Route search device, route search method, and route search program

Abstract

To provide a route search apparatus configured to perform accurate route search based on a standby time for transferring to a vehicle, etc., a route search method, and a route search program.SOLUTION: A route search apparatus 11 includes: a transfer point determination unit 64 which determines a transfer point; a transfer route determination unit 65 which determines a transfer route; a transfer point arrival time estimation unit (required time estimation unit 66) which estimates a transfer point arrival time; a vehicle demand estimation unit 67 which estimates the demand of transportation vehicles in the transfer point; a vehicle supply estimation unit 68 which estimates the supply of transportation vehicles in the transfer point; a standby time estimation unit 69 which estimates standby time in the transfer point; a time estimation unit 70 which estimates a destination arrival time including the standby time; and a guidance data generation unit 63 which generates guidance data 73 for presenting the destination arrival time including the standby time together with the transfer route.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a route search device, a route search method, and a route search program that search for a route to arrive at a destination. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a route search method that allows searching for an optimal route including travel by taxi or rental car by previously storing attribute information indicating stations where transfers can be made to a taxi or rental car. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-292447 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is desirable for a route search device that searches for a route from a specified departure point to a specified destination to estimate the time of arrival at the destination as accurately as possible and provide route guidance. However, when a conventional route search method and route search device proposes a route in which a user transfers from a train to a car as a route search result, the user does not take into account the waiting time required to transfer to a car. For this reason, when a user travels along a route provided by a conventional route search device, the user often arrives at the destination later than the scheduled time.

[0005] For example, the shortest route is to transfer to a taxi from a certain station, but the supply of taxis at the station on this shortest route is insufficient, and in reality, you may have to wait a long time before you can transfer to a taxi.Also, there may be an abundant supply of taxis at a nearby station that is not on the shortest route, and you may be able to transfer to a taxi with almost no wait, and if you transfer at this station, you may end up arriving at your destination faster than if you had transferred to a taxi at the station on the shortest route.

[0006] Therefore, when route searching does not take into consideration waiting times for changing vehicles or the like, there is a problem that the arrival time at the guided destination may be inaccurate.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a route search device, a route search method, and a route search program that can perform accurate route search taking into account waiting time for transferring to a vehicle, etc., when searching for a route for transferring from a train, etc. to a vehicle, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a route search device that searches for a route from a specified departure point to a specified destination. The route search device includes a transfer point determination unit, a transfer route determination unit, a transfer point arrival time estimation unit, a vehicle demand estimation unit, a vehicle supply estimation unit, a waiting time estimation unit, a time estimation unit, and a guidance data creation unit. The transfer point determination unit determines a transfer point at which a vehicle transfers from a transportation facility that regularly transports a vehicle along a specific route to a transportation vehicle that irregularly transports a vehicle along an arbitrary route according to the destination. The transfer route determination unit determines a transfer route that passes through the transfer point, transfers to a transportation vehicle, and arrives at the destination. The transfer point arrival time estimation unit estimates a transfer point arrival time at which a vehicle arrives at the transfer point based on a departure time specified in advance. The vehicle demand estimation unit estimates a demand for transportation vehicles at the transfer point based on the transfer point arrival time. The vehicle supply estimation unit estimates a supply of transportation vehicles at the transfer point based on the transfer point arrival time. The waiting time estimation unit estimates a waiting time at a transfer point based on the demand and supply of transportation vehicles at the transfer point. The time estimation unit estimates a destination arrival time, which is the arrival time at the destination including the waiting time, or a departure time from the departure point, which is the departure time from the departure point including the waiting time. The guidance data creation unit creates guidance data that provides information on the destination arrival time including the waiting time or the departure time from the departure point including the waiting time, together with the transfer route, as a search result for a route from the departure point to the destination. The waiting time estimation unit then estimates a waiting order, which is the order of waiting to transfer to a transport vehicle at the transfer point, estimates a return order, which is the order of returning one or more transport vehicles to the transfer point, and estimates the waiting time using a predicted time until a transport vehicle with a return order corresponding to the waiting order returns to the transfer point. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a route search device, a route search method, and a route search program that can perform accurate route search taking into account waiting time for transferring to a vehicle, etc., when searching for a route for transferring from a train, etc. to a vehicle, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a route search system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the route search terminal. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the route search device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the transportation network database. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a table showing an example of congestion degree data. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a table showing an example of vehicle information. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a sequence chart of a route search performed by the route search system. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the details of various processes executed by the route search device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the route search process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a transport vehicle near a station. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for estimating the supply of transport vehicles and a method for estimating the waiting time. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of guidance data and its display mode. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of guidance data and its display form in a comparative example. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a modified route searching method. [Figure 15]FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle dispatch system. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a route search terminal and a vehicle dispatch management device in the vehicle dispatch system. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a search result display screen in a vehicle dispatch system. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a sequence chart of the vehicle dispatch system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a route search system 100. The route search system 100 is a system that searches for one or more routes for arriving at a destination from a departure point when the departure point and destination are specified. The route search system 100 searches for a route in response to a route search request 72 (see Fig. 7) generated by the operation of one or more users 12, and provides a part or all of the results to the user 12 who requested the route search.

[0013] A "route" refers to a path traveled, driven, flown, etc. along which one travels from a specific point, which is a departure point, to another specific point, which is a destination point. Thus, a route may include roads on which people travel and roads on which vehicles travel, as well as railway tracks and stations on which trains travel, sea routes and ports on which ships navigate, and sea routes and airports on which aircraft fly. The "search" performed by the route search system 100 for a route refers to identifying one or more routes from a departure point to a destination by calculation, etc., and / or by referring to or searching a database, etc. Hereinafter, the search for a route performed by the route search system 100 is referred to as a route search.

[0014] In particular, unless a special condition is set, the route search system 100 of this embodiment searches not only routes that use one transportation facility, but also routes that require changing to another transportation facility along the way. For example, a route that requires changing from a train to a taxi is included in the search targets of the route search system 100.

[0015] In this embodiment, for ease of explanation, the route search system 100 searches for a route that transfers from a transportation mode that provides regular service along a specific route to a transportation mode that provides irregular service along an arbitrary route, depending on the destination, or depending on the starting point and destination.

[0016] A transportation facility that provides regular transport along a specific route refers to a transportation facility that is available to the user 12 and, in principle, has a transportation route and a transportation schedule that are determined in advance, regardless of whether the user 12 uses the transportation facility or not. For example, buses, trains, ships, and airplanes are transportation facilities that provide regular transport along a specific route. Hereinafter, a transportation facility that provides regular transport along a specific route is referred to as a regular transportation facility. In addition, stations, bus stops, ports, airports, etc. where passengers can get on and off regular transportation facilities are simply referred to as "stations."

[0017] A transportation facility that irregularly transports along an arbitrary route refers to a transportation facility that does not have a predetermined transport route and transport schedule, and that operates appropriately in response to a request from the user 12. For example, a taxi, a vehicle that transports the user 12 by automatic driving (automatic driving vehicle), and a passenger car or rental car driven by the user 12 are transportation facilities that irregularly transport along an arbitrary route. Since transportation facilities that can irregularly transport along an arbitrary route are generally vehicles, hereinafter, a transportation facility that irregularly transports along an arbitrary route is simply referred to as a transport vehicle. However, unless a special condition is set, the route search system 100 does not exclude a route that includes a transfer to a transportation facility other than a transport vehicle from the target of the route search.

[0018] In the following description, a point where a passenger transfers to a transport vehicle is referred to as a transfer point, and a route that passes through a transfer point, transfers to a main vehicle, and arrives at a destination is referred to as a transfer route.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the route search system 100 includes a route search terminal 10 and a route search device 11.

[0020] The route search terminal 10 is a user interface of the route search system 100. A user 12 uses the route search terminal 10 to input information specifying conditions required for route search (hereinafter referred to as search conditions), such as a departure point, a destination, and a departure time from the departure point or an arrival time at the destination. In this embodiment, the departure point, the destination, and the departure time from the departure point are specified in advance as route search conditions. The route search system 100 executes a route search according to these search conditions. In addition, the route search terminal 10 provides the results of the route search to the user 12 who requested the route search by display, voice, or the like.

[0021] The route search terminal 10 is, for example, a smartphone 13 (mobile phone or cell phone) or other tablet computer, or a personal computer 14. In other words, the route search terminal 10 does not have to be a dedicated device for the route search system 100, and a device owned by the user 12 can configure the route search terminal 10 as necessary using a program. In this embodiment, the smartphone 13 or personal computer 14 owned by the user 12 is the route search terminal 10.

[0022] The route search device 11 is a computer that executes a route search in the route search system 100. In other words, the route search device 11 is a route search server. The route search device 11 is connected to the route search terminal 10 via a communication network 15, by wire or wirelessly, as necessary. The communication network 15 is a network consisting of one or more communication lines, such as an Internet line or a telephone line.

[0023] The route search terminal 10 and the route search device 11 are each configured with one or more computers, and include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), and an input / output interface (I / O interface), etc. In addition, the route search terminal 10 and the route search device 11 are programmed to execute various controls related to route search as necessary.

[0024] [Route search terminal configuration] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the route search terminal 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the route search terminal 10 includes a communication device 21, an input / output unit 22, a control unit 23, and a storage unit 24.

[0025] The communication device 21 is a communication module that connects to the communication network 15. The route search terminal 10 connects to the route search device 11 via the communication network 15 by the communication device 21, and transmits and receives information and data related to the route search.

[0026] The input / output unit 22 is a group of devices that perform input and output, and includes, for example, a position sensor 26, a microphone 27, an input device 28, a display 29, and / or a speaker 30.

[0027] The position sensor 26 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, and the output of the position sensor 26 may be used to input the position information of the starting point. In addition, search conditions such as the starting point and the destination can be input by voice input using the microphone 27. The input device 28 is a keyboard, a pointing device, a stylus, etc., and includes those realized by software. Search conditions such as the starting point and the destination are input by operating the input device 28. The input device 28 may be integrated with a display 29 to form a so-called touch panel. The display 29 displays, with respect to route search, a search condition input screen for inputting search conditions and a search result display screen 91 (see FIG. 12) for displaying the results of the route search (hereinafter simply referred to as the search result). The speaker 30 may guide the search result by voice. In this embodiment, the search result display screen 91 provides the user 12 with the results of the route search.

