Commuting route determination system

Abstract

To provide a commuting route determination system suitable for determining whether a route is appropriate. SOLUTION: A commuter travel expense calculation server 100 acquires first route information on a commuter route used by an employee to travel between the nearest station to the employee's home and the nearest station to the workplace that has been approved as conforming to the regulation judgment criteria, acquires second route information on a route between the nearest station to the employee's home and the nearest station to the workplace that conforms to the regulation judgment criteria based on the acquired first route information and payment regulation information related to the regulation judgment criteria, and judges whether or not a route to be judged conforms to the regulation judgment criteria based on the acquired first route information and second route information. This makes it possible to grasp whether or not the route to be judged conforms to the regulation judgment criteria.

Description

[Technical field]

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

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

[0003] The technology described in Patent Document 1 calculates the amount of commuting expenses to be paid based on the approved commuting route once the commuting route applied for by an employee is approved (

[0106] to

[0129]

[0148] to

[0189] ).

[0004] Furthermore, as a technique for determining whether a commuting route is appropriate, for example, the technique described in Patent Document 2 is known.

[0005] The technology described in Patent Document 2 performs a route search based on search conditions to generate one or more route information, determines whether each route complies with travel expense rules, and approves travel expenses based on the searched route information and the determination results (same document

[0035] to

[0041] ). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7580099 [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-49076 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are combined, an employee can search for and submit one or more routes between the nearest station to his / her home and the nearest station to his / her workplace that comply with the commuter transportation allowance provision regulations, and if the route that the employee submitted is approved, the commuter transportation allowance is provided based on the approved route. However, in this configuration, even if the route complies with the commuter transportation allowance provision regulations at the time of submission, it may later become non-compliant due to fare revisions, etc.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the unresolved problems of the conventional technology, and has an object to provide a commuting route determination system suitable for determining the suitability of a route. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] [Invention 1] In order to achieve the above object, the commuter route determination system of Invention 1 comprises a first route information acquisition means for acquiring first route information relating to a route used by an employee to travel between the nearest station to his / her home and the nearest station to his / her workplace, which has been determined or approved as complying with a route suitability criterion, a second route information acquisition means for acquiring second route information relating to a route between the nearest station to his / her home and the nearest station to his / her workplace, which satisfies the route suitability criterion, based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquisition means and standard information relating to the route suitability criterion, and a suitability determination means for determining whether or not the route related to the first route information complies with the route suitability criterion, based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquisition means and the second route information acquired by the second route information acquisition means.

[0010] With this configuration, the first route information is acquired by the first route information acquisition means, and the second route information is acquired based on the acquired first route information and the criterion information by the second route information acquisition means. Then, the suitability determination means determines whether or not the route related to the first route information matches the route suitability criterion based on the acquired first route information and second route information.

[0011] Here, the route information includes, for example, route information regarding a route when using public transportation. The same applies to the commuting route determination system of the second aspect.

[0012] In addition, the term "station" in the phrase "nearest station" refers to a place used for passenger boarding and disembarking or for loading and unloading cargo, including, for example, a railway station or a bus stop. The same applies hereinafter in the commuting route determination system of Invention 2.

[0013] In addition, the route suitability criteria include, for example, payment regulations regarding payment of commuting expenses and other criteria. The same applies to the commuting route determination system of the second aspect.

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

[0015] In addition, this system may be realized as a single device, equipment, terminal, or other device, or may be realized as a network system in which multiple devices, equipment, terminals, or other devices are communicatively connected. In the latter case, each component may belong to any one of the multiple devices as long as they are communicatively connected. The same applies below to the commute route determination system of Invention 2.

[0016] [Invention 2] Furthermore, the commute route determination system of Invention 2 comprises a first route information acquisition means for acquiring first route information relating to a route used by an employee to travel between the nearest station to his / her home and the nearest station to his / her workplace, which has been determined or approved as conforming to a route suitability criterion, a second route information acquisition means for acquiring second route information relating to the route between the nearest station to his / her home and the nearest station to his / her workplace based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquisition means, and a suitability determination means for determining whether or not the route related to the first route information conforms to the route suitability criterion, based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquisition means, the second route information acquired by the second route information acquisition means, and standard information relating to the route suitability criterion.

[0017] With this configuration, the first route information acquisition means acquires the first route information, and the second route information acquisition means acquires the second route information based on the acquired first route information. Then, the suitability determination means determines whether or not the route related to the first route information satisfies the route suitability criteria based on the acquired first and second route information and the criteria information.

[0018] [Invention 3] Furthermore, the commuter route determination system of Invention 3 is a commuter route determination system of either Invention 1 or 2, further comprising a revision determination means for determining whether or not there has been a revision in fares or timetables for the route related to the first route information, and a determination is made by the compatibility determination means based on the determination result of the revision determination means.

[0019] With this configuration, the revision determination means determines whether or not there has been a revision in fares or timetables for the route related to the first route information, and the suitability determination means makes a determination based on the determination result.

[0020] [Invention 4] Furthermore, the commuter route determination system of Invention 4 is the commuter route determination system of either Invention 1 or 2, and further comprises a filtering condition acquisition means for acquiring information relating to a company, workplace, employee, station, line, transportation facility, or commuter transportation expense payment rules as filtering conditions, and the first route information acquisition means acquires the first route information corresponding to the filtering conditions acquired by the filtering condition acquisition means from a storage means that stores first route information relating to a route used by an employee to travel between the nearest station to his / her home and the nearest station to his / her workplace and that has been determined or approved as complying with the route suitability criteria, in association with information regarding the company to which the employee belongs, the workplace, the employee, the nearest station to the home or the nearest station to the workplace, the line used for the route, the transportation facility that operates the route, or the commuter transportation expense payment rules applicable to the employee or the route.

[0021] With this configuration, the narrowing down conditions are acquired by the narrowing down conditions acquisition means, and the first route information acquisition means acquires the first route information corresponding to the acquired narrowing down conditions from the storage means.

[0022] Here, storing the first route information in association with information about employees, etc. (referred to as "other information" in this paragraph) includes, for example, (1) storing the first route information and the other information in a direct association, such as by registering them in the same record, and (2) storing them via one or more pieces of intermediate information, such as by providing a table in which the first route information and intermediate information are registered in association with each other, and a table in which the other information and intermediate information are registered in association with each other. In other words, any data structure can be adopted as long as the first route information can be traced from the other information. Note that it is sufficient that the first route information is stored in the storage means in association with the other information, and it is not necessarily required to store the other information in the storage means. The same concept applies hereinafter to storing information in association with each other.

