Vehicle allocation management device and vehicle allocation management method

Abstract

To prevent a situation where the labor of a taxi driver is wasted when a plurality of vehicle dispatch requests are received from one user.SOLUTION: A vehicle dispatch management system 1 comprises: a reception unit 131 for receiving a plurality of vehicle dispatch requests, for dispatching vehicles on specified dates and time and specified locations, from a user; and a request transmission unit 134 for transmitting, to a vehicle, a vehicle dispatch request, for dispatching the vehicle to the specified location of the dispatching vehicle request on the specified date and time for each of the plurality of vehicle dispatch requests. In a case where a second vehicle dispatch request is received from the user after a first vehicle dispatch request has been received from the user, the reception unit does not receive the second vehicle dispatch request when the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is included in a predetermined time period that is based on the specified date and time of the first vehicle dispatch request, but receives the second vehicle dispatch request when the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is not included in the time period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle allocation management device and a vehicle allocation management method for managing the allocation of taxis. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, systems for managing taxi dispatch have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a system that manages the taxi status, which indicates whether a taxi is available or not, and the location information of the taxi, and upon receiving the current location from a taxi user, searches for taxis around the current location and notifies the user of the search results. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-248848 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When multiple dispatch requests are accepted from one user, the user may unintentionally make multiple dispatch requests with dispatch dates and times close to each other, which may result in a situation where the user does not show up at the dispatch location for one of the dispatch requests (a so-called no-show). In such cases, the taxi driver's effort in traveling to the dispatch location is wasted, which is a disadvantage for the driver.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to prevent a situation in which a taxi driver's efforts are wasted when multiple dispatch requests are received from a single user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the vehicle dispatch management device of the present invention includes a reception unit that receives multiple vehicle dispatch requests from a user to dispatch a vehicle at a specified date and time and to a specified location, and a request transmission unit that transmits a vehicle dispatch request to a vehicle to dispatch a vehicle to the specified location of each of the multiple vehicle dispatch requests at the specified date and time of each of the multiple vehicle dispatch requests, wherein the reception unit, when receiving a first vehicle dispatch request from the user and then a second vehicle dispatch request from the user, does not accept the second vehicle dispatch request when the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is included in a predetermined period based on the specified date and time of the first vehicle dispatch request, and accepts the second vehicle dispatch request when the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is not included in the period.

[0007] The reception unit may receive a setting of the period from an administrator who manages the vehicle dispatch management device.

[0008] The vehicle dispatch management device may further have a notification unit that notifies the user terminal of information indicating whether the specified date and time is included in the period while accepting the specification of the specified date and time at the user terminal used by the user.

[0009] The reception unit may accept the second vehicle dispatch request even when the period includes the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request, if the specified date and time and the specified location of the first vehicle dispatch request are the same as the specified date and time and the specified location of the second vehicle dispatch request.

[0010] When the reception unit receives a first vehicle dispatch request from a first user to dispatch a vehicle to the first user, and then receives a second vehicle dispatch request from the first user to dispatch a vehicle to a second user different from the first user, the reception unit may accept the second vehicle dispatch request even if the period includes the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request.

[0011] The request sending unit may not need to send the vehicle dispatch request in response to the vehicle dispatch request if a vehicle has been dispatched to the user or the user is in the vehicle before the specified date and time of the vehicle dispatch request.

[0012] The request sending unit may not need to send the dispatch request for the dispatch request if the user is in the vehicle before the specified date and time of the dispatch request and the relationship between at least one of the location or destination of the vehicle in which the user is in the vehicle and the specified location satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0013] The reception unit may cancel the remaining vehicle dispatch requests among the multiple vehicle dispatch requests received from the user if the user does not board a vehicle dispatched based on a predetermined number or percentage or more of the multiple vehicle dispatch requests received from the user.

[0014] The vehicle dispatch management device may further have a selection unit that selects a candidate vehicle from among a plurality of dispatchable vehicles that are within a predetermined range based on the specified location of each of the plurality of vehicle dispatch requests at a time before the specified date and time of each of the plurality of vehicle dispatch requests, and the request sending unit may send the vehicle dispatch request to the candidate vehicle selected by the selection unit.

[0015] The selection unit may predict an estimated arrival time at which each of the plurality of dispatchable vehicles will arrive at the specified location, and select the candidate vehicle from among the plurality of dispatchable vehicles based on the relationship between the estimated arrival time and the specified date and time.

[0016] A second aspect of the vehicle dispatch management method of the present invention includes the steps of: accepting a first vehicle dispatch request from a user for dispatching a vehicle to a first specified date and time and a first specified location, executed by a processor; and, when accepting a second vehicle dispatch request from the user after accepting the first vehicle dispatch request from the user for dispatching a vehicle to a second specified date and time and a second specified location, not accepting the second vehicle dispatch request when the second specified date and time is included in a predetermined period based on the first specified date and time, and accepting the second vehicle dispatch request when the second specified date and time is not included in the period; sending a first vehicle dispatch request to a vehicle for dispatching a vehicle to the first specified location at the first specified date and time; and sending a second vehicle dispatch request to a vehicle for dispatching a vehicle to the second specified location at the second specified date and time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, when a plurality of dispatch requests are received from one user, it is possible to prevent the taxi driver's efforts from being wasted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a user terminal displaying a vehicle dispatch request screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a user terminal displaying a vehicle dispatch request confirmation screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method in which a selection unit selects a candidate vehicle. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a crew terminal displaying a vehicle dispatch request screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a user terminal displaying a notification screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary vehicle dispatch management method executed by the vehicle dispatch management device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a user terminal displaying a vehicle dispatch request list screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a user terminal displaying a vehicle dispatch request screen. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of receiving a vehicle dispatch request in an exemplary vehicle dispatch management method executed by a vehicle dispatch management device according to a modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process of transmitting a vehicle dispatch request in an exemplary vehicle dispatch management method executed by a vehicle dispatch management device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] First Embodiment [Overview of the vehicle dispatch management system] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a vehicle dispatch management system according to this embodiment. The vehicle dispatch management system is a system that manages the dispatch of taxis, and includes a vehicle dispatch management device 1, a user terminal 2, and a driver terminal 3. The vehicle dispatch management system may also include other devices such as servers and terminals.

[0020] The vehicle dispatch management device 1 is a computer such as a server that manages the dispatch of taxis. The vehicle dispatch management device 1 accepts a vehicle dispatch request from a user to dispatch a vehicle to a specified date, time, and location, and selects a vehicle that can be dispatched in response to the dispatch request and issues a dispatch request. The dispatch request may include information in any format that allows a user (also called a customer or passenger) who uses a taxi to convey to a taxi dispatching company that they would like to be dispatched. The vehicle dispatch management device 1 is connected to multiple user terminals 2 and multiple driver terminals 3 via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0021] The user terminal 2 is an information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal used by a user. The user terminal 2 has a display unit such as a liquid crystal display that can display information, and an operation unit such as a touch panel that can accept human operations. The user terminal 2 has installed therein a taxi dispatch application program (hereinafter referred to as the "dispatch application") that accepts input of taxi dispatch conditions from the user.

[0022] The crew terminal 3 is an information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal used by the taxi crew (also called the driver) and is provided in the taxi. The crew terminal 3 may be a device integrated with the vehicle, such as a car navigation system. The crew terminal 3 has a display unit such as an LCD display that can display information, and an operation unit such as a touch panel that can accept human operations. A crew application program (hereinafter referred to as the "crew application") is installed on the crew terminal 3, which displays a request for dispatch to the crew and accepts dispatch approval from the crew.

[0023] The following is an overview of the processing executed by the vehicle dispatch management system according to this embodiment. The user terminal 2 executes a vehicle dispatch application and, in response to a user operation, transmits a vehicle dispatch request to the vehicle dispatch management device 1 for dispatching a taxi to a specified date and time in the future and to a specified location.