[0028] The control unit 23 is a calculation device such as a CPU, and controls the overall operation of the route search terminal 10. The control unit 23 functions as an input control unit 31, an output control unit 32, and a route search request creation unit 33, for example.

[0029] The input control unit 31 operates the route search terminal 10 based on an input operation using an input device constituting the input / output unit 22. The input control unit 31 acquires search conditions such as a departure point and a destination for a route search, for example. That is, the input control unit 31 functions as a search condition acquisition unit that acquires the search conditions. Note that the process in which the input control unit 31 monitors the operation of the input / output unit 22 and appropriately acquires the search conditions is hereinafter referred to as a search condition acquisition process.

[0030] The output control unit 32 controls the operation of the output device constituting the input / output unit 22. The output control unit 32 generates a display screen and displays it on the display 29. With regard to route search, the output control unit 32 generates, for example, a search condition input screen and a search result display screen 91 and appropriately displays them on the display 29. Hereinafter, the process in which the output control unit 32 displays the search result display screen 91 is referred to as a search result display process.

[0031] The route search request creation unit 33 creates a route search request 72 based on the search conditions related to the route search acquired by the input control unit 31. The route search request 72 is a signal requesting the route search device 11 to execute a route search, and includes the search conditions related to the route search. When the route search device 11 receives the route search request 72, it executes a route search in accordance with the search conditions included in the route search request 72. Note that hereinafter, the process in which the route search request creation unit 33 creates the route search request 72 and transmits the created route search request 72 to the route search device 11 is referred to as a route search request creation process.

[0032] The storage unit 24 is one or more storage devices or memories that temporarily or permanently store data, such as a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination of these. The storage unit 24 functions as a guidance data storage unit 34 that stores guidance data 73 (see Figs. 7 and 12) that is an edited result of a route search. The storage unit 24 also stores a terminal control program 35 for causing the route search terminal 10 to execute calculations and operations related to route search and other functions. The control unit 23 operates according to the terminal control program 35, thereby functioning as the input control unit 31, the output control unit 32, and the route search request creation unit 33, as described above.

[0033] [Configuration of the route search device] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the route search device 11. As shown in Fig. 3, the route search device 11 includes a communication device 41, a transportation network database 42, a congestion degree database 43, a transportation vehicle database 44, a control unit 45, and a storage unit 46.

[0034] The communication device 41 is a communication module that connects to the communication network 15. The route search device 11 connects to the route search terminal 10 by the communication device 41 via the communication network 15, and transmits and receives information, data, and the like related to the route search.

[0035] The transportation network database 42 is a database of a transportation network represented by nodes, links, and costs. Therefore, the transportation network database 42 includes node data 51, link data 52, and cost data 53.

[0036] A node represents a location or range that is a key point in transportation. For example, a station and an intersection are nodes in the transportation network database 42. The node is determined in advance to correspond to a real key point in transportation. The node data 51 is a collection of position information of each node. In addition, the node data 51 includes information indicating whether each node is a node where a transfer of transportation means is possible, and for nodes where a transfer is possible, information related to a specific transfer location to a transportation vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle allocation point) is further added. Therefore, the route search device 11 can acquire information related to a node where a transfer is possible and a vehicle allocation point by referring to the node data 51. Note that each vehicle allocation point attached to a node where a transfer is possible is a transfer point in a transfer route. When a specific transportation vehicle is a taxi, the vehicle allocation point is a taxi stand. A taxi stand may be called a taxi port or a taxi stand. When a specific transportation vehicle is an autonomous vehicle or the like, the vehicle allocation point may be a place designated by the user 12.

[0037] A link represents a route connecting nodes. The link is determined in advance according to the route of a real road or transportation. Therefore, there may be multiple links from a node to another adjacent node, or there may be no link at all. In addition, an attribute may be determined for a link, indicating that it is a road that only transport vehicles can use, or that it is a railroad that only trains can use. The link data 52 is a collection of data indicating the presence or absence of such links and their attributes.

[0038] The cost represents the load related to the time (or distance) and / or monetary expense involved in traveling along a link. The cost is determined in advance for each link. Furthermore, when multiple forms of travel are possible along one link, the cost is determined for each of the various forms of travel, such as walking, transport vehicles, and trains. The cost data 53 is a collection of data representing the cost determined for each link. In this embodiment, the cost of each link represents at least the time cost representing the time required to travel between nodes.

[0039] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the transportation network database 42. In Figure 4, the points indicated by circles are nodes, and the lines connecting each node are links. Of the links, links indicated by alternating white and black lines represent railroad tracks, and only trains can travel along them. Of the links, lines indicated by solid lines represent roads that transportation vehicles can travel along. The numerical value assigned to each link represents the cost associated with traveling along that link.

[0040] For example, there are two efficient routes for transferring to a transport vehicle from node S1, which represents a station, and arriving at node N1, which represents a destination, by transport vehicle: a route via node N2 and a route via node N3. The total cost of the route via node N2 is "16." Meanwhile, the total cost of the route via node N3 is "11." Therefore, by referring to the transportation network database 42, it can be determined that the shortest route in terms of time when arriving at node N1 from node S1 is the route via node N3. Such a route with the minimum cost can be searched for by a well-known calculation method (search method), such as Dijkstra's algorithm.

[0041] As described above, the transportation network database 42 is composed of information that can be collected in advance. For this reason, the transportation network database 42 does not hold data on waiting times that may occur when transferring from a scheduled transportation facility to a transportation vehicle. This is because waiting times cannot be collected in advance and are an uncertain factor that changes depending on the situation. Therefore, by referring to the transportation network database 42, it is possible to search for a transfer route for transferring from a scheduled transportation facility to a transportation vehicle, as described above. However, the arrival time at the destination when traveling via that transfer route (hereinafter referred to as the destination arrival time) is merely the destination arrival time in an ideal state in which the waiting time is zero. For this reason, the destination arrival time calculated for a transfer route according to the cost data 53 is inaccurate except when the waiting time is actually zero.

[0042] Similarly, the destination arrival time is set as a search condition, and the cost data 53 is used to When calculating the departure time from the departure point (hereinafter referred to as the departure time from the departure point), the departure time from the departure point is merely the departure time from the departure point in an ideal state in which the waiting time for transferring to a transportation vehicle is zero. Therefore, for a transfer route, the departure time from the departure point calculated according to the cost data 53 is inaccurate except when the waiting time is actually zero.

[0043] The transportation network database 42 holds maps and regular transportation schedules (neither of which are shown in the figures) or can acquire them as appropriate. In this embodiment, this information is included in the node data 51 and / or the link data 52.

[0044] The congestion degree database 43 (see FIG. 3) is a database that stores congestion degrees that indicate the degree of congestion for a given node. In this embodiment, the congestion degree database 43 pre-stores congestion degree information for at least nodes where transfer from a regular transport facility to a transport vehicle is possible. The congestion degrees are stored for each given time range (hereinafter, referred to as time period). Furthermore, when one node has multiple dispatching stations for transport vehicles, the congestion degrees are pre-stored for each dispatching station. In this way, a collection of congestion degrees associated with nodes and dispatching stations and stored for each time period is the congestion degree data 54 held by the congestion degree database 43.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a table showing an example of the congestion degree data 54. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, nodes S1 and S2 are stations where transfer to a transport vehicle is possible. Node S1 has a transport vehicle dispatch station P1 and a transport vehicle dispatch station P2, and node S2 has one dispatch station P3. The dispatch stations P1 and P2 of node S1 and the dispatch station P3 of node S2 are transfer points from regular transport to a transport vehicle. In this embodiment, for each transfer point, for example, the dispatch record (usage record) of the transport vehicle per hour is stored as a parameter representing the above-mentioned "congestion degree". The dispatch record is the number of transport vehicles used in a specific time period at a specific transfer point in the past. The dispatch record is collected in advance for the management of transport vehicles, and the congestion degree data 54 of this embodiment uses this as a guide to the congestion degree.

[0046] The transport vehicle database 44 (see FIG. 3) is a database that stores the location and status information of transport vehicles under its management. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle database 44 stores vehicle IDs (Identification), which are identification codes of one or more transport vehicles, status information indicating the operating state, the destination of each transport vehicle, and the current location of each transport vehicle, as vehicle information 55 of the transport vehicles. In addition, the various data included in the vehicle information 55 is updated to the latest data periodically at a predetermined cycle or in real time.

[0047] FIG. 6 is a table showing an example of the vehicle information 55. For example, in this embodiment, at least transport vehicles with vehicle IDs "001" to "005" are under management, and the status information, destination, and current location of each of these transport vehicles are held as the vehicle information 55. For example, the status information "M1" indicates that the vehicle is traveling toward the destination with a customer on board. The status information "M2" indicates that the vehicle is traveling to return to a predetermined vehicle dispatch center or a designated vehicle dispatch center after the customer is dropped off at the destination. The status information "W" indicates that the vehicle is waiting at a predetermined vehicle dispatch center or a designated vehicle dispatch center. The destinations (Dx1, Dy1) to (Dx5, Dy5) of the transport vehicles are position coordinates such as latitude and longitude of a point to which the customer is transported (customer's destination) or a vehicle dispatch center to which the vehicle should return for picking up or dropping off the customer. The destination of the transport vehicle is set at least when the transport vehicle is traveling or is scheduled to travel. The current positions (X1, Y1) to (X5, Y5) of the transport vehicles store data from the GPS sensor of each transport vehicle, etc.

[0048] The control unit 45 (see FIG. 3) is a calculation device such as a CPU, and controls the overall operation of the route search device 11. For route search, the control unit 45 functions as a route search processing unit 61, a time calculation unit 62, and a guidance data creation unit 63.

[0049] The route search processing unit 61 searches for a route to arrive at the destination from the departure point based on the specified route search conditions by referring to the transportation network database 42. In particular, the route search processing unit 61 includes a transfer point determination unit 64, a transfer route determination unit 65, and a required time estimation unit 66 in order to search for a route including a transfer from a regular transportation facility to a transportation vehicle.