[0023] In addition, the storage means stores the first route information by any means and at any time, and may store the first route information in advance, or may not store the first route information in advance, but may store the first route information by external input or the like during operation of the system.

[0024] [Invention 5] The commute route determination system of invention 5 further comprises, in the commute route determination system of either invention 1 or 2, notification means for issuing a notification when the suitability determination means determines that the route is not suitable.

[0025] With this configuration, the notification means issues a notification when the compatibility determination means determines that the data is not compatible.

[0026] Here, the notification means may have any configuration as long as it is capable of providing notification, and may employ notification methods such as email transmission or communication. In addition, notification may be performed using a notification method that can be perceived by the so-called five senses, i.e., sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. As this notification method, for example, light emission, display, printing, sound production, audio output, vibration, heat generation, etc. may be employed.

[0027] [Invention 6] The commute route determination system of invention 6 is the commute route determination system of either invention 1 or 2, wherein the route suitability criteria related to the reference information are route suitability criteria related to the first route information.

[0028] With this configuration, the suitability determination means determines whether or not the route related to the first route information matches the route suitability criterion related to the first route information.

[0029] [Invention 7] Furthermore, the commute route determination system of Invention 7, in the commute route determination system of either Invention 1 or 2, further comprises a criteria change determination means for determining whether there has been a change in the route suitability criteria related to the first route information, the route suitability criteria related to the criteria information being the route suitability criteria related to the change, and a determination is made by the suitability determination means based on a determination result of the criteria change determination means.

[0030] With this configuration, the criterion change determination means determines whether or not there has been a change in the route suitability criterion related to the first route information, and the suitability determination means performs a determination based on the determination result. Then, the suitability determination means determines whether or not the route related to the first route information matches the route suitability criterion related to the change. Effect of the Invention

[0031] As described above, according to the commute route determination system of the first or second aspect of the invention, it is possible to know whether or not a determined or approved route complies with the route suitability criteria.

[0032] Furthermore, according to the commuter route determination system of Invention 3, when fares or timetables are revised, it is possible to know whether the determined or approved route complies with the route suitability criteria.

[0033] Furthermore, the commute route determination system of the fourth aspect of the present invention can determine whether a route that has been determined or approved meets the route suitability criteria, for routes that have been narrowed down by the narrowing down conditions. Also, the processing load can be reduced compared to when all routes are considered.

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

[0035] Furthermore, according to the commute route determination system of the sixth aspect, it is possible to know whether or not a determined or approved route complies with the route suitability criteria related to the route information.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the commute route determination system of Invention 7, when there is a change in the route suitability criteria, it is possible to know whether the determined or approved route complies with the route suitability criteria related to the change. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a commute expense calculation server 100. [Diagram 3] 4 shows the data structures of a company master table 400, a workplace master table 402, an employee information master table 404, an employee-specific route information table 406, and an employee-specific payment information table 408. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B show data structures of an employee daily pro rata pay information table 410, a department information table 412, a system environment information table 414, a batch job definition information table 416, and a task scheduler information table 418. [Diagram 5] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the data structures of a fare information table 420 and a payment regulation information table 422. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart showing new route information application processing; [Figure 7] FIG. 5 shows a commute route application screen 510. [Figure 8] FIG. 5 shows a commute route application screen 520. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a process for re-determining the suitability of a commuting route. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. In this embodiment, the term "employee" refers to a full-time employee, a part-time employee, or any other employee.

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

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

[0041] [Commuting travel expense calculation server 100] Next, the configuration of the commute expense calculation server 100 will be described.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the commute expense calculation server 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in Figure 2, the commuter expense calculation server 100 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 30 which controls calculations and the entire system based on a control program, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32 which has the control program etc. of the CPU 30 stored in advance in a specified area, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 34 for storing data read from the ROM 32 etc. and calculation results required in the calculation process of the CPU 30, and an I / F (InterFace) 38 which mediates the input and output of data to and from external devices, and these are connected to each other and capable of sending and receiving data by a bus 39, which is a signal line for transferring data.

[0043] The I / F 38 is connected to external devices such as an input device 40 consisting of a keyboard, mouse, etc. that can input data as a human interface, a storage device 42 that stores data, tables, etc. as files, a display device 44 that displays a screen based on an image signal, and a signal line for connecting to the Internet 199.

[0044] [Database Server 130] Next, the configuration of the database server 130 will be described. The database server 130 has the same hardware configuration as the commute expense calculation server 100 .

[0045] 3(a) to (e) are diagrams showing the data structures of a company master table 400, a workplace master table 402, an employee information master table 404, an employee-specific route information table 406, and an employee-specific payment information table 408.

[0046] As shown in Figures 3(a) to (e), the storage device of the database server 130 stores a company master table 400 for registering company information, a workplace master table 402 for registering workplace information for each company, an employee information master table 404 for registering employee information, an employee-specific route information table 406 for registering commuting route information for each employee, and an employee-specific payment information table 408 for registering commuting transportation expense payment information for each employee.

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

[0048] Here, the company ID is information for identifying a company, and is composed of, for example, a unique number for each company (for example, numbers only or a combination of letters and numbers), etc. Also, the application control category is information that sets whether applications from employees can be accepted, and the employee group category information is information that indicates categories such as job type, office, and affiliation between paid employee groups and other employee groups.

[0049] 3(b), one record is registered for each company ID, workplace ID, and application start date in the workplace master table 402. Each record contains main information including the company ID, workplace ID, workplace name, workplace address, calendar ID, start time, end time, fuel unit price type ID, map information, application start date, application end date, last update date, last updater, and other information.

[0050] Here, the workplace ID is information for identifying the workplace, and is composed of, for example, a unique number for each workplace (for example, numbers only, a combination of letters and numbers). The calendar ID is information for identifying a calendar in which the business days and holidays of the workplace set for each company are written, and is composed of, for example, a unique number for each type of calendar (for example, numbers only, a combination of letters and numbers). The fuel unit price type ID is information for identifying a fuel unit price type set for each company, and is composed of, for example, a unique number for each unit price type (for example, numbers only, a combination of letters and numbers). The fuel unit price types include unit price types for each fuel, such as gasoline (regular), gasoline (high octane), and diesel (diesel), and unit price types for each type of eco-friendly automobile, such as EV (electric vehicle), PHV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle), and FCV (fuel cell vehicle). The map information includes location information of the workplace and information on the nearest station.

