location where the user will board the vehicle, a waiting time calculation unit that calculates a waiting time for the user to wait for the vehicle at the boarding location candidate extracted based on the user's current location, based on the user's current location, the vehicle's current location, and the position of the boarding location candidate; a boarding location setting unit that sets the boarding location candidate to the boarding location when the waiting time is less than a predetermined time, and sets a boarding location candidate having a stopover place nearby from among the boarding location candidates extracted based on the user's current location as the boarding location when the waiting time is equal to or more than the predetermined time; and an output unit that outputs information about the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit as boarding location information when the waiting time is less than the predetermined time, and outputs information about the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit and stopover places existing around the boarding location as the boarding location information when the waiting time is equal to or more than the predetermined time. Ride assistance devices.

2. The ride assistance device according to claim 1, the waiting time calculation unit calculates a travel time of the user on a travel route from the user's current location to the candidate boarding location, and calculates a travel time of the vehicle on a travel route from the vehicle's current location to the candidate boarding location, and calculates the waiting time at the candidate boarding location from the arrival of the user at the candidate boarding location to the arrival of the vehicle at the candidate boarding location based on a difference between the travel time of the user and the travel time of the vehicle; Ride assistance devices.

3. The ride assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, A boarding location candidate extraction unit is further provided for extracting, as the boarding location candidate, one or more boarding locations at which a travel load of the user is equal to or less than a first predetermined value based on a current location of the user; the candidate boarding location extraction unit extracts, when the waiting time is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, one or more boarding locations at which the travel load is equal to or smaller than a second predetermined value that is greater than the first predetermined value, as second candidate boarding locations when the stop-off location is not present around the candidate boarding location; When the waiting time is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, if there is a stop-off place around the boarding location candidate extracted using the first predetermined value, the boarding location setting unit sets the boarding location candidate to the boarding location, and when there is no stop-off place around the boarding location candidate, sets a second boarding location candidate having a stop-off place around it from among the second boarding location candidates extracted using the second predetermined value to the boarding location. Ride assistance devices.

4. A ride assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The predetermined time is variable based on at least one of preference information of the user, attribute information of the user, physical condition information of the user, environmental information around the user, environmental information around the boarding location candidate, and information on the number of people boarding the vehicle together with the user. Ride assistance devices.

5. The ride assistance device according to claim 4, the boarding location setting unit acquires weather information as the environment around the boarding location candidate, sets a temperature preferred by the user as a reference temperature, and sets the predetermined time to a smaller value as a temperature difference between the temperature around the boarding location candidate and the reference temperature increases; Ride assistance devices.

6. A ride assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the output unit outputs, as information related to the stop-off place, at least one of a name of the stop-off place, an estimated travel time when traveling between the boarding place set by the boarding place setting unit and the stop-off place, an estimated stay time at the stop-off place, and preferential treatment information available at the stop-off place. Ride assistance devices.

7. A ride assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, When there are a plurality of stopover places to be output, the output unit sets priorities of the stopover places based on a travel load of the user, and outputs the priorities in association with the stopover places. Ride assistance devices.

8. A ride assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The output unit outputs, as the boarding location information, at least one of an estimated arrival time of the vehicle at the destination of the vehicle for which the dispatching is set and the waiting time at the boarding location. Ride assistance devices.

9. A ride assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, When the waiting time is less than the predetermined time, the output unit causes a boarding location indicator indicating the position of the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit to be superimposed on a map on the display unit, and when the waiting time is equal to or more than the predetermined time, causes a boarding location indicator indicating the position of the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit and a stop-off place indicator indicating the positions of the stop-off places present around the boarding location to be superimposed on a map on the display unit. Ride assistance devices.