[0050] The transfer point determination unit 64 executes a transfer point determination process for determining one or more points within a predetermined range from the destination, among the points at which a transfer can be made from a regular transport to a transport vehicle. Specifically, the transfer point determination unit 64 determines a transfer point from a regular transport to a transport vehicle by referring to the transport network database 42 based on the departure point and destination specified as search conditions. More specifically, the transfer point determination unit 64 uses, for example, the node data 51 in the transport network database 42 to select a node that is within a predetermined time or distance range from the destination and represents a station of a regular transport where a transfer can be made to a transport vehicle. At this time, the transfer point determination unit 64 can select one or more stations. In addition, when selecting multiple stations, the transfer point determination unit 64 may select stations on different routes, as long as the above conditions are satisfied. The transfer point determination unit 64 determines one or more dispatching stations associated with the stations (nodes) selected in this way as transfer points. In addition, when there is no station within a specified distance range from the destination where a transfer to a transport vehicle is possible, the transfer point determination unit 64 can continue searching by appropriately expanding the specified distance range until at least one station is selected.

[0051] The transfer route determination unit 65 executes a transfer route determination process using the transportation network database 42 to determine a route from the departure point to each transfer point and a route from each transfer point to the destination. Hereinafter, a route from the departure point to the transfer point is referred to as a pre-transfer route, and a route from the transfer point to the destination is referred to as a post-transfer route. The entire pre-transfer route and the post-transfer route are a transfer route. Therefore, the transfer route determination unit 65 determines a transfer route by determining the pre-transfer route and the post-transfer route. In this embodiment, the pre-transfer route and the post-transfer route are routes with the smallest cost determined in the transportation network database 42. Therefore, the pre-transfer route, the post-transfer route, and the transfer route, which is the entirety of these, are routes that pass through a specific transfer point and arrive at the destination in the shortest time under the condition that the waiting time at the transfer point is ignored. That is, the transfer route determination unit 65 determines the transfer route so as to be a route that, after arriving at the transfer point, travels from the transfer point to the destination in the shortest time by a transportation vehicle.

[0052] The required time estimation unit 66 estimates the time required to travel along the determined transfer route (hereinafter referred to as the required time).

[0053] The required time estimation unit 66 estimates the time of arrival at the transfer point (hereinafter referred to as transfer point arrival time) based on the departure time or the arrival time at the destination specified in advance as a search condition and the transfer route determined by the transfer route determination unit 65. Therefore, the required time estimation unit 66 functions as a transfer point arrival time estimation unit that estimates the transfer point arrival time.

[0054] The required time estimation unit 66 also estimates the travel time of the transportation vehicle, that is, the time from transferring to the transportation vehicle at the transfer point to arriving at the destination. Therefore, the required time estimation unit 66 also functions as a travel time estimation unit that estimates the travel time of the transportation vehicle. More specifically, the required time estimation unit 66 estimates the travel time of the transportation vehicle by referring to the cost data 53 of the transportation network database 42.

[0055] For example, when a departure time is set as a search condition, the required time estimation unit 66 calculates the time required to arrive at the transfer point from the departure point (the travel time of a regular public transportation system) by referring to the cost data 53 in the transportation network database 42. Then, the required time estimation unit 66 estimates the transfer point arrival time by adding the time required to arrive at the transfer point to the departure time.

[0056] On the other hand, when the arrival time at the destination is set as a search condition, the required time estimation unit 66 calculates the time required to arrive at the destination from the transfer point (the travel time of the transportation vehicle) by referring to the cost data 53 in the transportation network database 42. Then, the required time estimation unit 66 estimates the arrival time at the transfer point by subtracting the time required to arrive at the destination from the transfer point from the arrival time at the destination, which is a search condition.

[0057] In this embodiment, since the departure time is set as a search condition, the required time estimation unit 66 estimates the transfer point arrival time by adding the time required to arrive at the transfer point to the departure time.

[0058] In addition to the above, the required time estimation unit 66 calculates an ideal destination arrival time or an ideal departure time from a departure point by referring to the cost data 53 in the transportation network database 42. The ideal destination arrival time is a destination arrival time that ignores waiting time for boarding a transportation vehicle. The ideal destination arrival time is calculated when a departure time is set as a search condition.

[0059] Similarly, the ideal departure time from the origin is the departure time ignoring the waiting time for boarding the transportation vehicle. The ideal departure time from the origin is calculated when the arrival time at the destination is set as a search condition.

[0060] In this embodiment, since the departure time is set as a search condition, the required time estimation unit 66 calculates the ideal destination arrival time.

[0061] In reality, it takes time to travel, for example by walking, from a station of a regular public transport system, which is a node, to a dispatch station, which is a transfer point. Since a person's walking speed is roughly constant, the travel time to the dispatch station can be measured or estimated in advance. For this reason, the transport network database 42 can obtain data on nodes, links, and costs for such travel routes in advance. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the arrival time at the transfer point is determined including the time required to travel from a station of a regular public transport system to the dispatch station.

[0062] Hereinafter, the process executed by the route search processing unit 61 using the transfer point determination unit 64, the transfer route determination unit 65, and the required time estimation unit 66 as described above will be referred to as a route search process.

[0063] The time calculation unit 62 calculates the destination arrival time for each of the determined transfer routes. The time calculation unit 62 includes a vehicle demand estimation unit 67, a vehicle supply estimation unit 68, a waiting time estimation unit 69, and a time estimation unit 70 for calculating the destination arrival time.

[0064] The vehicle demand estimation unit 67 executes a vehicle demand estimation process to estimate the demand for transport vehicles at a transfer point based on the arrival time at the transfer point. When there are multiple transfer routes and / or multiple transfer points, the vehicle demand estimation unit 67 estimates the demand for transport vehicles for each transfer point. The demand for transport vehicles at a transfer point is the number of transport vehicles required at the transfer point at the arrival time at the transfer point.

[0065] In this embodiment, the vehicle demand estimation unit 67 estimates the demand for transport vehicles at a transfer point based on the congestion degree at that transfer point. More specifically, since a congestion degree database 43 is provided in this embodiment, the vehicle demand estimation unit 67 refers to this. Then, the vehicle demand estimation unit 67 acquires, as the congestion degree, the vehicle dispatch record for the transfer point to be referenced and the time period including the arrival time at that transfer point. Then, the vehicle demand estimation unit 67 estimates that the acquired vehicle dispatch record value is the demand for transport vehicles at that transfer point and the arrival time at that transfer point. That is, in this embodiment, the past vehicle dispatch record is used as the demand for transport vehicles.

[0066] The vehicle supply estimation unit 68 executes a vehicle supply estimation process to estimate the supply of transportation vehicles at a transfer point based on the arrival time at the transfer point. When there are multiple transfer routes and / or multiple transfer points, the vehicle supply estimation unit 68 estimates the supply of transportation vehicles for each transfer point. The supply of transportation vehicles is the number of transportation vehicles that can start transporting users 12, etc. at the transfer point at the arrival time at the transfer point.

[0067] In this embodiment, the vehicle supply estimation unit 68 estimates the supply of transport vehicles by calculating the time that is predicted to be required for one or more transport vehicles under its management to return to a transfer point (hereinafter, referred to as the return prediction time (see FIG. 11)). In addition, the return prediction time is estimated based on the current location of the transport vehicle and status information indicating the operating state. Therefore, the vehicle supply estimation unit 68 estimates the supply of transport vehicles based on the current location of the transport vehicle and status information indicating the operating state.

[0068] More specifically, in this embodiment, since there is a transport vehicle database 44, the vehicle supply estimation unit 68 refers to it to obtain the current position and status information of the transport vehicle, and uses these to calculate the predicted return time of the transport vehicle. This allows the supply of transport vehicles at the transfer point and the transfer point arrival time to be estimated.

[0069] The waiting time estimation unit 69 executes a waiting time estimation process to estimate a waiting time at a transfer point based on the demand and supply of transport vehicles at the transfer point. Specifically, the waiting time estimation unit 69 estimates an excess or shortage of transport vehicles at the transfer point at the transfer point arrival time based on the demand and supply of transport vehicles, and estimates the waiting time at the transfer point and the transfer point arrival time based on the estimated excess or shortage of transport vehicles.

[0070] In this embodiment, the surplus or shortage of transportation vehicles at the transfer point at the transfer point arrival time is estimated as follows.

[0071] The waiting time estimation unit 69 estimates the waiting rank (hereinafter referred to as waiting rank) of the user 12 who has requested a route search to transfer to a transportation vehicle at a transfer point. Specifically, the waiting time estimation unit 69 refers to the congestion degree database 43 and acquires past vehicle dispatch records, which are an indication of the congestion degree. Then, the waiting time estimation unit 69 estimates that the vehicle dispatch record is the number of people who are already waiting other than the user 12 who has requested a route search at the transfer point and the arrival time at the transfer point. Therefore, the waiting time estimation unit 69 estimates that the waiting rank of the user 12 who has requested a route search is a value obtained by adding "1" to the value of the vehicle dispatch record and this user 12.

[0072] On the other hand, the waiting time estimation unit 69 estimates the order in which each transport vehicle will return to the transfer point (hereinafter referred to as the return order) based on the predicted return time of the transport vehicle estimated by the vehicle supply estimation unit 68. For example, when there are no transport vehicles waiting at the transfer point, the return order of the first vehicle returning to the transfer point is first, and the return order of the tenth vehicle returning is second. Also, when there are transport vehicles already waiting at the transfer point, the return order is estimated including the transport vehicles already waiting. When one transport vehicle is already at the transfer point, the return order of the first transport vehicle returning is second.

[0073] The difference between the waiting order and the return order indicates the surplus or shortage of transportation vehicles at the transfer point and the transfer point arrival time. Therefore, the waiting time estimation unit 69 estimates the waiting order and the return order, thereby estimating the surplus or shortage of transportation vehicles at the transfer point and the transfer point arrival time.

[0074] Then, the time until the transport vehicle with the return priority corresponding to the waiting priority returns to the transfer point after the arrival time at the transfer point is the waiting time until the user 12 who requested the route search boards the transport vehicle after arriving at the transfer point. Therefore, the waiting time estimation unit 69 estimates the waiting time of the user 12 who requested the route search by referring to (obtaining) the predicted return time of each transport vehicle estimated by the vehicle supply estimation unit 68.