[0051] 3(c), one record is registered for each company ID, employee ID, and application start date in the employee information master table 404. Each record contains main information including company ID, employee ID, employee name, employee name (kana), employee home postal code, employee home address, telephone number, email address, workplace ID, workplace name, department ID, department name, employee category, payment rule ID, password, authority level, map information, application start date, application end date, last update date, last updater, and other information.

[0052] Here, the department ID is information for identifying the department to which the employee belongs, and is composed of, for example, a unique number for each department (for example, numbers only, or a combination of letters and numbers). The employee classification is information for classifying employees as full-time employees, part-time employees, etc., and the authority level is information indicating one of personnel authority, superior authority, and employee authority. Personnel authority is the authority to use all functions related to commuting expense operations in this system, superior authority is the authority to only apply for commuting routes and approve the contents of the application, and employee authority is the authority to only apply for commuting routes. In addition, the map information includes the location information of the employee's home and information on the nearest station.

[0053] One employee may belong to multiple workplaces. For example, an employee may commute to workplace A in the beginning of the month and to workplace B in the latter half of the month. For this reason, one or multiple workplace IDs and workplace names can be registered for each employee in the employee information master table 404.

[0054] 3(d), one record is registered for each company ID, employee ID, and route ID in the employee-specific route information table 406. Each record contains main information including company ID, employee ID, vehicle ID, route direction type, nearest station to employee's home, workplace ID, workplace name, nearest station to workplace, route ID, commuting route, route usage period, one-month commuter fare, three-month commuter fare, six-month commuter fare, twelve-month commuter fare, one-way fare, one-way distance, one-way time, number of transfers, route reference date, application start date, application end date, last update date, last updater, and other information.

[0055] Here, the route direction type is information indicating the direction of use of the commuting route, and is information on outward, return, or round trip. The route ID is information for identifying the commuting route, and is composed of, for example, a unique number for each commuting route (for example, only numbers, or a combination of letters and numbers). The commuting route is the route from home to the workplace, and for example, if the commuting means is a train, it is "home → walk → nearest station (home) → intermediate station → nearest station (workplace) → walk → workplace", and for example, if the commuting means is a car, it is "home → car → workplace". The one-month commuter fare, three-month commuter fare, six-month commuter fare, and 12-month commuter fare are the amounts of commuting transportation expenses for the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 12th months of the set commuting means and route direction type, and the route reference date is the reference date on which the commuting route becomes valid.

[0056] When the destination or arrival point of a commuting route is a workplace, the workplace ID and workplace name of the workplace that is the destination or arrival point are registered in association with the commuting route in the employee-specific route information table 406. Also, since one employee may belong to multiple workplaces as described above, one or multiple pieces of route information can be registered for one employee in the employee-specific route information table 406. When registering route information for multiple workplaces, the employee-specific route information table 406 registers the workplace IDs and workplace names for multiple workplaces for one employee.

[0057] 3(e), one record is registered for each company ID, employee ID, route ID, and payment ID in the employee-specific payment information table 408. Each record contains main information including company ID, employee ID, route ID, payment ID, start date, end date, payment date, payment method, payment period, payment months, payment / deduction amount, self-payment amount, type, period, remarks, cancellation date, payment details, number of regular months, number of regular sheets, payment amount, total payment amount, total self-payment amount, and other information.

[0058] Here, the payment ID is information for identifying the payment information, and is composed of, for example, a unique number for each payment information (for example, numbers only, or a combination of letters and numbers). The payment method is information indicating the payment method for commuting expenses, such as incorporation into salary, transfer to a bank account, or payment in kind (cash), and the number of months for which payment is made and the number of regular months are either 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months. The payment details are information indicating whether or not the payment is continuous, whether or not the payment cycle is fixed, and whether or not the fare revision process is applicable.

[0059] 4(a) to (e) are diagrams showing the data structures of an employee daily pro rata pay information table 410, a department information table 412, a system environment information table 414, a batch job definition information table 416, and a task scheduler information table 418.

[0060] 4(a)-(e), the storage device of the database server 130 stores an employee-by-employee daily pro rata payment information table 410 for registering daily pro rata commuter travel expense payment information for each employee, and a department information table 412 for registering information on approvers and proxy applicants for each department. Also stored are a system environment information table 414 for registering system environment information such as the IP address of the batch server 120, a batch job definition information table 416 for registering batch job definition information including information on the physical file name of the batch processing program, and a task scheduler information table 418 for registering information for executing tasks registered in the task scheduler.

[0061] 4(a), one record is registered for each company ID, employee ID, route ID, and daily rate ID in the employee-specific daily rate payment information table 410. Each record registers main information including the company ID, employee ID, route ID, daily rate ID, start date, end date, payment date, payment method, period subject to daily rate payment, number of days subject to payment, type of direction of use (outbound / return / round trip), detailed payment information, payment amount, total payment amount, and other information.

[0062] Here, the per diem ID is information for identifying the per diem information, and is composed of, for example, a unique number for each per diem information (for example, numbers only or a combination of letters and numbers). The per diem payment period is information indicating the period for which commuting expenses are calculated on a per diem basis, the number of payment days is information on the number of days during the per diem payment period for which commuting expenses are paid on a per diem basis, and the direction type is information indicating the direction of the commuting route used during the per diem payment period, and is information on outbound, return, or round trip. The payment details information is information indicating whether or not the fare is subject to fare revision processing.

[0063] 4(b), one record is registered for each company and each department in the department information table 412. Each record contains main information including the company ID, department ID, approver ID, proxy applicant ID, application start date, application end date, last update date, last updater, and other information.

[0064] Here, the approver ID is the employee ID of an employee with supervisor authority who is authorized to approve applications for commuting routes for employees who belong to the department corresponding to the department ID, and the proxy applicant ID is the employee ID of an employee with authority to submit commuting route applications on behalf of other employees who belong to the same department.