[0024] The vehicle dispatch management device 1 receives, from the user terminal 2, a request for dispatching a vehicle to a specified date and time and a specified location. The vehicle dispatch management device 1 selects candidate vehicles from among multiple vehicles available for dispatch that are within a predetermined range based on the specified location at a time before the specified date and time. The predetermined range based on the specified location is, for example, a range within a predetermined distance from the specified location, or a range previously set as an area where a vehicle can be dispatched to the specified location. The predetermined range based on the specified location may be a range previously set as an area within which the user can travel to the specified location within a time period set as the minimum value of the difference between the date and time at which the user made the vehicle dispatch request and the specified date and time. The predetermined range based on the specified location may also be a range set based on another location corresponding to the specified location. In this case, the predetermined range based on the specified location is, for example, a range associated with a reference position within a predetermined area that includes the specified location.

[0025] The vehicle dispatch management device 1 selects a candidate vehicle, for example, at a time before the pickup arrangement time on the specified date and time. The pickup arrangement time is the time estimated to be required for an available vehicle to go to the location of the user using the user terminal 2 to pick up the user. The pickup arrangement time is, for example, the longest time estimated for an available vehicle in the vicinity of the specified location to reach the specified location after a vehicle dispatch request is made to the available vehicle. As an example, the pickup arrangement time is the longest time estimated to be required for a vehicle located farthest from the specified location within the above-mentioned specified range to move to the specified location, and is, for example, 10 to 20 minutes.

[0026] The vehicle dispatch management device 1 transmits a vehicle dispatch request to the selected candidate vehicle to dispatch the vehicle to the specified location. The crew terminal 3 installed in the candidate vehicle executes a crew application and transmits a consent for dispatch to the vehicle dispatch management device 1 in response to an operation by the crew.

[0027] When the vehicle allocation management device 1 receives approval for allocation from the driver terminal 3 of the candidate vehicle, it determines the candidate vehicle as a vehicle to be allocated to the user, and transmits an allocation instruction to the driver terminal 3 of the vehicle to be allocated.

[0028] In this way, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 selects a candidate vehicle to be dispatched to the user from among the vehicles available for dispatch around the specified location at a time before the specified date and time, and transmits a vehicle dispatch request. This allows the taxi driver to appropriately accept the dispatch of the vehicle to the user as the specified date and time approaches, eliminating the need to adjust taxi operations around the specified location or wait for a long time. Therefore, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 can dispatch a taxi to the specified date and time and location specified by the user while reducing the burden on the taxi driver.

[0029] [Configuration of the vehicle dispatch management system] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a vehicle dispatch management system according to this embodiment. In FIG. 2, arrows indicate the main data flows, and data flows other than those shown in FIG. 2 may exist. In FIG. 2, each block indicates a functional configuration rather than a hardware (device) configuration. Therefore, the blocks shown in FIG. 2 may be implemented in a single device, or may be implemented separately in multiple devices. Data may be exchanged between blocks via any means, such as a data bus, a network, or a portable storage medium.

[0030] The vehicle dispatch management device 1 has a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13. The vehicle dispatch management device 1 may be configured by two or more physically separated devices connected by wire or wirelessly. The vehicle dispatch management device 1 may also be configured by a cloud, which is a collection of computer resources.

[0031] The communication unit 11 is a communication interface for communicating with the user terminal 2 and the crew terminal 3 via a communication network such as the Internet. The storage unit 12 is a storage medium including a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk drive, etc. The storage unit 12 stores in advance programs to be executed by the control unit 13. The storage unit 12 may be provided outside the vehicle dispatch management device 1, in which case data may be exchanged between the storage unit 12 and the control unit 13 via a network.

[0032] The control unit 13 includes a reception unit 131, a calculation unit 132, a selection unit 133, a request transmission unit 134, a vehicle dispatch instruction unit 135, and a notification unit 136. The control unit 13 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and functions as the reception unit 131, the calculation unit 132, the selection unit 133, the request transmission unit 134, the vehicle dispatch instruction unit 135, and the notification unit 136 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 12. At least some of the functions of the control unit 13 may be performed by an electric circuit. Alternatively, at least some of the functions of the control unit 13 may be realized by the control unit 13 executing a program executed via a network.

[0033] The reception unit 131 receives a vehicle dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to a specified date and time and a specified location. The user terminal 2 displays a vehicle dispatch request screen on the display unit for the user to input a vehicle dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to a specified date and time and a specified location. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the user terminal 2 displaying the vehicle dispatch request screen A.

[0034] The dispatch request screen A includes a designated location field A1 for the user to input a designated location that is the departure point when receiving a taxi dispatch, and a designated date and time field A2 for the user to input a designated date and time that is the date and time when the user will receive the taxi dispatch. The designated location field A1 may accept a location designated by the user on a map included in the dispatch request screen A as the designated location, or may accept an address entered by the user as the designated location.

[0035] 3, the user terminal 2 accepts input of the specified date and time after accepting input of the specified location, but the order and input method for accepting input of each piece of information are not limited. Furthermore, the dispatch request screen A may accept input of other information related to the dispatch request, such as the destination of the user after receiving the taxi dispatch, the payment method that the user will use to pay the taxi fare, etc.

[0036] The user terminal 2 transmits the information input by the user on the vehicle allocation request screen A as a vehicle allocation request to the vehicle allocation management device 1. The vehicle allocation request is information including, for example, a specified date and time and a specified location. In the vehicle allocation management device 1, as an example, the reception unit 131 receives the vehicle allocation request including the specified date and time and the specified location from the user terminal 2. At this point, the reception unit 131 does not confirm the received vehicle allocation request.

[0037] Furthermore, the reception unit 131 may receive information indicating a designated date and time and a designated location from a terminal other than the user terminal 2, and then receive a vehicle dispatch request that does not include a designated date and time and a designated location from the user terminal 2. In this case, the reception unit 131 associates, for example, a vehicle dispatch request received from a user terminal 2 in which user identification information (hereinafter, user ID) for identifying the user who uses the user terminal 2 is set, with the designated date and time and designated location received from another terminal in which the user ID is set.

[0038] The calculation unit 132 calculates a vehicle dispatch success probability, which is the probability that a vehicle can be dispatched at a time specified by a user, and is used by the vehicle dispatch management device 1 to determine whether to accept a vehicle dispatch request at a specified date and time. The calculation unit 132 calculates the vehicle dispatch success probability based on, for example, information about past vehicle dispatch performance by vehicles within a predetermined range based on the specified location. To calculate the vehicle dispatch success probability, the calculation unit 132 acquires, as an example, statistical information corresponding to the number of vehicles that have been dispatched in the past in a surrounding area including the specified location. The surrounding area is, for example, a predetermined area such as a business district including the specified location where taxis can travel for business, or an area within a predetermined range (for example, a circle with a radius of 2 km) centered on the specified location.

[0039] The statistical information includes, for example, the average number of taxis available in the surrounding area and the actual dispatch time required for past dispatches. The average number of taxis available is the average number of taxis available, calculated by time period, day of the week, date, etc. The actual dispatch time is the time required to dispatch a taxi with a predetermined probability (for example, 95th percentile), calculated by time period, day of the week, date, etc. for each mesh area (mesh) on the map.

[0040] The calculation unit 132 calculates an estimated required time, which is the time estimated to be required for a taxi to reach a specified location, based on the average supply number and actual dispatch time included in the statistical information. The calculation unit 132 calculates the dispatch success probability of dispatching a taxi to a specified location on a specified date and time, based on, for example, the average supply number included in the statistical information and the calculated estimated required time. The dispatch success probability is the probability that a dispatchable taxi can be secured within a specified pickup arrangement time, and that the taxi can arrive at the specified location.

[0041] The calculation unit 132 calculates the probability of successful dispatch as the probability that a greater number of taxis can be secured than the number of dispatch requests already received from one or more users within the time obtained by subtracting the estimated required time from the pick-up arrangement time, for example, using the average supply number for the same category as the time slot, day of the week, or date of the specified date and time.