10. A ride assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The waiting time calculation unit calculates a new waiting time at the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit based on the current location of the user and the current location of the vehicle, When the waiting time at the time of setting the boarding location by the boarding location setting unit is determined to be less than the predetermined time and then the waiting time is newly determined to be equal to or more than the predetermined time, if the stop-off place exists around the boarding location, the output unit outputs information on the stop-off place together with the boarding location as the new boarding location information, and when the stop-off place does not exist around the boarding location, the output unit outputs information on the stop-off place together with another boarding location where the stop-off place exists, which is extracted based on the position of the boarding location, as the new boarding location information. Ride assistance devices.

11. The ride assistance device according to claim 10, The boarding location setting unit sets the other boarding location as a new boarding location on condition that the user performs an approval operation after information prompting the user to change to the other boarding location is output. Ride assistance devices.

12. A ride assistance method in which a vehicle is dispatched via a control unit in response to a reservation made by a user, and the user is notified of a boarding location where the user will board the vehicle, The control unit is a calculation step of calculating a waiting time for the user to wait for the vehicle at the boarding location candidate extracted based on the user's current location based on the user's current location, the vehicle's current location, and the position of the boarding location candidate; a setting step of setting the boarding location candidate to the boarding location when the waiting time is less than a predetermined time, and setting a boarding location candidate having a stopover place nearby from among the boarding location candidates extracted based on the user's current location as the boarding location when the waiting time is equal to or more than the predetermined time; an output step of outputting information relating to the boarding location set in the setting step from an output unit as boarding location information when the waiting time is less than the predetermined time, and outputting information relating to the boarding location set in the setting step and stop-off places existing around the boarding location from the output unit as the boarding location information when the waiting time is equal to or more than the predetermined time. Ride assistance methods.

13. A program for realizing a boarding assistance function in which a vehicle is dispatched based on a user's reservation, and the user is notified of a boarding location where the user boards the vehicle, a calculation step of calculating a waiting time for the user to wait for the vehicle at the boarding location candidate extracted based on the user's current location based on the user's current location, the vehicle's current location, and the position of the boarding location candidate; a setting step of setting the boarding location candidate to the boarding location when the waiting time is less than a predetermined time, and setting a boarding location candidate having a stopover place nearby from among the boarding location candidates extracted based on the user's current location as the boarding location when the waiting time is equal to or more than the predetermined time; an output step of outputting information about the boarding location set in the setting step from an output unit as boarding location information when the waiting time is less than the predetermined time, and outputting information about the boarding location set in the setting step and stopover places existing around the boarding location from the output unit as the boarding location information when the waiting time is equal to or more than the predetermined time; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

14. A ride assistance system including a first device that performs a vehicle dispatch reservation operation using wireless communication, and a second device that executes control to transmit to the first device boarding location information relating to a boarding location where a user who possesses the first device boards the vehicle, the first device being configured to dispatch a vehicle in response to the vehicle dispatch reservation operation, The first device is A display unit that displays an operation screen for performing the vehicle dispatch reservation operation; a communication unit that transmits, when the user performs the vehicle dispatch reservation operation, vehicle dispatch reservation information including a destination of the user set by the vehicle dispatch reservation operation and location information of the first device to the second device, The second device is a waiting time calculation unit that calculates a waiting time for the user to wait for the vehicle at the boarding location candidate extracted based on the position information of the first device, based on a current location of the user corresponding to the position information of the first device, a current location of the vehicle, and the position of the boarding location candidate; a boarding location setting unit that sets the boarding location candidate to the boarding location when the waiting time is less than a predetermined time, and sets a boarding location candidate having a stopover place nearby from among the boarding location candidates extracted based on the user's current location as the boarding location when the waiting time is equal to or more than the predetermined time; an output unit that transmits information about the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit to the first device as the boarding location information when the waiting time is less than the predetermined time, and transmits information about the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit and stopover places existing around the boarding location to the first device as the boarding location information when the waiting time is equal to or more than the predetermined time, The first device causes the display unit to display information about the boarding location set by the boarding location setting unit based on the boarding location information transmitted from the second device, and when the boarding location information includes information about the stopover location, causes the display unit to display information about the stopover location together with information about the boarding location. Ride assistance system.

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