[0075] The time estimation unit 70 executes a time estimation process to estimate a realistic arrival time at the destination including a waiting time, or a realistic departure time from the departure point including a waiting time. When a departure time is set as a search condition, the time estimation unit 70 estimates a realistic arrival time at the destination including a waiting time. When an arrival time at the destination is set as a search condition, the time estimation unit 70 estimates a realistic departure time from the departure point including a waiting time.

[0076] Specifically, the time estimation unit 70 adds the waiting time estimated by the waiting time estimation unit 69 to the ideal destination arrival time calculated by the required time estimation unit 66. In this way, the time estimation unit 70 estimates a realistic destination arrival time taking into account the waiting time at the transfer point. In addition, the time estimation unit 70 converts the waiting time estimated by the waiting time estimation unit 69 into the ideal departure time from the departure point calculated by the required time estimation unit 66. In this way, the time estimation unit 70 estimates a realistic departure time from the departure point taking into account the waiting time at the transfer point.

[0077] The guidance data creation unit 63 executes a guidance data creation process to generate guidance data 73. The guidance data 73 includes data on transfer routes and the like, which are the results of the route search in the route search processing unit 61, and data on the realistic destination arrival time or realistic departure time from the departure point, which are calculated in the time calculation unit 62. The guidance data 73 is the final search result to be transmitted to the route search terminal 10 that requested the route search. The guidance data 73 is generated by editing data, such as associating a realistic destination arrival time that takes waiting time into consideration with a transfer route, so that the guidance data 73 can be used to generate a search result display screen 91 in the route search terminal 10.

[0078] In addition, the guidance data 73 can include data (hereinafter referred to as display order designation data) that specifies the display order of multiple transfer routes based on a realistic arrival time at the destination taking into account waiting time, at least when multiple transfer routes are found as a result of a route search.

[0079] In this embodiment, the guidance data 73 includes display order designation data for displaying the search results in order of earliest realistic destination arrival time taking waiting time into consideration on the search result display screen 91 of the route search terminal 10. That is, the route search device 11 transmits the guidance data 73 to the route search terminal 10 which receives and displays the search results, thereby causing the display screen of the route search terminal 10 to display a plurality of transfer routes in order of earliest destination arrival time including waiting time.

[0080] When the departure time from the departure point is set as a search condition, the guidance data 73 includes display order designation data for displaying the search results in order of latest realistic departure times from the departure point taking into account waiting times on the search result display screen 91 of the route search terminal 10. In other words, the route search device 11 transmits the guidance data 73 to the route search terminal 10 which receives and displays the search results, thereby displaying a plurality of transfer routes in order of earliest departure times from the departure point including waiting times on the display screen of the route search terminal 10.

[0081] The memory unit 46 is one or more storage devices (or memories) that temporarily or permanently store data, such as a RAM, a ROM, a HDD, an SSD, or a combination of these. The memory unit 46 stores a route search program 71 for causing the route search device 11 to execute calculations and operations related to a route search. The control unit 45 operates in accordance with the route search program 71, thereby functioning as the route search processing unit 61, the time calculation unit 62, and the guidance data creation unit 63, as described above.

[0082] [Route search system function] The following describes the operation of the route search system 100 configured as described above. However, in the following, as an example of the operation of the route search system 100, it is assumed that the departure time from the departure point is set as a search condition, and the arrival time at the destination is searched for along with transfer routes.

[0083] Fig. 7 is a sequence chart of a route search performed by the route search system 100. As shown in Fig. 7, in step S101, a search condition acquisition process is executed in the route search terminal 10 in response to an operation by the user 12. This starts a route search by the route search system 100. Then, in step S102, a route search request creation process is executed in the route search terminal 10. That is, the route search terminal 10 creates a route search request 72 in the route search request creation unit 33 and transmits this to the route search device 11, thereby requesting the execution of a route search according to the search conditions.

[0084] When the route search device 11 receives the route search request 72, it executes a route search process in step S103. Through this route search process, one or more transfer routes according to the search conditions, the arrival times at the transfer points, and the ideal arrival times at the destination when traveling along each transfer route are determined or calculated.

[0085] Next, in step S104, the route search device 11 executes a vehicle demand estimation process. This estimates the demand for transportation vehicles at each transfer point and the arrival time at the transfer point. In addition, in step S105, a vehicle supply estimation process is executed. This estimates the supply of transportation vehicles at each transfer point and the arrival time at the transfer point.

[0086] In this way, when the demand and supply of transportation vehicles at the transfer point arrival time at each transfer point are estimated, in step S106, the route search device 11 executes a waiting time estimation process. The waiting time estimation process estimates the waiting time at each transfer point. That is, the waiting time estimation process estimates how long the user 12 who requested the route search will have to wait after arriving at each transfer point at the transfer point arrival time before transferring to a transportation vehicle.

[0087] After that, in step S107, the route search device 11 executes a time estimation process. In the time estimation process of this embodiment, a realistic destination arrival time is estimated taking into account the waiting time estimated in step S106.

[0088] In step S108, the route search device 11 executes a guidance data creation process. In the guidance data creation process, guidance data 73 is created as a final route search result, including transfer routes, realistic destination arrival times that take into account waiting times, and display order designation data. The created guidance data 73 is also transmitted to the route search terminal 10 that created the route search request 72.

[0089] When the route search terminal 10 receives the guidance data 73 from the route search device 11, it executes a search result display process in step S109. Specifically, the route search terminal 10 creates a search result display screen 91 according to the guidance data 73 and displays it on the display 29. This allows the user 12 using the route search terminal 10 to know the search results according to the search conditions that he or she has set. In particular, since the route search results displayed on the search result display screen 91 have been created according to the guidance data 73, when the route search results include a transfer route, a realistic destination arrival time that takes into account waiting time for that transfer route is displayed to the user 12. This completes the route search by the route search system 100.

[0090] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing details of various processes executed by the route search device 11. As shown in FIG. 8, the route search process in step S103 includes steps S201 to S203. Step S201 is a step of determining a transfer point, and for example, a vehicle dispatching station that is within a predetermined distance range 82 set in advance from the destination and at a station of a regular transportation facility where transfer to a transportation vehicle is possible is determined as the transfer point. Step S202 is a step of determining a specific transfer route, and the transfer route is determined so that the cost defined in the transportation network database 42 is minimized on the condition that the transfer point is passed through. Step S203 is a step of calculating the required time, and an ideal destination arrival time that does not consider the transfer point arrival time and the waiting time is calculated for the transfer route.

[0091] Moreover, the vehicle demand estimation process in step S104 includes step S204. Step S204 is a step of estimating a congestion degree, and in this embodiment, the vehicle demand estimation unit 67 acquires a vehicle dispatch record corresponding to the transfer point and the transfer point arrival time from the congestion degree database 43. Then, the value of this vehicle dispatch record is estimated as the congestion degree at the transfer point and the transfer point arrival time.

[0092] The vehicle supply estimation process in step S105 includes steps S205 and S206. Step S205 is a step of acquiring information on the transport vehicle, for example, status information indicating the current location and operating status of the transport vehicle is acquired as the transport vehicle information. Step S206 is a step of calculating a predicted return time until the transport vehicle returns to the transfer point. Then, the predicted return time of each transport vehicle is estimated to represent the supply of the transport vehicle at the transfer point and the arrival time at the transfer point.

[0093] The waiting time estimation process in step S106 includes steps S207 to S209. Step S207 is a step of calculating the waiting order of the user 12 who has requested a route search at the transfer point. In this embodiment, the waiting order is calculated using the dispatch record corresponding to the transfer point and the arrival time at the transfer point. Step S208 is a step of estimating the return order of the transport vehicle. In this embodiment, the return order is estimated by the predicted return time of the transport vehicle. Steps S207 and S208 are steps of estimating the surplus or shortage of transport vehicles at the transfer point at the arrival time at the transfer point as a whole. Step S209 is a step of estimating the waiting time at the transfer point using the waiting order of the user 12 and the return order of the transport vehicle. In this embodiment, the predicted return time of the transport vehicle having the same return order as the waiting order of the user 12 is estimated to be the waiting time of the user 12.

[0094] The time estimation process in step S107 includes step S210. Step S210 in this embodiment is a step of calculating a realistic destination arrival time that takes the waiting time into consideration by adding the waiting time to an ideal destination arrival time that does not take the waiting time into consideration.

[0095] The guidance data creation process in step S108 includes step S211. Step S211 is a step of editing the route search results. In this embodiment, the search results including transfer routes, transfer points, transfer point arrival times, waiting times, realistic destination arrival times taking the waiting times into consideration, etc. are associated with each transfer route, and sorted in ascending order of realistic destination arrival times. A data collection formed by such data editing is transmitted to the route search terminal 10 as guidance data 73.

[0096] A specific example of a route search executed by the route search system 100 will be described below.

[0097] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a route search process. As shown in FIG. 9, a route for a user 12 to arrive at a facility 81 located away from a station is searched for by a route search system 100. The user 12 uses his / her own smartphone functioning as a route search terminal 10 to set the current location of the user 12 as the departure point and the departure time as 30 minutes from the current time. The user 12 also sets the name, address, or position coordinates such as latitude and longitude of the facility 81 as the destination. As a result, a route search request 72 is transmitted from the smartphone, which is the route search terminal 10, to the route search device 11.

[0098] The route search device 11 refers to the transportation network database 42 and selects a station that is within a predetermined distance range 82 from the facility 81, which is the destination, and has a taxi dispatch point that is a taxi stand. Here, for example, stations Sa and Sb are stations that correspond to this. Station Sa is the closest station to the facility 81 in terms of distance, and there is a taxi dispatch point Pa at station Sa. Furthermore, there is a taxi dispatch point Pb at station Sb. Therefore, the taxi dispatch point Pa at station Sa and the taxi dispatch point Pb at station Sb are determined as transfer points, respectively. As a result, the first transfer route 83 and the second transfer route 84 become the transfer routes that are the object of the route search. The first transfer route 83 is a route in which a train 86 traveling on a line 85 that can reach station Sa is used to travel to station Sa, and then a taxi, which is a transport vehicle, is transferred to the taxi dispatch point Pa at the taxi dispatch point Pa to arrive at the facility 81. The second transfer route 84 is a route in which the passenger travels by train 86 through station Sa to station Sb, and then transfers to a taxi at dispatch station Pb to arrive at facility 81.