[0042] Furthermore, the calculation unit 132 may calculate the probability of successful dispatch of a vehicle to the specified location at the specified date and time using past vehicle dispatch records within a predetermined range based on the specified location, instead of statistical information. The calculation unit 132 is not limited to the specific methods shown here in order to calculate the estimated required time and the probability of successful dispatch, and may use other methods based on information on past vehicle dispatch records.

[0043] The calculation unit 132 also calculates an arrangement fee for a vehicle dispatch request based on the predicted conditions within a predetermined range based on the specified location at the specified date and time. The calculation unit 132 acquires, for example, weather forecast information indicating the weather conditions within a predetermined range based on the specified location at the specified date and time, and traffic forecast information indicating the traffic conditions within a predetermined range based on the specified location at the specified date and time, from an external server. The calculation unit 132 calculates the arrangement fee based on the number of vehicle dispatch requests already accepted at the specified date and time, the weather forecast information, and the traffic forecast information.

[0044] For example, the calculation unit 132 may set a higher arrangement fee when the weather forecast information indicates bad weather than when the weather forecast information does not indicate bad weather. For example, the calculation unit 132 may set a higher arrangement fee when the traffic forecast information indicates the occurrence of congestion than when the traffic forecast information does not indicate bad weather.

[0045] The calculation unit 132 may set a higher dispatch fee the more dispatch requests that have already been accepted at the specified date and time. The calculation unit 132 may set a higher dispatch fee the more dispatch requests that have been accepted within a predetermined period before the specified date and time. The period corresponds to the average length of one ride, for example, 15 minutes. The calculation unit 132 determining the dispatch fee based on the number of dispatch requests in this way leads to leveling out the frequency at which dispatch requests are made.

[0046] Furthermore, the calculation unit 132 calculates the dispatch success probability and dispatch fee in the same manner for the specified date and time, as well as for one or more candidate dates and times (for example, 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the specified date and time) that are different from the specified date and time within a predetermined period based on the specified date and time. The calculation unit 132 notifies the reception unit 131 of the calculated dispatch success probability and dispatch fee.

[0047] The reception unit 131 transmits to the user terminal 2 information necessary for the user terminal 2 to display a vehicle dispatch request confirmation screen that allows the user to set a specified date and time for dispatch. The reception unit 131 transmits to the user terminal 2 information including, for example, whether the specified date and time and candidate dates and times are selectable, determined based on the dispatch success probability calculated by the calculation unit 132, and the dispatch fee required to dispatch a taxi at the specified date and time and candidate date and time. Based on the information received from the vehicle dispatch management device 1, the user terminal 2 displays on the display unit a vehicle dispatch request confirmation screen that allows the user to confirm the vehicle dispatch request. Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are schematic diagrams of the user terminal 2 displaying the vehicle dispatch request confirmation screen B.

[0048] Fig. 4(a) shows the vehicle dispatch request confirmation screen B that is displayed when the probability of vehicle dispatch success is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (e.g., a predetermined value such as 0.95 or 0.99). On the other hand, Fig. 4(b) shows the vehicle dispatch request confirmation screen B that is displayed when the probability of vehicle dispatch success is less than the threshold.

[0049] The vehicle dispatch request confirmation screen B includes a specified date and time selection field B1 for the user to select a specified date and time, and a candidate date and time selection field B2 for the user to select a candidate date and time. The specified date and time selection field B1 shows the specified date and time specified by the user on the vehicle dispatch request screen A, and the dispatch fee for the specified date and time. The candidate date and time selection field B2 shows one or more candidate dates and times different from the specified date and time (for example, 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the specified date and time), and the dispatch fee for each of the one or more candidate dates and times. The candidate date and time selection field B2 does not show candidate dates and times for which the probability of vehicle dispatch success is below a threshold, but only shows candidate dates and times for which the probability of vehicle dispatch success is equal to or greater than the threshold.

[0050] In this way, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 associates the designated date and time, candidate date and time, and the dispatch fee for each of the designated date and time and candidate date and time, and presents them to the user. Since the dispatch fee is set to vary depending on the congestion level of vehicle dispatch requests, weather forecast, traffic forecast, etc., the vehicle dispatch management device 1 can prevent vehicle dispatch requests from concentrating on specific dates and times.

[0051] The reception unit 131 receives a selection of either the specified date and time or the candidate date and time on the vehicle dispatch request confirmation screen B displayed on the user terminal 2. The reception unit 131 receives a vehicle dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to the specified location specified on the vehicle dispatch request screen A at the specified date and time or the candidate date and time selected on the vehicle dispatch request confirmation screen B as a confirmed vehicle dispatch request, and stores the request in the storage unit 12 in association with the user ID.

[0052] On the dispatch request confirmation screen B, the specified date and time selection field B1 is selectable as shown in FIG. 4(a) when the dispatch success probability is equal to or greater than a threshold, and the specified date and time selection field B1 is not selectable as shown in FIG. 4(b) when the dispatch success probability is less than the threshold. That is, the reception unit 131 accepts a dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to a specified date and time and a specified location, provided that the dispatch success probability is equal to or greater than a threshold. In this way, the dispatch management device 1 accepts a dispatch request for a specified date and time, provided that the dispatch success probability for the specified date and time calculated based on statistical information is high, thereby reducing the probability that a taxi cannot be arranged just before the specified date and time, and preventing disadvantages to the user.

[0053] On the other hand, if the probability of successful dispatch is less than the threshold, the reception unit 131 does not accept a dispatch request for the specified date and time, but accepts a dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to the selected candidate date and time and the specified location. In this way, if the probability of successful dispatch for the specified date and time calculated based on statistical information is low, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 suggests to the user a candidate date and time that is different from the specified date and time and has a higher probability of successful dispatch, thereby improving user convenience.

[0054] Alternatively, the reception unit 131 may determine whether to accept a vehicle dispatch request for a specified date and time based on the number of vehicle dispatch requests already accepted for the specified date and time, instead of or in addition to the probability of successful dispatch. In this case, the reception unit 131 acquires information that indicates the maximum number of vehicle dispatch requests that can be accepted for each date and time, which is stored in advance in the storage unit 12.

[0055] The maximum number may be a fixed value for each date and time, or may be a value determined based on at least one of weather conditions or traffic conditions within a predetermined range based on a specified location at a specified date and time. The reception unit 131 receives the setting of the maximum number value, for example, on a terminal of a business operator that provides a vehicle dispatch management system. Furthermore, the reception unit 131 may determine, as the maximum number value, a number associated with at least one of weather conditions or traffic conditions within a predetermined range based on a specified location at a specified date and time, for example, using a table that associates weather information or traffic conditions with the number of vehicle dispatch requests that can be accepted.

[0056] The reception unit 131 may also determine the maximum number based on the number of past vehicle dispatch requests within a predetermined range based on the designated position. In this case, the reception unit 131 may, for example, increase the maximum number as the number of past vehicle dispatch requests decreases, and decrease the maximum number as the number of past vehicle dispatch requests increases.

[0057] The reception unit 131 does not accept a dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle on the specified date and time if the number of dispatch requests already accepted on the specified date and time is equal to or greater than the maximum number, and accepts a dispatch request otherwise. This allows the vehicle dispatch management device 1 to reduce the probability that a taxi cannot be arranged just before the specified date and time.

[0058] On the dispatch request confirmation screen B, if the number of dispatch requests already accepted at the specified date and time is less than the maximum value, the specified date and time selection field B1 can be selected as shown in Figure 4(a), and if the number of dispatch requests already accepted at the specified date and time is equal to or greater than the maximum value, the specified date and time selection field B1 cannot be selected as shown in Figure 4(b).

[0059] That is, the reception unit 131 receives a vehicle dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to a specified date and time and a specified location, provided that the number of vehicle dispatch requests already received for the specified date and time is less than a maximum value. On the other hand, if the number of vehicle dispatch requests already received for the specified date and time is equal to or greater than the maximum value, the reception unit 131 does not accept a vehicle dispatch request for the specified date and time, and instead accepts a vehicle dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to a selected candidate date and time and a specified location.