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

[0066] Here, the batch server user ID is information for identifying a user who accesses the batch server 120, and is composed of, for example, a unique number for each user (for example, numbers only, or a combination of letters and numbers). Also, the packet name is a packet name used in creating the payroll linkage basic data, and the actual cost packet name is a packet name used in processing the actual cost.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 4D, the batch job definition information table 416 registers main information including a tenant number, a batch process ID, a batch name, a batch path, a batch physical file name, and other information.

[0068] Here, the tenant number is the number of the tenant executing batch processing such as the creation processing of payroll linked basic data. The batch processing ID is information for identifying the type of batch processing, and is composed of, for example, a unique number for each type of batch processing (for example, numbers only, or a combination of letters and numbers). The batch path is the physical path (on the batch server 120 side) where the batch processing program is saved, and the batch processing physical file name is the physical file name of the batch processing program.

[0069] 4(e), one record is registered for each tenant number, batch processing ID, and task ID in the task scheduler information table 418. Each record registers main information including the tenant number, batch processing ID, batch processing path, parameter information, task ID, status, execution flag, and other information.

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

[0071] 5(a) to (c) are diagrams showing the data structures of the fare information table 420 and the payment regulation information table 422.

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

[0073] As shown in FIG. 5(a), the fare information table 420 has one record registered for each fare ID. Each record has registered main information including the fare ID, section information (e.g., the station numbers of the departure station and the arrival station), fare type (e.g., one-month commuter fare, three-month commuter fare, six-month commuter fare, 12-month commuter fare, one-way fare), fare, fare revision date, last update date, last updater, and other information. When a fare revision occurs, records with different revision dates are registered for the same section. In this case, the fare related to the record with the older revision date can be specified as the fare before revision (hereinafter referred to as the "fare before revision"), and the fare related to the record with the newer revision date can be specified as the fare after revision (hereinafter referred to as the "fare after revision"). The revision date of the record is the application date of the fare, and the period from the older revision date of the record before and after the revision to the day before the new revision date is the application period of the fare before revision, and the period after the revision date of the new record is the application period of the fare after revision. For past revisions, the fare before revision, the fare after revision, the date and period of application of the fare can be identified similarly from the fare and revision date of the record.

[0074] The commuting expenses of an employee can be calculated by accumulating the fares for the commuting route based on the route information in the employee route information table 406 and the fare information in the fare information table 420.

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

[0076] 5B, one record is registered for each company ID in the payment regulation information table 422. Each record stores main information including the company ID, regulation judgment criteria, and other information.

[0077] Here, the regulation judgment criteria are standards for judging whether a commuting route is appropriate or not, and are set for each company in accordance with the company's commuting allowance regulations. As the regulation judgment criteria, for example, the commuting route that complies with the commuting allowance regulations can be set as (1) the route with the shortest travel time, (2) the route with the fewest transfers, (3) the route with the cheapest one-way fare, (4) the route with the cheapest one-month commuter pass fare, (5) the route with the cheapest three-month commuter pass fare, or (6) the route with the cheapest six-month commuter pass fare. In addition, it can be set that (1) IC fares (fares applied when using IC card tickets) should be applied, or (2) regular fares should be applied instead of IC fares.

[0078] Although not shown, the storage device of database server 130 stores tables in which various definition data for calculating commuting expenses and tables in which various basic data for linking commuting expenses with salary are registered, in addition to tables 400 to 422. Specific examples of basic data tables include a salary basic data table, a taxation basic data table, a social insurance basic data table, and an employment insurance basic data table.

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

[0080] [Route Search Server 140] Next, the configuration of the route search server 140 will be described. The route search server 140 has the same hardware configuration as the commute expense calculation server 100 .

[0081] The route search server 140 is configured to have a database in which route information and fare information are registered. When the route search server 140 receives a request including a departure station, an arrival station, and route search conditions, it searches the database for a route and fare from the departure station to the arrival station according to the route search conditions, and transmits the route information and fare information as search results to the terminal that sent the request.

[0082] The request may include one or more departure stations and one or more arrival stations. In response to a request including one departure station and one arrival station, the route search server 140 searches for the route and fare from the one departure station to the one arrival station, and returns the search results.

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

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

[0085] For a request that includes multiple departure stations and multiple arrival stations, the route search server 140 searches for the route and fare from each departure station to each arrival station, and returns the search results. For example, if the departure stations are A and B and the arrival stations are C and D, route AC and its fare, route BC and its fare, route AD and its fare, and route BD and its fare are obtained as search results.

[0086] As route search conditions, for example, (1) the route with the shortest travel time, (2) the route with the fewest transfers, (3) the route with the cheapest one-way fare, (4) the route with the cheapest one-month commuter fare, (5) the route with the cheapest three-month commuter fare, or (6) the route with the cheapest six-month commuter fare can be set. In addition, it is possible to set (1) the application of IC fares, or (2) the application of regular fares instead of IC fares. For example, if the departure station is A, the arrival station is B, and (1) is set as the route search condition, the route AB with the shortest travel time and its fare will be obtained as a search result.

[0087] [Batch server 120] Next, the configuration of the batch server 120 will be described. The batch server 120 has the same hardware configuration as the commute expense calculation server 100 .

[0088] [Employee terminal 200] Next, the configuration of the employee terminal 200 will be described. The employee terminal 200 is composed of a terminal assumed to be a stationary type like the commuter travel expense calculation server 100, or a portable terminal such as a smartphone or tablet. In the former case, the hardware configuration is the same as that of the commuter travel expense calculation server 100. On the other hand, in the latter case, the hardware configuration is configured to have the same functions as a general computer with a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / F, etc. connected via a bus. Various auxiliary devices such as a touch panel, a storage device, a wireless communication device, and a video camera are connected to the I / F.

[0089] [Operation] [New route information application process] First, the operation of commute travel expense calculation server 100 when an employee newly applies for route information will be described. Note that, in reality, access to tables 400-422 is performed by commute travel expense calculation server 100 communicating with database server 130, but for the sake of simplicity, the following description will be given assuming that commute travel expense calculation server 100 accesses tables 400-422. Also, since each company logs in with its own account to use commute travel expense calculation server 100, in the following description, "company" refers to the company corresponding to the logged-in account.