[0099] In this example, the transfer point arrival time of the first transfer route 83, i.e., the arrival time at the vehicle allocation point Pa, is 16:55. In addition, the transportation vehicle ride time from the vehicle allocation point Pa to the facility 81, i.e., the taxi ride time, is 20 minutes. Therefore, the ideal destination arrival time via the first transfer route 83 is 17:15. Once the transfer point arrival time and the like of the first transfer route 83 are determined in this manner, the congestion degree database 43 can determine the vehicle allocation record for the time period including the arrival time at the vehicle allocation point Pa, 16:55. Here, it is assumed that the vehicle allocation record at the vehicle allocation point Pa from 16:00 to 17:00 is three vehicles. Therefore, it is estimated that the demand for taxis at the vehicle allocation point Pa at around 16:55, which is the transfer point arrival time, is three vehicles.

[0100] On the other hand, the transfer point arrival time of the second transfer route 84, i.e., the arrival time at the vehicle dispatch point Pb, is 17:00, and the transportation vehicle ride time is 25 minutes. Therefore, the ideal destination arrival time via the second transfer route 84 is 17:25. Once the transfer point arrival time etc. of the second transfer route 84 are determined in this manner, the congestion degree database 43 can determine the dispatch record for the time period including 17:00, which is the arrival time at the vehicle dispatch point Pb. Here, it is assumed that the number of dispatches at the vehicle dispatch point Pb between 17:00 and 18:00 is zero. Therefore, it is estimated that the demand for taxis at the vehicle dispatch point Pb around 17:00, which is the transfer point arrival time, is zero.

[0101] Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a transportation vehicle (taxi) near station Sa. As shown in Fig. 10, in this example, there are no taxis waiting at the dispatch point Pa, and there are 10 taxis that can return to the dispatch point Pa within a range 87 of a predetermined distance or time from station Sa. The IDs of these 10 taxis are ID001 to ID010.

[0102] Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for estimating the supply of transportation vehicles and a method for estimating waiting time. Once the first transfer route 83 and the arrival time at the transfer point are determined, the predicted return time is estimated for each of the 10 taxis that can return to the dispatch point Pa, as shown in table 88 in Fig. 11. Then, the return order of each taxi to the dispatch point Pa is determined based on the estimated predicted return time.

[0103] On the other hand, as shown in Table 89 of Fig. 11, the number of people (hereinafter referred to as waiting people) who are predicted to be waiting ahead of user 12 at vehicle allocation point Pa at around 16:55, which is the arrival time at the transfer point, is estimated based on the vehicle allocation record of the congestion degree data 54. Here, since there are three vehicles allocated, it is estimated that three people, waiting people A, waiting people B, and waiting people C, are waiting ahead of user 12 at vehicle allocation point Pa. For this reason, it is estimated that user 12 is fourth in the waiting order.

[0104] Also, as shown in Table 88, the taxi with the return order "fourth" corresponding to the waiting order "fourth" is the taxi with ID001, and its predicted return time is 15 minutes. Therefore, when the user 12 arrives at the dispatch point Pa at 16:55, it is estimated that the user 12 can transfer to a taxi at the dispatch point Pa 15 minutes after the taxi with ID001 returns. Therefore, the route search device 11 estimates that the predicted return time of the taxi with ID001 having the return order "fourth" corresponding to the waiting order "fourth" is the waiting time of the user 12 at the dispatch point Pa. As a result, when the first transfer route 83 is adopted, the ideal destination arrival time is 17:15, but 17:30, which is obtained by adding the waiting time of 15 minutes to the ideal destination arrival time, is a realistic destination arrival time taking the waiting time into consideration.

[0105] The waiting time and realistic destination arrival time are also estimated for the second transfer route 84 in the same manner as above. Here, it is assumed that a taxi is already waiting at the transfer point, vehicle dispatch Pb, of the second transfer route 84 at 17:00, which is the transfer point arrival time, and the waiting time is zero minutes. Therefore, for the second transfer route 84, the realistic destination arrival time taking the waiting time into consideration is equal to the ideal destination arrival time, which is 17:25. Therefore, although the second transfer route 84 is a route that passes through station Sb, which is not the nearest station, the waiting time is short, and therefore it is possible to arrive at the destination facility 81 five minutes earlier than the first transfer route 83 that passes through station Sa, which is the nearest station.

[0106] The route search device 11 provides the first transfer route 83 and its realistic destination arrival time (17:30), and the second transfer route 84 and its realistic destination arrival time (17:25) as search results to the user 12. The route search device 11 also specifies the display order of the search results in the route search terminal 10 so that the second transfer route 84, which has an earlier realistic destination arrival time, is preferentially displayed. Note that "preferentially" in terms of display, etc., refers to, for example, making it easier to attract the attention of the user 12 and easier for the user 12 to perceive relative to other displayed objects, etc.

[0107] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the guidance data 73 and its display mode. As shown in FIG. 12, when the smartphone, which is the route search terminal 10, receives the guidance data 73 in the above example, it displays a search result display screen 91 on a touch panel 90 functioning as the display 29. In this search result display screen 91, part or all of the information related to each transfer route is displayed according to the display order designation data included in the guidance data 73. For this reason, for example, information on the second transfer route 84 is displayed in a display field 92 for the "fastest arrival route," and information on the first transfer route 83 is displayed in a display field 93 for the "other routes." Therefore, the user 12 is likely to select the second transfer route 84, which has an earlier realistic destination arrival time, by looking at this search result display screen 91. That is, the route search device 11 can perform an accurate route search that takes into account the waiting time, and can provide the result to the user 12 appropriately.

[0108] In addition, although only the arrival time at the destination is displayed in Fig. 12, other information related to each transfer route can be displayed, for example, by operating a detailed display button 94 which is a GUI (Graphical User Interface). Also, the specific display form in Fig. 12 is an example for explanation.

[0109] Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of guidance data 95 and its display mode in a comparative example. As shown in the guidance data 95 in Fig. 13, in the comparative example described here, the calculation method of each data, etc. are the same as the specific example described above, except that the destination arrival time is an ideal destination arrival time that does not take waiting time into consideration, and the display order is not specified.

[0110] In this comparative example, the search result display screen 91 displays ideal destination arrival times in ascending order. That is, the display field 92 for the "fastest arrival route" displays information on the first transfer route 83, for example, the ideal destination arrival time. Then, the display field 93 for the "other routes" displays information on the second transfer route 84, for example, the ideal destination arrival time. Therefore, in the comparative example, unless there are special circumstances such as a large difference in travel costs, it is difficult for the user 12 to select the second transfer route 84, which has an earlier realistic destination arrival time, by looking at the search result display screen 91. And when the user actually travels via the first transfer route 83, which is displayed with priority, the actual destination arrival time is later than displayed, so it is difficult to say that the route search in the comparative example is accurate.

[0111] As described above, when comparing the route search according to this embodiment with the route search according to the comparative example, it can be seen that the route search according to this embodiment performs an accurate route search that includes a realistic arrival time at the destination that takes waiting time into account.

[0112] In the above, as an example of the operation of the route search device 11, the operation when the departure time from the departure point is set as the search condition has been described, but the operation is almost the same as the above when the arrival time at the destination is set as the search condition. That is, when the arrival time at the destination is set as the search condition, the route search device 11 estimates a realistic departure time from the departure point taking into account the waiting time, instead of a realistic arrival time at the destination taking into account the waiting time. Then, the route search terminal 10 displays the realistic departure time from the departure point together with the transfer route on the search result display screen 91. Then, the display order of the transfer routes on the search result display screen 91 is in the order of the latest realistic departure time from the departure point. Other specific processes are substantially the same as the above example.

[0113] As described above, the route search device 11 according to the present embodiment is a route search device that searches for a route from a specified departure point to a specified destination. The route search device 11 includes a transfer point determination unit 64, a transfer route determination unit 65, a required time estimation unit 66 functioning as a transfer point arrival time estimation unit, a vehicle demand estimation unit 67, a vehicle supply estimation unit 68, a waiting time estimation unit 69, a time estimation unit 70, and a guidance data creation unit 63. The transfer point determination unit 64 determines a transfer point at which a vehicle transfers from a transportation facility (regular transportation facility) that regularly transports a vehicle along a specific route to a transportation vehicle that irregularly transports a vehicle along an arbitrary route, according to the destination. The transfer route determination unit 65 determines a transfer route that passes through the transfer point, transfers to a transportation vehicle, and arrives at the destination. The required time estimation unit 66 functioning as a transfer point arrival time estimation unit estimates a transfer point arrival time at which a vehicle arrives at the transfer point, based on the transfer route and a departure time from a departure point or an arrival time at a destination that is previously specified. The vehicle demand estimation unit 67 estimates the demand for transport vehicles at the transfer point based on the transfer point arrival time. The vehicle supply estimation unit 68 estimates the supply of transport vehicles at the transfer point based on the transfer point arrival time. The waiting time estimation unit 69 estimates the waiting time at the transfer point based on the demand and supply of transport vehicles at the transfer point. The time estimation unit 70 estimates the destination arrival time, which is the arrival time at the destination including the waiting time, or the departure time from the departure point, which is the departure time from the departure point including the waiting time. The guidance data creation unit 63 creates guidance data that provides information on the destination arrival time including the waiting time or the departure time from the departure point including the waiting time, together with the transfer route, as a search result for a route to arrive at the destination from the departure point.

[0114] With the above configuration, the route search device 11 according to this embodiment can perform accurate route search taking into consideration the waiting time for transferring to a transportation vehicle when searching for a transfer route from a scheduled transportation facility such as a train to a transportation vehicle such as a taxi or an autonomous vehicle. As a result, the route search device 11 according to this embodiment can accurately guide a transfer route based on a realistic destination arrival time including the waiting time for transferring to a transportation vehicle.