[0060] In this way, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 switches whether or not to accept a vehicle dispatch request for the specified date and time depending on the number of vehicle dispatch requests that can be accepted for each date and time, and proposes other candidate dates and times, thereby reducing the probability that a taxi cannot be arranged just before the specified date and time, and preventing disadvantages to the user.

[0061] The selection unit 133 selects a vehicle to be instructed to be dispatched at a time before the specified date and time in response to the reception unit 131 receiving a vehicle dispatch request from a user. For example, the selection unit 133 selects a candidate vehicle to which a vehicle dispatch request is to be sent from among a plurality of dispatchable vehicles within a predetermined range based on the specified location, at a time before the pickup arrangement time for the specified date and time, based on the specified date and time and specified location included in the vehicle dispatch request received by the reception unit 131. As described above, the pickup arrangement time is the longest expected time for an dispatchable vehicle in the vicinity of the specified location to reach the specified location after a vehicle dispatch request is made to the dispatchable vehicle, and is a predetermined time of, for example, 10 to 20 minutes.

[0062] The predetermined range used to select candidate vehicles is, for example, a surrounding area including the specified location. The surrounding area is, for example, a business district including the specified location where taxis can travel for business purposes, or a predetermined area (for example, a circle with a radius of 2 km) centered on the specified location. The predetermined range used to select candidate vehicles may also be an area that does not include the specified location, but is defined based on the specified location (for example, a donut-shaped area centered on the specified location). The shape of the predetermined range is not limited to a circle, and may be another shape. The boundaries of the predetermined range may be defined by the boundaries of a city, ward, town, or village, or the boundaries of the business area of ​​a taxi company.

[0063] For example, the selection unit 133 preferentially selects a candidate vehicle that has a high probability of arriving at the specified location on the specified date and time, and if the selected candidate vehicle is unable to respond to the dispatch request, selects another candidate vehicle that has the potential to arrive at the specified location on the specified date and time from among vehicles excluding the most recently selected candidate vehicle. The selection unit 133 then selects another candidate vehicle that has the potential to arrive at the specified location earlier than the most recently selected candidate vehicle, for example. The selection unit 133 notifies the request transmission unit 134 of the selected candidate vehicle and causes the request transmission unit 134 to transmit a dispatch request to the candidate vehicle.

[0064] The request sending unit 134 sends a vehicle allocation request for allocating a vehicle to the specified location to the crew terminal 3 installed in the candidate vehicle selected by the selection unit 133. The vehicle allocation request is, for example, information including the specified location. The vehicle allocation request may include a specified date and time in addition to the specified location.

[0065] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method for selecting a candidate vehicle by the selection unit 133. Fig. 5 shows a surrounding area R including the specified position. The surrounding area R is a predetermined area such as a business district including the specified position where a taxi can travel for business purposes, or an area within a predetermined range (for example, a circle with a radius of 2 km) centered on the specified position.

[0066] The example in FIG. 5 shows a situation in which the selection unit 133 starts selecting candidate vehicles at the current time, 16:48, because the specified date and time is 17:00 and the pickup arrangement time is set to 12 minutes.

[0067] The selection unit 133 acquires the specified date and time and the specified location included in the dispatch request accepted by the acceptance unit 131. The selection unit 133 also acquires, from the driver terminals 3 provided in each of the multiple taxis, location information indicating the location of the taxi identified using a GPS (Global Positioning System).

[0068] The selection unit 133 identifies a plurality of dispatchable vehicles that are located within a surrounding area R that includes the specified location based on the position information of each of the plurality of taxis. Dispatchable vehicles are taxis that are located within the surrounding area R and are available. The selection unit 133 predicts the predicted arrival time at which each of the identified plurality of dispatchable vehicles will arrive at the specified location. The selection unit 133, for example, uses a known route search method to search for a route from the location of the dispatchable vehicle to the specified location, and calculates the predicted arrival time at which the dispatchable vehicle, traveling at a predetermined speed, will arrive at the specified location while traveling along the searched route. The selection unit 133 is not limited to using the specific method shown here to predict the predicted arrival time, and other methods may also be used.

[0069] The selection unit 133 selects one candidate vehicle from among a plurality of allocatable vehicles based on the relationship between the predicted arrival time and the specified date and time, and causes the request transmission unit 134 to transmit a vehicle dispatch request to the candidate vehicle. For example, the selection unit 133 selects, from among a plurality of allocatable vehicles, a vehicle whose predicted arrival time is closest to a predetermined time (for example, two minutes) before the specified date and time as the candidate vehicle. In this way, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 adjusts the arrival of the taxi at the specified location slightly before the specified date and time specified by the user, and can prevent the taxi from waiting for a long time and from being delayed at the specified date and time.

[0070] As will be described later, if a candidate vehicle does not accept the dispatch request, the selection unit 133 reselects, as a candidate vehicle, a vehicle having a predicted arrival time closest to a predetermined time before (for example, two minutes before) the specified date and time from among multiple dispatchable vehicles other than the candidate vehicle that did not accept the dispatch request, and causes the request transmission unit 134 to transmit a dispatch request to the candidate vehicle. The selection unit 133 may also select, as a candidate vehicle, a vehicle that can arrive earlier than the candidate vehicle that did not accept the dispatch request. The selection unit 133 repeats the selection of candidate vehicles until one of the candidate vehicles accepts the dispatch request. In this way, the dispatch management device 1 can search for a taxi that can be dispatched to the user at the specified date and time while respecting the wishes of the taxi driver.

[0071] 5 illustrates a situation in which the selection unit 133 has identified vehicles V1, V2, and V3 as allocable vehicles and predicted the estimated arrival times of each of the vehicles V1, V2, and V3 at the designated location P. The selection unit 133 selects, as a candidate vehicle, vehicle V1, which has the estimated arrival time closest to two minutes before 17:00, the specified date and time, and causes the request transmission unit 134 to transmit a vehicle allocation request to vehicle V1. If vehicle V1 does not accept the vehicle allocation request, the selection unit 133 selects, as a candidate vehicle, vehicle V2, which has the next-closest estimated arrival time after vehicle V1, which is two minutes before 12:00, the specified date and time, and causes the request transmission unit 134 to transmit a vehicle allocation request to vehicle V2.

[0072] The selection unit 133 may determine the pick-up arrangement time according to the number of dispatchable vehicles in the surrounding area R. In this case, the selection unit 133, for example, shortens the pick-up arrangement time as the number of dispatchable vehicles increases, and lengthens the pick-up arrangement time as the number of dispatchable vehicles decreases. As a result, when there are few vacant taxis around the specified location and it is expected that it will take some time to determine a taxi, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 lengthens the pick-up arrangement time, thereby increasing the probability of dispatching a vehicle to the user at the specified date and time.

[0073] Furthermore, the selection unit 133 may determine the pick-up arrangement time depending on the weather conditions or traffic conditions at the specified location. In this case, the selection unit 133 acquires weather forecast information and traffic prediction information from an external server. For example, when the weather forecast information indicates bad weather, the calculation unit 132 sets the pick-up arrangement time longer than when the weather forecast information does not indicate bad weather. For example, when the traffic prediction information indicates the occurrence of traffic congestion, the calculation unit 132 sets the pick-up arrangement time longer than when the traffic prediction information does not indicate the occurrence of traffic congestion. In this way, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 extends the pick-up arrangement time when demand for taxis increases due to bad weather or when it takes a long time for a taxi to arrive at the specified location due to traffic congestion, thereby increasing the probability of dispatching a taxi to the user at the specified date and time.

[0074] The crew terminal 3 displays a vehicle dispatch request screen on the display unit for the crew to accept the vehicle dispatch request based on the dispatch request received from the vehicle dispatch management device 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the crew terminal 3 displaying the vehicle dispatch request screen C. The vehicle dispatch request screen C shows on a map the specified location included in the dispatch request and the location of the taxi where the crew terminal 3 is deployed. The vehicle dispatch request screen C also accepts an operation from the crew to accept the vehicle dispatch request.