[0090] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the new route information application process. The CPU 30 is made up of an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) or the like, and starts up a predetermined program stored in a predetermined area of ​​the ROM 32, and executes new route information application processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 in accordance with the program.

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

[0092] Here, new application of route information is made, for example, when a new employee registers route information for the first time, when an employee moves and changes their commuting route, or when an employee adds or changes their place of employment.

[0093] In step S102, an application information input process is executed. In the application information input process, route information such as a commuting means (vehicle ID), a reason for application, a nearest station to an employee's home, a nearest station to an employee's workplace, and a route direction type can be input via an input screen.

[0094] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing commute route application screen 510. In the application information input process, first, a commute route application screen 510 is displayed as shown in Fig. 7. On the commute route application screen 510, the applicant (employee) inputs the application start date, commuting means, transportation company, reason for application, employee home address, company name, place of work, and route direction type, etc.

[0095] As for the employee home address, the employee home address corresponding to the applicant's employee ID is obtained from the employee information master table 404 and displayed.

[0096] For the place of employment, the place of employment corresponding to the applicant's employee ID is obtained from the employee information master table 404 and displayed in a drop-down list 511. If multiple places of employment are registered for one employee, multiple places of employment are displayed in the drop-down list 511. The applicant selects one of these places of employment.

[0097] The route direction type can be selected from one of three options: "Outbound," "Return," and "Round trip." In other words, you can set separate commuting routes for the outbound, return, and round trip if you are only using the outbound route, if you are only using the return route, if the commuting routes are different for the outbound and return routes, or if you are using both the outbound and return routes.

[0098] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing commute route application screen 520. The applicant enters other route information and clicks the "Next" button 512, which displays the commute route application screen 520 as shown in Figure 8. On the commute route application screen 520, the applicant enters the nearest station to the employee's home, any intermediate stations, the nearest station to the workplace, etc.

[0099] For the nearest station to the employee's home, the nearest station to the employee's home that corresponds to the applicant's employee ID is obtained from the employee information master table 404 and displayed in text box 521. If multiple nearest stations to the employee's home are registered, multiple nearest stations are displayed in text box 521. The nearest station to the employee's home can also be manually entered by clicking the "Search" button 522.

[0100] For the nearest station to the workplace, the nearest station to the workplace selected on the commute route application screen 510 that corresponds to the applicant's employee ID is obtained from the employee information master table 404 and displayed in text box 523. If multiple nearest stations to the workplace are registered, multiple nearest stations are displayed in text box 523. The nearest station to the workplace can also be manually entered by clicking the "Search" button 524.

[0101] The applicant inputs other route information and clicks the "Next" button 525, which displays candidate commute routes between the nearest station to the employee's home and the nearest station to the workplace. If there are multiple nearest stations to the employee's home or the nearest station to the workplace, candidate commute routes between the nearest station to the employee's home and the nearest station to the workplace are displayed for all combinations of the nearest stations. The applicant can select one of the displayed candidate commute routes and apply for the selected commute route as the commute route. The specific process of route search is the same as the process in steps S208 to S212 described below.

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

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

[0104] Here, the department ID is identification information dedicated to the workflow, and it is possible to set employees across multiple different real organizations to have the same department ID. For example, the same department ID "B1" can be set for employees A to D who belong to the general affairs department, which is a real organization, and employees F to I who belong to the sales department, which is also a real organization. Note that the real organizations are registered using the employee group ID in the employee information master table 404.

[0105] Also, for example, suppose that employees A and F are employees with supervisor authority and are given approval authority in the workflow. Also, suppose that employee E is a general employee and is given proxy application authority. Here, approval authority is the authority to approve the application contents of employees who belong to the same department (e.g. B1) in the workflow, and proxy application authority is the authority for employees other than the human resources department to make applications on behalf of other employees. In other words, employees A and F who have approval authority can approve applications made by employees B to E and G to I in the same department B1. Also, employee E who has proxy application authority can process applications on behalf of employees A to D and F to I in the same department B1.

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

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

[0108] For example, when a general employee (other than A and F) belonging to department B1 applies for a commuting route, approval is given to both employees A and F, and after approval, it is inspected by employees with personnel authority (hereafter referred to as "personnel employees"), for example, the three personnel employees J through L in charge of department B1. Note that personnel employees have the authority to inspect any department.

[0109] In other words, the approval route will first be "employees A and F," and after employee A approves first, it will be "employee A → HR employees J~L." On the other hand, after employee F approves first, it will be "employee F → HR employees J~L." In other words, approval only needs to be done by either employee A or F, and approval by both is not required. In addition, inspection after approval will be carried out by the three HR employees J~L in charge of department B1, and inspection only needs to be carried out by any one of HR employees J~L.

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

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

[0112] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S110 that a cancellation request has not been received (NO), the process proceeds to step S104.

[0113] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S100 that a new application request has not been received (NO), the process waits in step S100 until a new application request is received.

[0114] [Payroll link basic data creation task registration process] Next, the operation of the commute expense calculation server 100 in cooperation with the batch server 120 will be described.

[0115] In the commuter travel expense calculation server 100, the salary linked basic data creation task registration process is executed, and the salary linked basic data creation task is registered in the batch server 120 based on the route information (route information related to the approved commuter route) in the employee route information table 406. The salary linked basic data creation task registration process is similar to the process described in Patent Document 1

[0148] to

[0172] .

[0116] [Payroll link batch processing program execution process] Next, the operation when the batch server 120 cooperates with the commute expense calculation server 100 will be described.

[0117] In the batch server 120, the payroll linkage batch processing program execution process is executed, the payroll linkage basic data creation task registered by the commuter travel expense calculation server 100 is batch processed, and the amount of commuter travel expense payment is calculated. The payroll linkage batch processing program execution process is the same as the process described in Patent Document 1

[0173] to

[0189] .

[0118] [Re-evaluation process for suitability of commuting route] Next, an operation will be described in which the suitability of an approved commuting route is re-determined after approval.

[0119] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the commuting route suitability re-determination process. In commute expense calculation server 100, CPU 30 starts a predetermined program stored in a predetermined area of ​​ROM 32, and executes a commute route suitability re-determination process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9 in accordance with the program.

[0120] When the commuting route suitability re-determination process is executed by CPU 30, as shown in FIG. 9, first, the process proceeds to step S200, where company pay regulation information is obtained from pay regulation information table 422.