[0115] In the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment, the transfer point determination unit 64 determines the transfer point to be one or more points within a predetermined range from the destination among the points where a transfer from a regular transportation facility to a transport vehicle is possible. This allows the route search device 11 to determine the transfer point within a realistic range. For example, the actual transport route of the transport vehicle is arbitrary, and there are practical circumstances such as congestion on the transport route. For this reason, if a station or the like unnecessarily far from the destination is set as a transfer point in route search, the above circumstances may cause a large error in the destination arrival time. For this reason, as described above, the route search device 11 can more accurately estimate the destination arrival time by determining the transfer point within a realistic range. As a result, the route search device 11 can perform an accurate route search that takes into account the waiting time and is less likely to cause an error in the destination arrival time due to practical circumstances.

[0116] In the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment, the transfer route determination unit 65 determines the transfer route as the route that, after arriving at the transfer point, arrives at the destination from the transfer point by a transport vehicle in the shortest time. That is, the transfer route is an optimal route with no waste, except for the presence or absence and the extent of waiting time. Therefore, on the premise of the transfer route determined as above, and further taking the waiting time into consideration, a realistic arrival time at the destination is estimated and announced particularly accurately for the optimal route. Therefore, by determining the transfer route as above, the route search device 11 can perform particularly accurate route search.

[0117] The route search device 11 according to the first embodiment includes a transportation network database 42 that represents a transportation network using nodes (node ​​data 51) that represent locations, links (link data 52) that represent routes connecting the nodes, and costs associated with travel along the links (cost data 53). Transfer points, transfer routes, and transfer point arrival times are determined by referring to the transportation network database 42 that models the transportation network in advance in this manner. Therefore, the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment can quickly and accurately perform a route search while suppressing the computational load associated with the route search.

[0118] In the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment, the demand for transport vehicles is the number of transport vehicles required at the transfer point at the arrival time at that transfer point. In this way, by regarding the demand for transport vehicles as the number of transport vehicles required at the transfer point at the arrival time at that transfer point, a realistic arrival time at the destination can be accurately estimated. Therefore, the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment can perform an accurate route search.

[0119] In the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment, the vehicle demand estimation unit 67 estimates the demand for transport vehicles based on the congestion degree at the transfer point. Since the congestion degree at the transfer point is an example of a parameter that is correlated with the demand for transport vehicles, the demand for transport vehicles is accurately estimated by estimating the demand for transport vehicles based on the congestion degree at the transfer point as described above. Therefore, the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment can perform an accurate route search.

[0120] In particular, in the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment, the congestion degree is the number of transport vehicles (vehicle allocation record) used in the past at a transfer point during a specific time period including the arrival time at the transfer point. The vehicle allocation record is data collected for the management of transport vehicles, and therefore there is no need to collect and accumulate special data as the congestion degree. In addition, the vehicle allocation record represents the congestion degree (demand for transport vehicles) at the transfer point and during a specific time period at the transfer point almost as it is. Therefore, as described above, by estimating the demand for transport vehicles by regarding the vehicle allocation record as the congestion degree, the route search device 11 can simply and accurately estimate the demand for transport vehicles. As a result, the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment can perform a quick and accurate route search.

[0121] In the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment, the vehicle supply estimation unit 68 estimates the supply of transport vehicles by calculating a predicted return time that indicates a predicted time for one or more transport vehicles to return to a transfer point. The predicted return time is an example of a parameter that is correlated with the supply quantity of transport vehicles to a specific transfer point and is easy to calculate. Therefore, as described above, by estimating the supply of transport vehicles based on the predicted return time of the transport vehicles, the supply of transport vehicles can be estimated simply and accurately. As a result, the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment can perform a quick and accurate route search.

[0122] In particular, in the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment, the vehicle supply estimation unit 68 estimates the supply of the transport vehicle based on the current position of the transport vehicle and the status information representing the operation state of the transport vehicle. That is, the vehicle supply estimation unit 68 calculates the return prediction time based on the current position and the status information of the transport vehicle, and estimates the supply of the transport vehicle to the transfer point based on this return prediction time. The return prediction time can be determined almost accurately based on the current position and the operation state of the transport vehicle. Therefore, the route search device 11 can simply and accurately estimate the supply of the transport vehicle by using the status information representing the current position and the operation state of the transport vehicle as described above. As a result, the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment can perform a quick and accurate route search.

[0123] In the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment, the waiting time estimation unit 69 estimates a surplus or shortage of transport vehicles based on the demand and supply of transport vehicles, and estimates the waiting time based on this surplus or shortage. The surplus or shortage of transport vehicles at a transfer point is determined by the balance between the demand and supply of transport vehicles, and is a parameter directly related to the waiting time of the user 12 who requested the route search. For this reason, by estimating a surplus or shortage of transport vehicles based on the demand and supply of transport vehicles, and estimating the waiting time based on this surplus or shortage, as described above, it is possible to estimate the waiting time particularly accurately. As a result, the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment can perform an accurate route search.

[0124] In particular, in the first embodiment, the waiting time estimation unit 69 estimates a waiting order, which is an order in which the user 12 waits at the transfer point to transfer to a transport vehicle, and estimates a return order, which is an order in which one or more transport vehicles return to the transfer point. The waiting time estimation unit 69 estimates the waiting time using a predicted time (predicted return time) until a transport vehicle with a return order corresponding to the waiting order returns to the transfer point. The user 12 who moves according to the transfer route guided by the guide is likely to transfer to a transport vehicle with a return order corresponding to the waiting order. Therefore, the predicted return time of the transport vehicle with the return order corresponding to the waiting order is likely to be the waiting time at the transfer point of the user 12. Therefore, by estimating the waiting order and the waiting order as described above and estimating the waiting time using them, the waiting time can be estimated simply and accurately. As a result, the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment can perform an accurate route search.

[0125] In the first embodiment, when there are multiple transfer routes as a search result, the guidance data creation unit 63 creates guidance data that specifies the display order of the multiple transfer routes based on the destination arrival time including waiting time. The guidance data creation unit 63 then transmits this guidance data to the route search terminal 10 that acquires the search result and displays the search result, thereby displaying the multiple transfer routes on the display screen of the route search terminal 10 in order of the earliest destination arrival time including waiting time, or in order of the latest departure time from the departure point including waiting time. In this way, when the departure time is set as a search condition, the transfer routes are displayed in order of the earliest realistic arrival time from the destination including waiting time, so that the user 12 can quickly and correctly know the realistic and highly accurate destination arrival time including waiting time and adopt the optimal route. Similarly, when the arrival time is set as a search condition, the transfer routes are displayed in order of the latest realistic departure time from the departure point including waiting time, so that the user 12 can quickly and correctly know the realistic and highly accurate departure time from the departure point including waiting time and adopt the optimal route. Therefore, the route search device 11 according to the first embodiment can perform an accurate route search and can provide accurate guidance on the results of the route search.

[0126] [Variations] In the first embodiment, the transfer point determination unit 64 determines a plurality of transfer points and estimates the waiting time for each of these transfer points, but the specific route search method is not limited to this method. For example, the waiting time for the shortest ideal transfer route may be estimated, and when a waiting time occurs on the transfer route, an alternative transfer route may be searched for.

[0127] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a route search method of the modified example. As shown in FIG. 14, in the route search of the modified example, in step S301, the route search processing unit 61 executes a route search process to search for one or more transfer routes, as in the first embodiment. Then, in the first embodiment, as described above, when there are multiple transfer routes, a realistic destination arrival time is estimated by estimating the waiting time for all of these transfer routes, thereby estimating. In contrast, in this modified example, in step S301, the route search processing unit 61 functions as a shortest route determination unit and determines the shortest transfer route with the earliest ideal destination arrival time from among the multiple transfer routes searched. Then, in step S302, the vehicle demand estimation unit 67 executes a vehicle demand estimation process for the determined shortest transfer route. Similarly, in step S303, the vehicle supply estimation unit 68 executes a vehicle supply estimation process for the shortest transfer route, and in step S304, the waiting time estimation unit 69 executes a waiting time estimation process for the shortest transfer route. Thereafter, in step S305, the time estimation unit 70 executes a time estimation process for the shortest transfer route to estimate a realistic destination arrival time that takes into account waiting time.

[0128] Thereafter, in step S306, the control unit 45 functions as a waiting time confirmation unit that confirms the presence or absence of waiting time, and determines whether or not a waiting time occurs in traveling along the shortest transfer route based on the estimation result of the waiting time estimation unit 69. When it is determined in step S306 that no waiting time occurs along the shortest transfer route, the route search is completed, and in step S313, the guidance data creation unit 63 executes a guidance data creation process.

[0129] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S306 that a waiting time will occur on the shortest transfer route, in step S037 the control unit 45 functions as a vehicle surplus transfer point search unit and searches for a transfer point where transportation vehicles will be surplus at the transfer point arrival time. More specifically, the control unit 45 executes vehicle demand estimation processing and vehicle supply estimation processing for transfer routes other than the shortest transfer route by the vehicle demand estimation unit 67 and the vehicle supply estimation unit 68. Thereby, the control unit 45 as a vehicle surplus transfer point search unit searches for a transfer point where transportation vehicles will be surplus at the transfer point arrival time.

[0130] When the vehicle surplus transfer point search process in step S307 does not find a transfer point with surplus transport vehicles, the route search is completed, and the guidance data creation unit 63 executes the guidance data creation process in step S313. Although it depends on the specific distance between the transfer point of the shortest transfer route and the transfer point of another transfer route, the length of each waiting time, etc., the realistic destination arrival time of the shortest transfer route is often earlier than the realistic destination arrival time of another transfer route. For this reason, in step S307, unless there is a transfer point with an excess supply of transport vehicles, there is little harm in completing the route search by assuming that the realistic destination arrival time of the shortest transfer route is the earliest.

[0131] When a transfer point with surplus transportation vehicles is found by the vehicle surplus transfer point search process in step S307, a transfer route that passes through the transfer point is determined to be a transfer route that can be substituted for the shortest transfer route (hereinafter referred to as an alternative transfer route) in step S308. Then, in step S309, the waiting time estimation unit 69 executes waiting time estimation processing for the alternative transfer route, and in step S310, the time estimation unit 70 estimates a realistic destination arrival time for the alternative transfer route. Note that the waiting time in the alternative transfer route is substantially zero, and the realistic destination arrival time by the alternative transfer route is substantially an ideal destination arrival time that does not take the waiting time into consideration. For this reason, steps S309 and S310 may be omitted.