[0075] If a candidate vehicle does not accept the dispatch request, i.e., if the crew does not perform an operation to accept the dispatch request on the crew terminal 3 for a specified period of time, the selection unit 133 in the dispatch management device 1 excludes the candidate vehicle that did not accept the dispatch request and reselects a candidate vehicle using the method shown in Figure 5.

[0076] When the candidate vehicle accepts the dispatch request, the dispatch instruction unit 135 confirms the candidate vehicle that accepted the dispatch request as the dispatch vehicle, and transmits a dispatch instruction to the dispatch vehicle indicating that the vehicle will be dispatched to the specified location at the specified date and time. The driver of the dispatch vehicle dispatches the vehicle according to the specified date and time and the specified location indicated in the dispatch instruction received from the dispatch management device 1, and gets the user on board.

[0077] Alternatively, the selection unit 133 may select multiple candidate vehicles from among multiple dispatchable vehicles based on the relationship between the predicted arrival time and the specified date and time, and cause the request transmission unit 134 to transmit a dispatch request to each of the multiple candidate vehicles. The selection unit 133 may simultaneously transmit the dispatch request to taxis within a predetermined range based on the specified location, for example. In this case, the dispatch instruction unit 135 determines, as the dispatched vehicle, any one of the multiple candidate vehicles that has accepted the dispatch request.

[0078] Furthermore, before selecting a candidate vehicle, the selection unit 133 may determine whether a vehicle can be dispatched to the designated location on the designated date and time, and the notification unit 136 may notify the user of predetermined information when the selection unit 133 determines that a vehicle cannot be dispatched. To determine whether a vehicle can be dispatched to the designated location on the designated date and time, the selection unit 133 may, for example, acquire weather forecast information and traffic forecast information from an external server at a time before the pickup arrangement time on the designated date and time. For example, when the weather forecast information indicates bad weather or when the traffic forecast information indicates the occurrence of traffic congestion, the selection unit 133 determines that a vehicle cannot be dispatched to the designated location on the designated date and time.

[0079] The selection unit 133 may also receive information indicating the number of available taxis within a predetermined range based on the specified location from an external server at a time before the pickup arrangement time on the specified date and time, and determine that a taxi cannot be dispatched to the specified location on the specified date and time if the number of available taxis is less than the number of dispatch requests. The selection unit 133 may also determine whether a taxi can be dispatched to the specified location on the specified date and time using the number of actual taxis scheduled to arrive within the predetermined range based on the specified location, in addition to the number of available taxis within the predetermined range based on the specified location. In this case, the selection unit 133 may, for example, receive information from an external server indicating taxis whose destination entered into the car navigation system is within the predetermined range based on the specified location, or taxis whose predicted arrival location from the departure point is within the predetermined range based on the specified location, and determine the taxis as taxis scheduled to arrive within the predetermined range based on the specified location.

[0080] If the selection unit 133 determines that a vehicle cannot be dispatched, the notification unit 136 generates notification information notifying the user that a vehicle cannot be dispatched to the specified location on the specified date and time, and transmits the notification information to the user terminal 2. The user terminal 2 displays a notification screen including the notification information received from the vehicle dispatch management device 1 on the display unit.

[0081] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a user terminal 2 displaying a notification screen D. The notification screen D includes notification information notifying the user that a vehicle cannot be dispatched to the specified location at the specified date and time. The notification screen D also accepts an operation from the user to select whether to continue the vehicle dispatch request or cancel the vehicle dispatch request. The selection unit 133 selects a candidate vehicle when the user selects to continue the vehicle dispatch request, and does not select a candidate vehicle when the user selects to cancel the vehicle dispatch request. This allows the vehicle dispatch management device 1 to notify the user that a vehicle may not be dispatched on time and to switch whether or not to select a candidate vehicle depending on the user's wishes, thereby reducing user dissatisfaction.

[0082] [Flowchart of vehicle allocation management method] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a flowchart of an exemplary vehicle dispatch management method executed by the vehicle dispatch management device 1 according to this embodiment. In the vehicle dispatch management device 1, the reception unit 131 receives a vehicle dispatch request from the user terminal 2 to dispatch a vehicle to a specified date and time and a specified location (S11). The calculation unit 132 calculates the vehicle dispatch success probability of dispatching a vehicle to the specified location at the specified date and time based on statistical information (S12). The calculation unit 132 also calculates an arrangement fee for the vehicle dispatch request according to a predicted situation within a predetermined range based on the specified location at the specified date and time. The calculation unit 132 also calculates the vehicle dispatch success probability and arrangement fee for candidate dates and times before and after the specified date and time.

[0083] The reception unit 131 transmits information including the dispatch success probability and dispatch fee calculated by the calculation unit 132 to the user terminal 2. The reception unit 131 receives a selection of either a specified date and time or a candidate date and time at the user terminal 2 (S13). The reception unit 131 receives a dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to a specified location at the selected specified date and time or candidate date and time as a confirmed dispatch request.

[0084] If the time is not before the vehicle arrangement time for the specified date and time (NO in S14), the selection unit 133 waits. If the time is before the vehicle arrangement time for the specified date and time (YES in S14), the selection unit 133 selects a candidate vehicle to which a vehicle allocation request is to be sent, based on the specified date and time and specified location included in the vehicle allocation request accepted by the acceptance unit 131 (S15).

[0085] The request sending unit 134 sends a vehicle allocation request for allocating a vehicle to the specified location to the crew terminal 3 installed in the candidate vehicle selected by the selection unit 133 (S16). If the candidate vehicle does not accept the vehicle allocation request (NO in S17), the selection unit 133 excludes the candidate vehicle that did not accept the vehicle allocation request, and returns to step S15 to select a new candidate vehicle.

[0086] If the candidate vehicle accepts the dispatch request (YES in S17), the dispatch instruction unit 135 confirms the candidate vehicle that accepted the dispatch request as the dispatch vehicle and sends a dispatch instruction to the dispatch vehicle indicating that the vehicle will be dispatched to the specified location on the specified date and time (S18).

[0087] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the vehicle dispatch management system of this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 selects a candidate vehicle to be dispatched to the user from among available vehicles in the vicinity of the specified location at a time before the specified date and time, and transmits a vehicle dispatch request. This allows the taxi driver to appropriately accept the dispatch of the vehicle to the user as the specified date and time approaches, eliminating the need to adjust taxi operations or wait for long periods of time around the specified location. Therefore, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 can dispatch a taxi to the specified date and time and location specified by the user while reducing the burden on the taxi driver.

[0088] Second Embodiment In this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch management system accepts multiple vehicle dispatch requests from one user. The vehicle dispatch management system according to this embodiment has, for example, the configuration shown in Figures 1 and 2. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0089] In order to receive multiple vehicle dispatch requests from a user, the user terminal 2 displays a vehicle dispatch request list screen on the display unit before displaying the vehicle dispatch request screen A illustrated in Fig. 3. Figs. 9(a) and 9(b) are schematic diagrams of the user terminal 2 displaying the vehicle dispatch request list screen E. If the user has not yet made a vehicle dispatch request, the vehicle dispatch request list screen E includes a button E1 for making a new vehicle dispatch request.

[0090] If the user has already made one or more vehicle dispatch requests, the vehicle dispatch request list screen E includes a button E1 for making a new vehicle dispatch request and vehicle dispatch request information E2. The vehicle dispatch request information E2 is information relating to each of one or more vehicle dispatch requests received from the user by the reception unit 131 of the vehicle dispatch management device 1. The vehicle dispatch request information E2 includes, for example, a specified date and time, an arrangement fee, a specified location (starting point), and a destination.