[0121] Next, the process proceeds to step S202, where the workplace ID of the first target workplace is obtained from the workplace master table 402. All workplaces can be targeted as the target workplaces, or a specific workplace can be targeted by providing a filtering condition. For example, a company ID, a workplace ID, an employee ID, a station, a line, or a transportation facility can be set as the filtering condition. When a company ID is set as the filtering condition, the workplace of the company specified by the company ID becomes the target workplace. When a workplace ID is set as the filtering condition, the workplace specified by the workplace ID becomes the target workplace. When an employee ID is set as the filtering condition, the workplace to which the employee specified by the employee ID belongs becomes the target workplace. When a station is set as the filtering condition, the workplace that has the station as the nearest station becomes the target workplace. When a line is set as the filtering condition, the workplace that has a station on the line as the nearest station becomes the target workplace. If a transportation facility is set as a filtering condition, workplaces that have a station on that transportation facility's line as their nearest station will be the target workplaces.

[0122] Next, the process proceeds to step S204, and employee information including the employee ID of the first target employee is obtained from the employee information master table 404. All employees can be targeted as the target employees, or specific employees can be targeted by providing a filtering condition. For example, a company ID, an employer ID, an employee ID, a station, a line, a means of transport, or a payment rule ID can be set as the filtering condition. When a company ID is set as the filtering condition, employees belonging to the company identified by the company ID become the target employees. When an employer ID is set as the filtering condition, employees belonging to the workplace identified by the employer ID become the target employees. When an employee ID is set as the filtering condition, employees identified by the employee ID become the target employees. When a station is set as the filtering condition, employees who use that station as the nearest station to their home or workplace become the target employees. When a line is set as the filtering condition, employees who use that line become the target employees. When a means of transport is set as the filtering condition, employees who use that line become the target employees. If a payment rule ID is set as a filtering condition, the employees to whom the payment rule specified by that payment rule ID applies will be the target employees.

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

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

[0125] When there is one nearest station to the home of the target employee and one nearest station to the target workplace, a request is generated in which the one nearest station to the home of the target employee is set as the departure station, the one nearest station to the target workplace is set as the arrival station, and the regulation judgment criteria are set as the route search conditions.

[0126] When there is one nearest station to the home of the target employee and multiple nearest stations to the target workplace, a request is generated in which the one nearest station to the home of the target employee is set as the departure station, multiple nearest stations to the target workplace are set as arrival stations, and regulation judgment criteria are set as route search conditions.

[0127] In the case where there are multiple nearest stations to the home of the target employee and one nearest station to the target workplace, a single request is generated in which the multiple nearest stations to the home of the target employee are set as departure stations, one nearest station to the target workplace is set as arrival station, and regulation judgment criteria are set as route search conditions.

[0128] When there are multiple nearest stations to the home of the target employee and multiple nearest stations to the target workplace, a single request is generated in which multiple nearest stations to the home of the target employee are set as departure stations, multiple nearest stations to the target workplace are set as arrival stations, and regulation judgment criteria are set as route search conditions.

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

[0130] Next, the process proceeds to step S210, where the generated request is transmitted to route search server 140, the process proceeds to step S212, where a search result for the transmitted request is received from route search server 140, and the process proceeds to step S214.

[0131] In step S214, it is determined whether the fare or the timetable has been revised. A fare revision can be determined, for example, by determining whether a record with a fare revision date newer than the date of the previous execution of the commute route suitability re-assessment process has been registered in fare information table 420. A timetable revision can be determined by making an inquiry to an external server. The external server, for example, has a database that registers timetable revision history information (e.g., route, revision date), and in response to an inquiry from commute transportation expense calculation server 100, determines whether a record with a timetable revision date newer than the date of the previous execution of the commute route suitability re-assessment process has been registered in the database, and transmits the determination result to commute transportation expense calculation server 100.

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

[0133] If it is determined in step S216 that the route to be judged does not meet the regulation judgment criteria (NO), the process proceeds to step S218 to perform notification processing. As the notification processing, for example, a process of sending an email to that effect to the email address of the personnel employee or the target employee, or a process of notifying the account of the personnel employee or the target employee can be adopted.

[0134] Next, the process proceeds to step S220 to determine whether or not the processing of steps S208 to S218 has been completed for all target employees. If it is determined that the processing has been completed for all target employees (YES), the process proceeds to step S222 to determine whether or not the processing of steps S206 to S220 has been completed for all target workplaces. If it is determined that the processing has been completed for all target workplaces (YES), the process ends.

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

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

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

[0138] [Effects of the embodiment] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, first route information is obtained regarding a commuting route used by an employee to travel between the nearest station to the employee's home and the nearest station to the workplace, which has been approved as complying with the regulation judgment criteria, and based on the obtained first route information and payment regulation information related to the regulation judgment criteria, second route information is obtained regarding a route between the nearest station to the employee's home and the nearest station to the workplace which complies with the regulation judgment criteria, and a determination is made as to whether the route to be judged complies with the regulation judgment criteria based on the obtained first route information and second route information.

[0139] This makes it possible to know whether the route to be judged complies with the prescribed judgment criteria. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is determined whether or not there has been a revision in fares or timetables, and if it is determined that there has been a revision in fares or timetables, the suitability of the route to be determined is determined.

[0140] This makes it possible to know whether the route being evaluated complies with the prescribed evaluation criteria when fares or timetables are revised.

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

[0142] This makes it possible to know that the route to be judged does not conform to the prescribed judgment criteria. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the regulation determination criterion related to the payment regulation information acquired in step S200 is the regulation determination criterion related to the route information acquired in step S206.

[0143] This makes it possible to know whether the route to be judged complies with the regulation judgment criteria related to the route information.

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

[0145] [Modifications] In the above embodiment and its modified example, in step S208, the regulation judgment criterion is set as the route search condition, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the regulation judgment criterion may not be set as the route search condition. In this case, for example, the conformity judgment in step S216 can be adopted to determine whether or not one or more routes included in the judgment target route and the search result conform to the regulation judgment criterion based on the payment regulation information acquired in step S200. For example, when (1) the route with the shortest required time is set as the regulation judgment criterion, if the search result includes three routes, it is determined whether or not the route with the shortest required time among the total of four routes including the judgment target route and the three routes is the judgment target route. Also, for example, when (2) the route with the fewest number of transfers is set as the regulation judgment criterion, if the search result includes three routes, it is determined whether or not the route with the least number of transfers among the total of four routes is the judgment target route.