[0132] Then, in step S311, the control unit 45 functions as a destination arrival time comparison unit and compares the realistic destination arrival time via the shortest transfer route with the realistic destination arrival time via the alternative transfer route. If the realistic destination arrival time via the alternative transfer route is earlier than the realistic destination arrival time via the shortest transfer route, the alternative transfer route is added to the search results in step S312, and the route search ends. As a result, the guidance data 73 created in the guidance data creation process in step S313 includes the shortest transfer route and the alternative transfer route.

[0133] When the realistic destination arrival time of the alternative transfer route is later than the realistic destination arrival time of the shortest transfer route, the route search is terminated without including the alternative transfer route in the search result, and the guidance data creation process of step S313 is executed. This is because there is little need to guide the user 12 to the transfer route with the later realistic destination arrival time. When there are multiple alternative transfer routes, the above steps S308 to S312 are executed for each of the alternative transfer routes.

[0134] As described above, if an alternative transfer route is searched for when a waiting time occurs on the shortest transfer route, it is possible to reduce the amount of calculation required for route search by the route search device 11. Therefore, according to the above modification, the route search device 11 can quickly and accurately perform a route search.

[0135] In the above modified example, the operation when the departure time from the departure point is set as the search condition is explained, but the operation when the arrival time at the destination is set as the search condition is substantially the same as the above modified example.

[0136] [Second embodiment] In the above first embodiment and the modified example, the route search system 100 has been described in detail. However, the route search method executed by the route search system 100 is also useful in a vehicle dispatch system that dispatches a transport vehicle in response to a request from a user 12.

[0137] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle allocation system 200. As shown in FIG. 15, the vehicle allocation system 200 includes a vehicle allocation management device 201 in addition to the route search terminal 10 and the route search device 11 constituting the route search system 100. The vehicle allocation management device 201 is one or more computers that manage the allocation of transport vehicles. In other words, the vehicle allocation management device 201 is a so-called vehicle allocation server. In particular, in the vehicle allocation system 200, the vehicle allocation management device 201 is connected to the route search system 100 via a communication network 15 to transmit and / or receive various data and the like, thereby managing the allocation of transport vehicles in cooperation with the route search system 100.

[0138] Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the route search terminal 10 and the vehicle dispatch management device 201 in the vehicle dispatch system 200. As shown in Fig. 16, when configuring the vehicle dispatch system 200, the route search terminal 10 includes a reservation request creation unit 202 in the control unit 23 in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment. For this reason, the terminal control program 35 includes a program for making the control unit 23 function as the reservation request creation unit 202. When the user 12 performs an approval operation for a specific transfer route guided by the route search device 11, the reservation request creation unit 202 creates a system command (hereinafter, referred to as a reservation request 232 (see Fig. 18)) for reserving the dispatch of a transportation vehicle at the transfer point and the arrival time at the transfer point.

[0139] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a search result display screen 91 in the vehicle dispatch system 200. As shown in FIG. 17, when configuring the vehicle dispatch system 200, the output control unit 32 additionally displays a vehicle dispatch reservation button 203, which is a GUI, in the display field 92 of the "fastest arrival route" and the display field 93 of the "other routes". By tapping the vehicle dispatch reservation button 203, the user 12 can approve the corresponding transfer route and notify the vehicle dispatch system 200 that the transfer route will be adopted for travel. That is, when the input control unit 31 detects a tap on the vehicle dispatch reservation button 203, the reservation request creation unit 202 creates a reservation request 232 for reserving a transportation vehicle at the transfer point and the transfer point arrival time on the transfer route. The reservation request 232 includes at least information on the transfer point and the transfer point arrival time. In addition, the reservation request 232 may include information on the route search terminal 10 that issued the reservation request 232 and / or the user 12, who is the owner of the terminal, as necessary.

[0140] The vehicle dispatch control device 201 (see FIG. 16) includes a communication device 210, a control unit 211, and a storage unit 212.

[0141] The communication device 210 is a communication module that connects to the communication network 15. The vehicle allocation management device 201 connects to the route search terminal 10 and / or the route search device 11 by the communication device 210 via the communication network 15, and manages the allocation of transport vehicles.

[0142] The control unit 211 is a computing device such as a CPU, and controls the overall operation of the vehicle dispatch management device 201. The control unit 211 includes a vehicle dispatch processing unit 221 and a reservation processing unit 222 for managing transport vehicles, in particular, for controlling reservations for dispatching vehicles and for controlling dispatching of transport vehicles according to reservations.

[0143] The vehicle allocation processing unit 221 appropriately collects vehicle information 55 of the transport vehicles managed by the vehicle allocation management device 201, and issues a vehicle allocation instruction to have the transport vehicles head to the transfer point in response to a request from the user 12 or the like. In this way, the vehicle allocation management device 201 manages the allocation of transport vehicles in real time. When there is a reservation for the allocation of a transport vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle allocation reservation), the vehicle allocation processing unit 221 manages one or more transport vehicles so as to realize the allocation of the transport vehicle related to the reservation. For example, the vehicle allocation processing unit 221 adjusts the status information of the transport vehicles related to the vehicle allocation reservation, and manages the transport vehicles so that a specific transport vehicle arrives at the reserved transfer point and at the transfer point arrival time.

[0144] When the reservation processing unit 222 receives the reservation request 232, it judges whether or not it is possible to dispatch a transport vehicle in accordance with the reservation request 232. When it is possible to dispatch a transport vehicle at the specific transfer point and arrival time at the transfer point in accordance with the reservation request 232, it accepts the reservation and transmits a response code 233 (see FIG. 18) to that effect to the issuer or relay of the reservation request 232. On the other hand, when it is not possible to dispatch a transport vehicle at the specific transfer point and arrival time at the transfer point in accordance with the reservation request 232, it rejects the reservation and transmits a response code 233 to that effect to the issuer or relay of the reservation request 232.

[0145] Furthermore, the reservation processing unit 222 may execute a provisional reservation process when it receives guidance data 73 or a part of it from the route search device 11. The provisional reservation process is a process of managing a transportation vehicle for a predetermined time period, assuming that a provisional vehicle reservation has been made before the reception of the reservation request 232, so that a vehicle reservation can be accepted when a reservation request 232 based on an approval operation of the user 12 is made for a transfer route indicated by the guidance data 73.

[0146] Fig. 18 is a sequence chart of the vehicle dispatch system 200. As shown in Fig. 18, in the vehicle dispatch system 200, the route search terminal 10 executes a search condition acquisition process in step S101 to start a route search. Thereafter, in step S102, the route search terminal 10 executes a route search request creation process. Then, when the route search device 11 receives a route search request 72, it executes a route search process similar to the first embodiment. That is, the route search device 11 executes a route search process in step S103, a vehicle demand estimation process in step S104, a vehicle supply estimation process in step S105, a waiting time estimation process in step S106, and a time estimation process in step S107.

[0147] In this embodiment, the vehicle allocation management device 201 holds vehicle information 55 of transport vehicles that changes in real time. For this reason, when the route search device 11 receives a route search request 72 or the like, the control unit 45 functions as a vehicle information update unit and transmits an update request 231 for the vehicle information 55 to the vehicle allocation management device 201 as necessary. Then, in response to the update request 231, the latest vehicle information 55 transmitted from the vehicle allocation management device 201 is appropriately acquired, and the vehicle information 55 held in the transport vehicle database 44 is updated. In this embodiment, when the vehicle information 55 has not been updated within a predetermined period of time, the vehicle information 55 is updated at least before the vehicle demand estimation process in step S104 is executed.

[0148] As described above, after executing a route search similar to that in the first embodiment, the route search device 11 executes a guidance data creation process in step S108. The guidance data 73 created here is similar to that in the first embodiment. However, the route search device 11 transmits the guidance data 73 to the route search terminal 10 and also transmits the guidance data 73 to the vehicle dispatch management device 201.

[0149] Upon receiving the guidance data 73, the route search terminal 10 executes a search result display process in step S109. In this embodiment, in this search result display process, the vehicle reservation button 203 is displayed together with the transfer route. Then, when a tap operation of the vehicle reservation button 203, which is an approval operation for a specific transfer route, is detected in the approval operation detection process in step S401, a reservation request 232 is created by a reservation request creation process in step S403. The created reservation request 232 is directly or indirectly transmitted to the vehicle allocation management device 201. In this embodiment, since the vehicle reservation button 203 is provided on the search result display screen 91, the route search device 11 receives the reservation request 232 and transfers it to the vehicle allocation management device 201. That is, when an approval operation for a transfer route is detected in the route search terminal 10, the route search device 11 registers a reservation (reservation request 232) with a vehicle dispatch management device 201 that manages the dispatch of transport vehicles, for dispatching a transport vehicle at the transfer point and the arrival time at the transfer point guided by the transfer route.

[0150] On the other hand, when the vehicle dispatch management device 201 receives the guidance data 73, it executes a tentative reservation process in step S403. After that, when the vehicle dispatch management device 201 receives the reservation request 232, it executes a reservation process in step S404 and transmits a response code 233 indicating whether the reservation has been established to the route search terminal 10 directly or indirectly. In this embodiment, the response code 233 is indirectly transmitted to the route search terminal 10 via the route search device 11. The route search terminal 10 notifies the user 12 of the establishment or non-establishment of the reservation in response to the response code 233. Furthermore, when the vehicle dispatch management device 201 establishes a vehicle dispatch reservation for a transportation vehicle in response to the reservation request 232, it dispatches the transportation vehicle to the transfer point and the transfer point arrival time of the transfer route related to the reservation request 232.

[0151] As described above, in the vehicle dispatch system 200 according to the second embodiment, when an approval operation for a transfer route is detected in the route search terminal 10, the route search device 11 registers a reservation for dispatching a transport vehicle to a transfer point and an arrival time at the transfer point indicated by the transfer route in the vehicle dispatch management device 201 that manages the dispatch of transport vehicles. A simple approval operation such as tapping the vehicle dispatch reservation button 203 on the search result display screen 91 can make a vehicle dispatch reservation for realizing a move according to the transfer route indicated, and no separate complicated and special vehicle dispatch reservation operation is required. Therefore, the route search device 11 can perform an accurate route search, and can also provide a simple interface to support the user 12 in making a simple and quick vehicle dispatch reservation.