[0091] When the user selects button E1 on the vehicle allocation request list screen E, the user terminal 2 displays the vehicle allocation request screen A illustrated in FIG. 3 on the display unit. The user terminal 2 transmits the information input by the user on the vehicle allocation request screen A as a vehicle allocation request to the vehicle allocation management device 1. In the vehicle allocation management device 1, the reception unit 131 receives a vehicle allocation request including, for example, a specified date and time and a specified location from the user terminal 2. In this way, the reception unit 131 can receive multiple vehicle allocation requests from the user to allocate a vehicle to a specified date and time and a specified location by sequentially receiving the vehicle allocation requests on the vehicle allocation request list screen E and the vehicle allocation request screen A displayed on the user terminal 2.

[0092] When accepting a second or subsequent vehicle allocation request from a user, the accepting unit 131 determines whether to accept the new vehicle allocation request based on the relationship between the specified date and time of the already accepted vehicle allocation request and the specified date and time of the new vehicle allocation request. The second or subsequent vehicle allocation request is a vehicle allocation request made by the user when there are other vehicle allocation requests remaining whose specified date and time have not yet arrived. The first vehicle allocation request is a vehicle allocation request made by the user when there are no other vehicle allocation requests remaining whose specified date and time have not yet arrived.

[0093] For example, when accepting a second vehicle dispatch request from a user after accepting a first vehicle dispatch request from the user, the accepting unit 131 does not accept the second vehicle dispatch request if the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is included in an exclusion period based on the specified date and time of the first vehicle dispatch request, and accepts the second vehicle dispatch request if the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is not included in the exclusion period. The first vehicle dispatch request is, for example, one or more vehicle dispatch requests that have already been accepted from the user and for which the vehicle has not yet been dispatched (i.e., the specified date and time has not yet arrived). In this way, the accepting unit 131 does not accept vehicle dispatch requests if the specified dates and times of the multiple vehicle dispatch requests are close to each other, thereby preventing the user from unintentionally making multiple vehicle dispatch requests with specified dates and times that are close to each other and reducing the waste of the taxi driver's effort.

[0094] The exclusion period is a period during which the specified dates and times of multiple vehicle dispatch requests are not permitted to be included. The exclusion period is expressed as a predetermined time such as 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 1 day. The exclusion period may also be set by an administrator who manages the vehicle dispatch management device 1. In this case, the reception unit 131 receives, as the exclusion period, a period specified on an information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal used by the administrator. This allows the vehicle dispatch management device 1 to easily adjust the interval between the specified dates and times that are acceptable for multiple vehicle dispatch requests.

[0095] The notification unit 136 may notify the user terminal 2 of information indicating whether the specified date and time is included in an exclusion period while accepting the specification of the specified date and time at the user terminal 2. For example, the acceptance unit 131 acquires the specified date and time specified at the user terminal 2, and determines whether the specified date and time of the second vehicle allocation request is included in an exclusion period based on the specified date and time of the first vehicle allocation request, using the acquired specified date and time as the specified date and time of the second vehicle allocation request.

[0096] When the specified date and time is included in the exclusion period, the notification unit 136 transmits notification information indicating that the specified date and time is included in the exclusion period to the user terminal 2. The user terminal 2 displays the notification information received from the vehicle dispatch management device 1 on the vehicle dispatch request screen A.

[0097] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a user terminal 2 displaying a vehicle dispatch request screen A. The vehicle dispatch request screen A includes notification information A3 in addition to the specified date and time field A2 illustrated in FIG. 3. The notification information A3 includes, for example, a message indicating that the specified date and time is included in an excluded period. This allows the vehicle dispatch management device 1 to notify the user whether the specified date and time specified by the user is within the excluded period, and to prompt the user to specify another specified date and time.

[0098] The calculation unit 132 calculates the probability of successful dispatch and the dispatch fee in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The reception unit 131 transmits information necessary for the user terminal 2 to display a dispatch request confirmation screen based on the probability of successful dispatch and the dispatch fee to the user terminal 2. Based on the information received from the vehicle dispatch management device 1, the user terminal 2 displays on the display unit a dispatch request confirmation screen for the user to confirm the dispatch request.

[0099] The reception unit 131 receives, as a confirmed vehicle dispatch request, a vehicle dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to a specified location specified on the vehicle dispatch request screen at the specified date and time or candidate date and time selected on the vehicle dispatch request confirmation screen. The confirmed vehicle dispatch request is displayed as vehicle dispatch request information E2 on the vehicle dispatch request list screen E illustrated in FIG. 9(b).

[0100] The selection unit 133 selects a vehicle to be instructed to be dispatched at a time before the specified date and time of each of one or more vehicle dispatch requests. The method by which the selection unit 133 selects a vehicle based on one vehicle dispatch request is the same as in the first embodiment. For example, the selection unit 133 selects a candidate vehicle from among a plurality of dispatchable vehicles that are within a predetermined range based on the specified location of each of the one or more vehicle dispatch requests at a time before the pickup arrangement time of the specified date and time of each of the one or more vehicle dispatch requests.

[0101] The request sending unit 134 sends a vehicle allocation request for distributing a vehicle to the specified location of one or more vehicle allocation requests at the specified date and time of each of the vehicle allocation requests to the candidate vehicles selected by the selection unit 133. The method by which the request sending unit 134 sends a vehicle allocation request based on one vehicle allocation request is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0102] When the candidate vehicle accepts the dispatch request, the dispatch instruction unit 135 confirms the candidate vehicle that accepted the dispatch request as the dispatch vehicle, and transmits a dispatch instruction to the dispatch vehicle indicating that the vehicle will be dispatched to the specified location at the specified date and time. The driver of the dispatch vehicle dispatches the vehicle according to the specified date and time and the specified location indicated in the dispatch instruction received from the dispatch management device 1, and gets the user on board.

[0103] After the dispatch instruction unit 135 transmits a dispatch instruction, the reception unit 131 receives from the crew terminal 3 dispatch record information indicating that a vehicle has been dispatched to the user, that the user is in the dispatched vehicle, the destination of the vehicle the user is in, and that the user has disembarked from the dispatched vehicle, and stores the information in the memory unit 12 in association with the user ID.

[0104] The reception unit 131 cancels the remaining vehicle dispatch requests among the multiple vehicle dispatch requests received from the user when the user does not board a vehicle dispatched based on a predetermined number or percentage or more of the multiple vehicle dispatch requests received from the user based on the vehicle dispatch record information stored in the memory unit 12. The reception unit 131 cancels the remaining vehicle dispatch requests among the multiple vehicle dispatch requests received from the user, for example, by deleting the vehicle dispatch requests in the memory unit 12 or by associating information (such as a flag) indicating that the vehicle dispatch request has been canceled with the vehicle dispatch request. In this way, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 can automatically cancel the vehicle dispatch requests of users who often do not board the vehicles despite making a vehicle dispatch request, thereby reducing the probability of disadvantage to the driver.

[0105] [Flowchart of vehicle allocation management method] 11 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a process for accepting a vehicle dispatch request in an exemplary vehicle dispatch management method executed by the vehicle dispatch management device 1 according to this modification. In the vehicle dispatch management device 1, the reception unit 131 receives a vehicle dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to a specified date, time and location from the user terminal 2 (S21).

[0106] The reception unit 131 determines whether the vehicle allocation request received from the user terminal 2 is the second or subsequent vehicle allocation request (i.e., whether a vehicle allocation request has already been received from the same user) (S22). If the reception unit 131 determines that the received vehicle allocation request is the first vehicle allocation request from the user (NO in S22), the vehicle allocation management device 1 proceeds to step S25.

[0107] When the reception unit 131 determines that the received vehicle dispatch request is the second or subsequent vehicle dispatch request from the user (YES in S22), the reception unit 131 regards the vehicle dispatch request to be received as a second vehicle dispatch request, and determines whether the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is included in an exclusion period based on the specified date and time of the first vehicle dispatch request that has already been received. The first vehicle dispatch request is, for example, one or more vehicle dispatch requests that have already been received from the user and for which a vehicle has not yet been dispatched (i.e., the specified date and time has not yet arrived).