[0146] This makes it possible to know whether the route to be judged complies with the prescribed judgment criteria. In the above embodiment and its modified example, the suitability of the commuting route used by the employee to travel between the nearest station to his / her home and the nearest station to his / her workplace is re-evaluated for each workplace and each employee. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The commuting routes can be narrowed down by the narrowing down conditions, and the suitability of the narrowed down commuting routes can be re-evaluated. For example, the narrowing down conditions can be set to a company ID, a workplace ID, an employee ID, a station, a line, a transportation facility, or a payment rule ID. When a company ID is set as a narrowing down condition, the commuting routes of employees belonging to the company specified by the company ID are targeted. When a workplace ID is set as a narrowing down condition, the commuting routes of employees belonging to the workplace specified by the workplace ID are targeted. When an employee ID is set as a narrowing down condition, the commuting routes of employees specified by the employee ID are targeted. When a station is set as a narrowing down condition, the commuting routes of employees who use that station as the nearest station to their home or workplace are targeted. When a line is set as a narrowing down condition, the commuting routes of employees who use that line are targeted. If you set a transportation facility as a filtering condition, the commuting routes of employees who use that transportation facility will be targeted. If you set a payment rule ID as a filtering condition, the commuting routes of employees to whom the payment rule specified by that payment rule ID applies will be targeted.

[0147] This makes it possible to determine whether the approved commuting route meets the regulation criteria among the commuting routes narrowed down by the filtering conditions. Also, the processing load can be reduced compared to when all commuting routes are targeted.

[0148] In the above embodiment and its modified example, the determination is made as to whether the target route conforms to the regulation determination criteria related to the route information, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the regulation determination criteria are changed, the determination can be made as to whether the target route conforms to the regulation determination criteria related to the change. For example, the execution timing is to determine whether the regulation determination criteria are changed, and if it is determined that there is a change, to determine whether the target route is suitable.

[0149] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modified examples, the suitability of a commuting route that has been approved as complying with the regulation evaluation criteria has been judged, but this is not limited to the above. In cases where approval is not given and a commuting route that has been judged as complying with the regulation evaluation criteria is adopted as a target for commuting expenses payment, the suitability of a commuting route that has been judged as complying with the regulation evaluation criteria can be judged.

[0150] In the above embodiment and its modified example, in step S214, it is determined whether or not there has been a revision in fares or timetables, and if it is determined that there has been a revision in fares or timetables, the suitability of the route to be determined is determined, but this is not limiting, and it is possible to determine whether or not there has been a revision in fares or timetables for the route to be determined, and if there has been a revision in fares or timetables, to determine the suitability of the route to be determined. For example, when multiple routes to be determined are the targets, it is determined for each route to be determined whether or not there has been a revision in fares or timetables for the route to be determined, and if there has been a revision, whether or not it is suitable.

[0151] In addition, in the above embodiment and its modified examples, the processing of steps S216 to S218 is executed when there is a revision in fares or timetables, but this is not limited to the above. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which (1) the processing is executed at any timing (for example, when an instruction to execute is given, when a specified time arrives, or when a specified period of time has passed), or (2) the processing is executed on an employee-by-employee or commuter route-by-commuter route basis when checking or performing maintenance on commuter routes.

[0152] In the above embodiment and its modified example, the notification process is performed in step S218, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the notification process is not performed or a configuration in which other processes are performed. As the other processes, for example, the following configurations can be adopted.

[0153] The first configuration is a configuration in which route candidates that meet the regulation criteria from the search results received in step S212 (hereinafter referred to as "matching route candidates") are displayed and compared with the target route.

[0154] The second configuration is a configuration in which application of the route to be judged is stopped and a new commuting route is registered from among suitable route candidates.

[0155] The third configuration is a configuration for notifying the personnel staff or the target employee to urge them to reapply for their commuting route. This notification process can be a process of sending an email to the personnel staff or the target employee's email address, or a process of notifying the personnel staff or the target employee's account.

[0156] The fourth configuration can employ output processing, which can include, for example, display, printing, audio output, writing to a storage device or storage medium, transmission to other equipment, devices, terminals, or other devices, vibration such as vibration, heat generation, or other methods to output information.

[0157] In the above embodiment and its modified example, the process of step S218 is performed when it is determined that the route to be judged does not conform to the regulation judgment criteria, but this is not limiting, and a predetermined process can be performed when it is determined that the route to be judged conforms to the regulation judgment criteria. For example, the notification process of step S218 or the above-mentioned other processes can be adopted.

[0158] This makes it possible to know whether the route to be judged complies with the prescribed judgment criteria. In addition, in the above embodiment and its modified example, the suitability judgment result of the judgment target route can be applied to other commuting routes that have the same nearest station to the home and the nearest station to the workplace and have not been judged for suitability, thereby reducing the number of searches or the processing load.

[0159] In addition, in the above embodiment and its modified example, the outbound route and the return route are not distinguished from each other, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the fares for the outbound route and the return route are different, the outbound route and the return route can be distinguished from each other when searching. For example, the following configuration can be adopted.

[0160] In the first configuration, for each target employee, when the target employee uses the searched route for commuting on the outward journey, the route and fare obtained when the search is performed as the outward journey (when the search is performed by setting the nearest station to the home as the departure station and the nearest station to the workplace as the arrival station). In addition, when the target employee uses the searched route for commuting on the return journey, the route and fare obtained when the search is performed as the return journey (when the search is performed by setting the nearest station to the workplace as the departure station and the nearest station to the home as the arrival station) are adopted. In addition, when the target employee uses the searched route for commuting on a round trip, the route and fare obtained when the search is performed for the outward journey and the return journey, respectively, are adopted. The distinction between outward journey, return journey, and round trip may be set, for example, by registering information such as the route direction type in the employee-specific route information table 406 or other tables, or may be set by specifying the distinction between outward journey, return journey, and round trip for the route in the search result in the simulation results.

[0161] In the second configuration, when a route searched for a target employee is registered as the target employee's commuting route in the employee-specific route information table 406, a route is determined from the search results of the route search server 140 based on the route direction type corresponding to the commuting route. When the route direction type is an outbound route, the route searched for as the outbound route is determined. When the route direction type is a return route, the route searched for as the return route is determined. When the route direction type is a round trip route, the routes searched for both the outbound route and the return route are determined.