[0152] The above describes the embodiments and modifications of the present invention. However, the configurations described in the above embodiments and modifications merely illustrate some of the application examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0153] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiments and modified examples, the route search device 11 includes the transportation network database 42, the congestion degree database 43, and the transport vehicle database 44, but these configurations can be omitted. When the transportation network database 42 is omitted, the route search device 11 can appropriately acquire the node data 51, the link data 52, and the cost data 53 from other external systems, etc., via the communication network 15, as needed. When the congestion degree database 43 is omitted, the route search device 11 can appropriately acquire the congestion degree data 54 from other external systems, etc., via the communication network 15, as needed. Similarly, when the transport vehicle database 44 is omitted, the route search device 11 can appropriately acquire the vehicle information 55 from other external systems, etc., via the communication network 15, as needed. In particular, the vehicle information 55 of the transport vehicle is the same as or a part of the information held by the vehicle dispatch management device 201 of the second embodiment for managing the transport vehicle. For this reason, in the second embodiment, the route search device 11 can omit the configuration of the transport vehicle database 44, and can appropriately acquire the vehicle information 55 required for route search from the vehicle allocation management device 201.

[0154] In the above-mentioned embodiments and modified examples, the route search device 11 uses the dispatch record as a measure of congestion and estimates the demand for transport vehicles at the transfer point using the dispatch record, but the demand for transport vehicles at the transfer point can be estimated by another method. For example, when there is statistical data on the number of people waiting for a transfer point for each predetermined time period, the number of people waiting may be used as a measure of congestion instead of the dispatch record, and the demand for transport vehicles may be estimated using the number of people waiting. Furthermore, when there is statistical data on the number of passengers boarding and alighting or the number of users for each predetermined time period for a station or a transfer point, this may be used instead of the dispatch record to estimate the demand for transport vehicles. Furthermore, information on the congestion degree does not need to be held in advance. For example, the number of people waiting, the number of passengers boarding and alighting, and the number of users may be counted in real time by image analysis of images from a surveillance camera or the like.

[0155] In the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications, the functions of the route search terminal 10, the route search device 11, and the vehicle dispatch management device 201 are described separately for convenience of explanation, but these functions are merely examples. Therefore, in the route search system 100 or the vehicle dispatch system 200, a part or all of the functions for realizing the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications executed by a certain device can be executed by another device. For example, a part or all of the various functions of the transfer point determination unit 64, the transfer route determination unit 65, the required time estimation unit 66, the vehicle demand estimation unit 67, the vehicle supply estimation unit 68, the waiting time estimation unit 69, and the time estimation unit 70 may be executed by the route search terminal 10. In this case, the route search terminal 10, or the entirety of the route search terminal 10 and the route search device 11 constitutes the route search device 11 in the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0156] 10: route search terminal, 11: route search device, 61: route search processing unit, 62: time calculation unit, guidance data creation unit, 64: transfer point determination unit, 65: transfer route determination unit, 66: required time estimation unit, 67: vehicle demand estimation unit, 68: vehicle supply estimation unit, 69: waiting time estimation unit, 70: time estimation unit, 71: route search program, 100: route search system, 200: vehicle dispatch system, 201: vehicle dispatch management device

Claims

1. A route search device that searches for a route from a specified departure point to a specified destination, a transfer point determination unit that determines a transfer point at which the user transfers from a transportation facility that provides regular transport along a specific route to a transport vehicle that provides irregular transport along an arbitrary route according to the destination; a transfer route determination unit that determines a transfer route to arrive at the destination by passing through the transfer point and transferring to the transportation vehicle; a transfer point arrival time estimation unit that estimates a transfer point arrival time at the transfer point based on the transfer route and a departure time from the departure point or an arrival time at the destination that is specified in advance; a vehicle demand estimation unit that estimates a demand for the transportation vehicle at the transfer point based on the transfer point arrival time; a vehicle supply estimation unit that estimates the supply of the transportation vehicle at the transfer point based on the transfer point arrival time; a waiting time estimation unit that estimates a waiting time at the transfer point based on the demand and the supply of the transportation vehicle at the transfer point; a time estimation unit that estimates a destination arrival time, which is an arrival time at the destination including the waiting time, or a departure time from the departure point, which is a departure time from the departure point including the waiting time; a guidance data creation unit that creates guidance data that provides information on a time of arrival at the destination including the waiting time or a time of departure from the departure point including the waiting time together with the transfer route as a search result for a route from the departure point to the destination; Equipped with The waiting time estimation unit estimates a waiting order which is an order of waiting to transfer to the transportation vehicle at the transfer point, The waiting time estimation unit estimates a return order, which is an order in which the one or more transport vehicles return to the transfer point; The waiting time estimation unit estimates the waiting time by using a predicted time until the transport vehicle having the return rank corresponding to the waiting rank returns to the transfer point. Route finding device.

2. The route search device according to claim 1, The transfer point determination unit determines the transfer point to be one or more points included within a predetermined range from the destination among points at which the user can transfer from the transportation facility to the transport vehicle. Route finding device.

3. 3. A route search device according to claim 1, further comprising: The transfer route determination unit determines, as the transfer route, a route that arrives at the transfer point and then arrives at the destination in the shortest time by the transportation vehicle from the transfer point. Route finding device.

4. The route search device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a transportation network database that represents a transportation network using nodes that represent points, links that represent routes that connect the nodes, and costs associated with travel along the links; The transfer point, the transfer route, and the transfer point arrival time are determined by referring to the transportation network database. Route finding device.

5. The route search device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The demand is a quantity of the transportation vehicles required at the transfer point at the transfer point arrival time. Route finding device.

6. 6. A route search device according to claim 5, The vehicle demand estimation unit estimates the demand based on a congestion degree at the transfer point. Route finding device.

7. 7. A route search device according to claim 6, The congestion degree is the number of the transportation vehicles that have been used in the past at the transfer point during a predetermined time period including the arrival time at the transfer point. Route finding device.

8. The route search device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The vehicle supply estimation unit estimates the supply by calculating a return prediction time representing a predicted time until one or more of the transportation vehicles return to the transfer point. Route finding device.

9. The route search device according to claim 8, The vehicle supply estimation unit estimates the supply based on a current position of the transport vehicle and status information representing an operating state of the transport vehicle. Route finding device.

10. The route search device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The waiting time estimation unit estimates a surplus or shortage of the transport vehicles based on the demand and the supply, The waiting time estimation unit estimates the waiting time based on the excess or deficiency. Route finding device.

11. The route search device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the guidance data creation unit, when there are a plurality of the transfer routes as the search result, creates the guidance data specifying a display order of the plurality of the transfer routes based on the arrival time at the destination including the waiting time or the departure time from the departure point including the waiting time; the guidance data creation unit transmits the guidance data to a route search terminal that acquires the search result and displays the search result, thereby displaying the multiple transfer routes on a display screen of the route search terminal in order of earliest arrival time at the destination including the waiting time, or in order of latest departure time from the departure point including the waiting time. Route finding device.

12. The route search device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, When an approval operation for the transfer route is detected, a reservation for dispatching the transport vehicle at the transfer point and the arrival time at the transfer point guided by the transfer route is registered in a vehicle dispatch management device that manages the dispatch of the transport vehicle. Route finding device.

13. A route search method executed by a route search device to search for a route from a specified departure point to a specified destination, comprising the steps of: determining a transfer point at which the passenger transfers from a transportation facility that provides regular transport along a specific route to a transportation vehicle that provides irregular transport along an arbitrary route according to the destination; determining a transfer route that passes through the transfer point, transfers to the transportation vehicle, and arrives at the destination; Estimating a transfer point arrival time at the transfer point based on the transfer route and a departure time from the departure point or an arrival time at the destination that is specified in advance; estimating a demand for the transportation vehicle at the transfer point based on the transfer point arrival time; estimating a supply of the transportation vehicles at the transfer point based on the transfer point arrival times; estimating a waiting time at the transfer point based on the demand and the supply of the transportation vehicles at the transfer point; Estimating a destination arrival time, which is a time of arrival at the destination including the waiting time, or a departure time from the departure point, which is a time of departure from the departure point including the waiting time; providing, as a search result of a route from the departure point to the destination, a destination arrival time including the waiting time or a departure time from the departure point including the waiting time, together with the transfer route; The estimation of the waiting time is Estimating a waiting order, which is an order of waiting to transfer to the transportation vehicle at the transfer point; Estimating a return order, which is an order in which one or more of the transportation vehicles will return to the transfer point; using a predicted time until the transport vehicle having the return rank corresponding to the waiting rank returns to the transfer point. Route finding methods.

14. A route search program that causes a route search device to execute a route search for a route from a specified departure point to a specified destination, The route search device includes: determining a transfer point at which the passenger transfers from a transportation facility that provides regular transport along a specific route to a transportation vehicle that provides irregular transport along an arbitrary route according to the destination; determining a transfer route that passes through the transfer point, transfers to the transportation vehicle, and arrives at the destination; estimating a transfer point arrival time for arriving at the transfer point based on the transfer route and a pre-specified departure time from the departure point or an arrival time at the destination; estimating a demand for the transportation vehicle at the transfer point based on the transfer point arrival time; estimating a supply of the transportation vehicles at the transfer point based on the transfer point arrival times; estimating a waiting time at the transfer point based on the demand and the supply of the transportation vehicles at the transfer point; estimating a destination arrival time, which is an arrival time at the destination including the waiting time, or a departure time from the departure point, which is a departure time from the departure point including the waiting time; providing, as a search result of a route from the departure point to the destination, a destination arrival time including the waiting time or a departure time from the departure point including the waiting time together with the transfer route; The estimation of the waiting time is Estimating a waiting order, which is an order of waiting to transfer to the transportation vehicle at the transfer point; Estimating a return order, which is an order in which one or more of the transport vehicles will return to the transfer point; using a predicted time until the transport vehicle having the return rank corresponding to the waiting rank returns to the transfer point; A route finding program.

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