[0108] If the reception unit 131 determines that the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is included in the exclusion period (YES in step S23), the reception unit 131 does not accept the second vehicle dispatch request, and the notification unit 136 transmits notification information indicating that the specified date and time is included in the exclusion period to the user terminal 2 (step S24). The vehicle dispatch management device 1 returns to step S21. If the reception unit 131 determines that the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is not included in the exclusion period (NO in step S23), the reception unit 131 accepts the second vehicle dispatch request, and the vehicle dispatch management device 1 proceeds to step S25.

[0109] The calculation unit 132 calculates the probability of successful dispatch of a vehicle to the specified location at the specified date and time based on the statistical information (S25). The calculation unit 132 also calculates the dispatch fee required for the vehicle dispatch request according to the predicted situation within a predetermined range based on the specified location at the specified date and time. The calculation unit 132 also calculates the probability of successful dispatch and the dispatch fee for candidate dates and times before and after the specified date and time.

[0110] The reception unit 131 transmits information including the dispatch success probability and dispatch fee calculated by the calculation unit 132 to the user terminal 2. The reception unit 131 receives a selection of either a specified date and time or a candidate date and time at the user terminal 2 (S26). The reception unit 131 receives a dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to a specified location at the selected specified date and time or candidate date and time as a confirmed dispatch request.

[0111] If the acceptance of vehicle allocation requests from users has not been completed (NO in S27), the vehicle allocation management device 1 repeats steps S21 to S27. If the acceptance of vehicle allocation requests from users has been completed (YES in S27), the vehicle allocation management device 1 ends the process.

[0112] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a process for sending a vehicle dispatch request in an exemplary vehicle dispatch management method executed by the vehicle dispatch management device 1 according to this modification. The process according to the flowchart in Fig. 12 may be performed after the process according to the flowchart in Fig. 11, or may be performed in parallel with the process according to the flowchart in Fig. 11.

[0113] If the time has not yet come before the pick-up arrangement time for the specified date and time of each of one or more vehicle dispatch requests received from the user (NO in S31), the selection unit 133 waits. If the time has come before the pick-up arrangement time for any of the specified date and time of one or more vehicle dispatch requests received from the user (YES in S31), the selection unit 133 selects a candidate vehicle to which a vehicle dispatch request is to be sent based on the specified date and time and specified location included in the vehicle dispatch request (S32).

[0114] The request sending unit 134 sends a vehicle allocation request for allocating a vehicle to the specified location to the crew terminal 3 installed in the candidate vehicle selected by the selection unit 133 (S33). If the candidate vehicle does not accept the vehicle allocation request (NO in S34), the selection unit 133 excludes the candidate vehicle that did not accept the vehicle allocation request, and returns to step S32 to select a new candidate vehicle.

[0115] If the candidate vehicle accepts the dispatch request (YES in S34), the dispatch instruction unit 135 confirms the candidate vehicle that accepted the dispatch request as the dispatch vehicle, and transmits a dispatch instruction to the dispatch vehicle indicating that the vehicle will be dispatched to the specified location at the specified date and time (S35). The driver of the dispatch vehicle dispatches the vehicle according to the specified date and time and specified location indicated in the dispatch instruction received from the dispatch management device 1, and gets the user on board.

[0116] After the dispatch instruction unit 135 transmits a dispatch instruction, the reception unit 131 receives from the crew terminal 3 dispatch record information indicating that a vehicle has been dispatched to the user, that the user is in the dispatched vehicle, the destination of the vehicle the user is in, and that the user has disembarked from the dispatched vehicle, and stores the information in the memory unit 12 in association with the user ID.

[0117] If a user does not board a vehicle that was dispatched based on a predetermined number or percentage or more of the multiple vehicle dispatch requests received from the user based on the vehicle dispatch record information stored in the storage unit 12 (YES in S36), the reception unit 131 cancels the remaining vehicle dispatch requests from the user (S37), otherwise (NO in S36), the vehicle dispatch management device 1 proceeds to step S38. If vehicle dispatches corresponding to all vehicle dispatch requests have been completed (YES in S38), the vehicle dispatch management device 1 ends the processing, otherwise (NO in S38), it returns to step S31.

[0118] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the vehicle dispatch management system of this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 does not accept multiple vehicle dispatch requests with specified dates and times close to each other. This prevents the user from unintentionally making multiple vehicle dispatch requests with specified dates and times close to each other, making it less likely that the user will not show up at the specified location. Therefore, when accepting multiple vehicle dispatch requests from a single user, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 can prevent a situation in which a taxi driver wastes the effort of traveling to the specified location.

[0119] [First Modification] If a vehicle is currently being dispatched to the user or the user is in a vehicle immediately before the specified date and time of the vehicle dispatch request received from the user, there is a high possibility that the user will not appear at the location specified in the vehicle dispatch request. In such a case, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 according to this modification does not transmit a vehicle dispatch request.

[0120] The request sending unit 134 determines whether a vehicle has been dispatched to the user and whether the user is in the vehicle at a time before the specified date and time for each of one or more vehicle dispatch requests received from the user. The time at which the request sending unit 134 makes the determination is, for example, the time before the pickup arrangement time for the specified date and time in the first embodiment. The time at which the request sending unit 134 makes the determination may also be a predetermined time before the specified date and time, such as 10 minutes or 30 minutes before the specified date and time. The request sending unit 134 determines whether a vehicle has been dispatched to the user and whether the user is in the vehicle, for example, based on the vehicle dispatch record information stored in the memory unit 12.

[0121] When the request sending unit 134 determines that a vehicle has been dispatched to the user or that the user is in the vehicle, it does not send a vehicle dispatch request for the vehicle dispatch request to the candidate vehicles. On the other hand, when the request sending unit 134 determines that a vehicle has not been dispatched to the user and the user is not in the vehicle before the specified date and time of the vehicle dispatch request, it sends a vehicle dispatch request for the vehicle dispatch request to the candidate vehicles. This allows the vehicle dispatch management device 1 to avoid dispatching a vehicle to a user who is currently being dispatched or in the vehicle, thereby preventing the taxi driver's efforts from being wasted.

[0122] Furthermore, when the request sending unit 134 determines, based on the dispatch record information stored in the storage unit 12, that the user is in the vehicle and that the relationship between the destination of the vehicle the user is in and the specified location of the dispatch request satisfies a predetermined condition, the request sending unit 134 may not send a dispatch request for the dispatch request. The relationship between the destination and the specified location is, for example, that the destination and the specified location are separated by a predetermined distance (10 km, 30 km, etc.). If the destination of the vehicle the user is in is far from the specified location of the dispatch request, there is a high probability that the user will not appear at the specified location of the dispatch request. By not sending a dispatch request to a user whose destination of the vehicle is far from the specified location, the request sending unit 134 can prevent the taxi driver's efforts from being wasted.

[0123] Furthermore, the request sending unit 134 may determine whether to send a vehicle dispatch request in response to a vehicle dispatch request based on the relationship between the destination of the vehicle the user is riding in and the specified location, as well as the relationship between the estimated time the user is expected to arrive at the destination and the specified date and time. As an example, the request sending unit 134 acquires, via the communication unit 11, location information indicating the current location of a vehicle identified as being in the vehicle by the user based on the vehicle dispatch record information stored in the storage unit 12. The request sending unit 134 calculates the estimated time of arrival at the destination based on the distance between the location of the vehicle the user is riding in and the destination, and the vehicle's traveling speed (e.g., average traveling speed). Furthermore, the request sending unit 134 calculates the time required to travel from the destination to the specified location based on the distance between the destination and the specified location, and calculates the estimated time at which the user can arrive at the specified location from the vehicle's location via the destination in the shortest time. If the estimated time is later than the specified date and time of the vehicle dispatch request, the request sending unit 134 does not send a vehicle dispatch request. By operating in this manner, the request transmission unit 134 can detect with high accuracy that the user will not arrive at the specified location by the specified date and time, thereby preventing the taxi driver's efforts from being wasted.