[0162] The third configuration involves registering information on departure and arrival stations for which fares differ between the outbound and return journeys in a table, and by referring to the table, applying the first or second configuration to routes with departure and arrival stations for which fares differ between the outbound and return journeys.

[0163] In the above embodiment and its modified example, (1) to (6) and (1) to (2) are exemplified as the regulation judgment criteria, but the regulation judgment criteria may include, without being limited to these, (7) allowing a change of vehicle (for example, train → bus, bus → train) or (8) allowing different routes for the outbound and return journeys. This criterion may be set as an independent criterion from (1) to (6) and (1) to (2), or may be set as an additional criterion after satisfying any of (1) to (6) and (1) to (2).

[0164] In the above embodiment and its modified example, one request is generated for each target workplace and each target employee, but this is not limited to the above, and one request can be generated for each target employee. Specifically, if there are multiple stations closest to the home of one target employee, one request is generated with the multiple stations closest to the target employee's home set as the departure station and the stations closest to the multiple target workplaces set as the arrival station.

[0165] In addition, in the above embodiment and its variations, in the request, the departure station is set to the nearest station to the target employee's home, and the arrival station is set to the nearest station to the target workplace, but this is not limited to this, and it is also possible to set the departure station to the nearest station to the target workplace, and the arrival station to the nearest station to the target employee's home.

[0166] In addition, in the above embodiment and its variant examples, the regulation judgment criteria are set as route search conditions in the request, but this is not limited to the above, and other conditions may be set as route search conditions, or route search conditions may not be set.

[0167] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modified examples, the route information and the fare information are acquired from the route search server 140, but this is not limiting, and only either the route information or the fare information may be acquired.

[0168] In addition, in the above embodiment and its modified examples, the route direction type and the usage direction type are configured as outbound, return, or round trip information, but this is not limited to this, and one or both of the route direction type and the usage direction type can be configured as one-way or round trip information.

[0169] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its modified examples, the system is realized as a network system, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be realized as a single device or application.

[0170] In addition, in the above embodiment and its modified example, the case where the present invention is applied to a network system consisting of the Internet 199 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied, for example, to a so-called intranet that performs communication in the same manner as the Internet 199. Of course, the present invention is not limited to a network that performs communication in the same manner as the Internet 199, and may be applied to a network of any communication method.

[0171] In addition, in the above embodiment and its modified examples, when executing the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 or FIG. 9, a program pre-stored in ROM 32 is executed. However, this is not limited to the above, and the program showing these procedures may be read into RAM 34 from a storage medium on which the program is stored and executed.

[0172] In the above embodiment and its modified example, the present invention is applied to a case where the suitability of a commuting route is judged, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to other cases without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention can be applied to a case where travel expenses and other travel expenses are paid. [Explanation of symbols]

[0173] 100...commuting travel expense calculation server, 30...CPU, 32...ROM, 34...RAM, 38...I / F, 39...bus, 40...input device, 42...storage device, 44...display device, 120...batch server, 130...database server, 140...route search server, 200...employee terminal, 199...Internet, 400...company master table, 402...workplace master table, 404...employee information master table, 406...employee route information table, 408...employee payment information table, 410...employee daily rate payment information table, 412...department information table, 414...system environment information table, 416...batch job definition information table, 418...task scheduler information table, 420...fare information table, 422...payment regulations information table, 510, 520...commuting route application screen, 511: Drop-down list, 512, 522, 524, 525: Buttons, 521, 523: Text boxes

Claims

1. a first route information acquisition means for acquiring first route information relating to a route used by an employee to travel between a nearest station to his / her home and a nearest station to his / her workplace, the first route information being determined or approved as conforming to a route conformance criterion; a second route information acquiring means for acquiring second route information relating to a route between a nearest station to the home and a nearest station to the workplace that satisfies the route suitability criterion, based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquiring means and standard information relating to the route suitability criterion; and a suitability determination means for determining whether or not a route related to the first route information conforms to a route suitability criterion based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquisition means and the second route information acquired by the second route information acquisition means.

2. a first route information acquisition means for acquiring first route information relating to a route used by an employee to travel between a nearest station to his / her home and a nearest station to his / her workplace, the first route information being determined or approved as conforming to a route conformance criterion; a second route information acquiring means for acquiring second route information relating to a route between a nearest station to the home and a nearest station to the workplace based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquiring means; and a suitability determination means for determining whether or not a route related to the first route information satisfies a route suitability criterion based on the first route information acquired by the first route information acquisition means, the second route information acquired by the second route information acquisition means, and criteria information related to the route suitability criterion.

3. In any one of claims 1 and 2, a revision determination means for determining whether or not a fare or a timetable has been revised for a route related to the first route information; A commute route determination system, characterized in that the suitability determination means performs a determination based on a result of the determination by the revision determination means.

4. In any one of claims 1 and 2, A filtering condition acquisition means is provided for acquiring information on companies, workplaces, employees, stations, lines, transportation facilities, or rules for paying commuting expenses as filtering conditions; The first route information acquisition means acquires first route information corresponding to the filtering conditions acquired by the filtering condition acquisition means from a storage means that stores first route information relating to a route used by an employee to travel between the nearest station to his / her home and the nearest station to his / her workplace and that has been determined or approved as complying with a route suitability criteria, in association with information relating to the company to which the employee belongs, the workplace, the employee, the nearest station to the home or the nearest station to the workplace, the route used for the route, the transportation facility that operates the route, or the commuting expense payment rules that apply to the employee or the route.

5. In any one of claims 1 and 2, A commute route determination system comprising: a notification unit that issues a notification when the suitability determination unit determines that the route is not suitable.

6. In any one of claims 1 and 2, A commute route determination system, wherein the route suitability criteria related to the reference information are route suitability criteria related to the first route information.

7. In any one of claims 1 and 2, a criterion change determination means for determining whether or not a change has been made to a route suitability criterion related to the first route information; The route adaptation criterion related to the criterion information is a route adaptation criterion related to the change, A commute route determination system, characterized in that the suitability determination means performs a determination based on a result of the determination by the criterion change determination means.

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