[0124] The request sending unit 134 may acquire, via the communication unit 11, location information indicating the current location of a vehicle identified as being in the vehicle of which the user is riding based on the past vehicle dispatch information stored in the storage unit 12, and may refrain from sending a taxi dispatch request if the distance between the current location of the vehicle and the designated location satisfies a predetermined condition. As an example, the request sending unit 134 calculates an estimated time at which the vehicle will be able to arrive at the designated location based on the distance between the location of the vehicle in which the user is riding and the designated location, and the vehicle's traveling speed (e.g., average traveling speed). If the estimated time is later than the date and time specified in the taxi dispatch request, the request sending unit 134 does not send the taxi dispatch request. By operating in this manner, the request sending unit 134 can accurately detect that the user will not arrive at the designated location by the specified date and time, thereby preventing the taxi driver's efforts from being wasted.

[0125] [Second Modification] The vehicle dispatch management device 1 may receive a vehicle dispatch request from one user to dispatch multiple vehicles simultaneously to a specified date and time and a specified location. In this modification, when a user desires to dispatch multiple vehicles simultaneously, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 receives multiple vehicle dispatch requests regardless of the relationship between the specified dates and times of the multiple vehicle dispatch requests.

[0126] The reception unit 131 receives, for example, a plurality of vehicle allocation requests corresponding to a plurality of vehicles to be allocated simultaneously from the user terminal 2. Furthermore, the reception unit 131 may receive the number of vehicles to be allocated together with one vehicle allocation request, and when the number is two or more, the vehicle allocation request may be accepted as a plurality of vehicle allocation requests corresponding to the number of vehicles.

[0127] For example, when the specified date and time and the specified location of a first vehicle dispatch request are the same as the specified date and time and the specified location of a second vehicle dispatch request among multiple vehicle dispatch requests, the reception unit 131 accepts the second vehicle dispatch request even when the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is included in the exclusion period. As a result, when a user desires simultaneous dispatch of multiple vehicles, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 can dispatch multiple vehicles even if the specified dates and times of the multiple vehicle dispatch requests are close to each other, thereby improving user convenience.

[0128] [Third Modification] The vehicle allocation management device 1 may receive a vehicle allocation request from one user to allocate a vehicle to another user. In this modification, when one user desires to allocate a vehicle to another user, the vehicle allocation management device 1 receives multiple vehicle allocation requests regardless of the relationship between the specified dates and times of the multiple vehicle allocation requests.

[0129] The reception unit 131 receives, for example, from the user terminal 2, a vehicle allocation request along with a user ID for identifying the user to whom the vehicle is to be allocated, and stores the vehicle allocation request in association with the user ID of the user to whom the vehicle is to be allocated in the storage unit 12. For example, when the reception unit 131 receives a first vehicle allocation request from a first user to allocate a vehicle to the first user, and then receives a second vehicle allocation request from the first user to allocate a vehicle to a second user different from the first user, the reception unit 131 accepts the second vehicle allocation request even if the specified date and time of the second vehicle allocation request is included in the exclusion period.

[0130] In a situation where a first user requests a vehicle for a second user, the fact that the specified dates and times of the multiple vehicle dispatch requests made by the first user are close to each other is unlikely to be a factor in the first user not appearing at the specified location. Therefore, when a first user requests a vehicle to be dispatched to a second user, the vehicle dispatch management device 1 according to this modification makes it possible to dispatch a vehicle even if the specified dates and times of the vehicle dispatch requests for dispatching a vehicle to the first user and the second user are close to each other, thereby improving user convenience.

[0131] The present invention has been described above using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combination also have the effects of the original embodiments.

[0132] The processor of the vehicle allocation management device 1 is responsible for each step (process) included in the vehicle allocation management method shown in Figures 8, 11, and 12. That is, the processor of the vehicle allocation management device 1 reads a program for executing the vehicle allocation management method shown in Figures 8, 11, and 12 from the storage unit 12, and executes the program to execute the vehicle allocation management method shown in Figures 8, 11, and 12. Some of the steps included in the vehicle allocation management methods shown in Figures 8, 11, and 12 may be omitted, the order of the steps may be changed, or multiple steps may be performed in parallel. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 1. Vehicle dispatch management device 13 Control Unit 131 Reception 132 Calculation Unit 133 Selection Section 134 Request sending unit 135 Dispatch Instruction Department 136 Notification Department

Claims

1. A reception unit that receives a plurality of dispatch requests for dispatching a vehicle to a specified date and time and to a specified location from a user; a request transmission unit that transmits, to a vehicle, a vehicle dispatch request for dispatching a vehicle to the designated location of each of the plurality of vehicle dispatch requests at the designated date and time; having the reception unit, when receiving a second vehicle dispatch request from the user after receiving the first vehicle dispatch request from the user, does not accept the second vehicle dispatch request when the designated date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is included in a predetermined period based on the designated date and time of the first vehicle dispatch request, and accepts the second vehicle dispatch request when the designated date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is not included in the period; Vehicle dispatch management device.

2. The reception unit receives a setting of the period from an administrator who manages the vehicle dispatch management device. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1.

3. a notification unit that notifies the user terminal of information indicating whether the specified date and time is included in the period while the specified date and time is being specified in the user terminal used by the user; The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the reception unit, when the designated date and time and the designated location of the first vehicle dispatch request are the same as the designated date and time and the designated location of the second vehicle dispatch request, receives the second vehicle dispatch request even when the designated date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request is included in the period; The vehicle dispatch management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. when the reception unit receives a second vehicle dispatch request from the first user for dispatching a vehicle to a second user different from the first user after receiving a first vehicle dispatch request from the first user for dispatching a vehicle to the first user, the reception unit accepts the second vehicle dispatch request even when the period includes the specified date and time of the second vehicle dispatch request. The vehicle dispatch management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the request transmission unit does not transmit the vehicle dispatch request in response to the vehicle dispatch request if a vehicle has been dispatched to the user or the user is in the vehicle before the specified date and time of the vehicle dispatch request. The vehicle dispatch management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the request transmission unit does not transmit the vehicle dispatch request in a case where the user is in the vehicle before the specified date and time of the vehicle dispatch request, and a relationship between at least one of a location or a destination of the vehicle in which the user is in the vehicle and the specified location satisfies a predetermined condition. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 6.

8. when the user does not board a vehicle that has been dispatched based on a predetermined number or a predetermined percentage or more of the plurality of vehicle dispatch requests received from the user, the reception unit cancels the remaining vehicle dispatch requests among the plurality of vehicle dispatch requests received from the user; The vehicle dispatch management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. a selection unit that selects a candidate vehicle from among a plurality of available vehicles that are within a predetermined range based on the designated position of each of the plurality of vehicle dispatch requests at a time before the designated date and time of each of the plurality of vehicle dispatch requests; The request transmission unit transmits the vehicle dispatch request to the candidate vehicle selected by the selection unit. The vehicle dispatch management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. the selection unit predicts a predicted arrival time at which each of the plurality of available vehicles will arrive at the designated location, and selects the candidate vehicle from among the plurality of available vehicles based on a relationship between the predicted arrival time and the designated date and time. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 9.

11. The processor executes receiving a first dispatch request from a user for dispatching a vehicle to a first specified date and time and to a first specified location; a step of accepting a second vehicle dispatch request from the user for dispatching a vehicle to a second designated date and time and a second designated location after accepting the first vehicle dispatch request from the user, not accepting the second vehicle dispatch request when the second designated date and time is included in a predetermined period based on the first designated date and time, and accepting the second vehicle dispatch request when the second designated date and time is not included in the period; transmitting a first dispatch request to a vehicle for dispatching the vehicle to the first specified location at the first specified date and time; transmitting a second dispatch request to a vehicle for dispatching the vehicle to the second specified location at the second specified date and time; A vehicle dispatch management method comprising the steps of:

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