Information processing apparatus

Abstract

To appropriately determine an update charge for updating a setting of boarding on and off point for a vehicle.SOLUTION: A user sets a boarding on and off point for a vehicle for a fee at any location (for example, in front of his / her home or workplace), and uses the boarding on and off point to use a bus for a fee. The set boarding on and off point can be used as a boarding on and off place of a bus by another user. The set boarding on and off point has an available period, and the user can update the available period by paying an update fee. The update fee of the boarding on and off point changes according to a user performance of the boarding on and off point.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for setting a boarding and alighting point where a user boards and alights from a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Various demonstration experiments on demand-type transportation services are being conducted everywhere. In a demand-type transportation service, for example, when a user requests a ride from an arbitrary boarding point selected from a plurality of boarding and alighting point groups to an arbitrary alighting point, a vehicle that meets the request is selected, and the driver of the selected vehicle drives the vehicle according to the route from the boarding point to the alighting point.

[0003] As a technique for setting boarding and alighting points in this type of transportation service, Patent Document 1 proposes a mechanism for setting a virtual bus stop that is virtually installed to pick up users outside the basic route, separate from the bus stops set along the basic route, and giving an incentive to the user according to the position of the virtual bus stop when the user boards the bus from the virtual bus stop.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] )]] By the way, the positions of boarding and alighting points that are easy for users to use vary depending on the user's place of residence, workplace, or places the user often goes to. Therefore, it is highly convenient if each user can set the boarding and alighting points at arbitrary positions that are convenient for themselves.

[0006] However, if a large number of such boarding and alighting points are set up haphazardly, system management becomes complicated. Therefore, if a validity period is set for each boarding and alighting point, and users pay a renewal fee when that period is renewed, it is considered reasonable as it would prevent the proliferation of unnecessary bus stops.

[0007] This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned background, and aims to provide a mechanism for appropriately determining the renewal fee for updating the setting of boarding and alighting points. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an information processing device comprising: a boarding / alighting point setting unit that sets a location specified by the user as a boarding / alighting point where a vehicle can be boarded or alighted during a certain renewal period; and a renewal fee determination unit that determines the renewal fee to be paid by the user who specified the boarding / alighting point in order to update the setting of the boarding / alighting point, according to the vehicle usage record at the set boarding / alighting point. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to appropriately determine the renewal fee for updating the setting of boarding and alighting points, based on the actual usage history of vehicles at those boarding and alighting points. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of vehicle management system 1 related to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 10 according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the in-vehicle terminal 20 according to the same embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 30 according to the same embodiment. [Figure 5]This block shows an example of the functional configuration of the server device 30. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates the boarding and alighting location information stored by the boarding and alighting location information storage unit 323 according to the same embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates a fare determination table stored in the boarding / alighting point setting unit 33 in the same embodiment. [Figure 8] This flowchart illustrates the operation of setting / updating boarding / alighting points on the server device 30. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation management of the server device 30. [Figure 10] This figure illustrates the boarding / alighting location information stored by the boarding / alighting location information storage unit 323 in a modified example. [Figure 11] This figure illustrates a fare determination table stored in the boarding / alighting point setting unit 33 in a modified example. [Figure 12] This figure illustrates a fare determination table stored in the boarding / alighting point setting unit 33 in a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] [composition] Figure 1 shows an example of the vehicle management system 1 of this embodiment. The vehicle management system 1 is a system for providing on-demand transportation services. This vehicle management system 1 includes a plurality of user terminals 10 that each function as a communication terminal used by a plurality of passengers (i.e., users to whom transportation services are provided) getting on and off the vehicle, a plurality of in-vehicle terminals 20 that each function as a communication terminal used by each driver in a plurality of vehicles, and a server device 30 that functions as an information processing device according to the present invention. Network 2 connects these user terminals 10, in-vehicle terminals 20 and server device 30 so that they can communicate with each other. Network 2 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network), or a combination thereof, and includes a wired section or a wireless section. It is desirable that network 2 includes, for example, a network compliant with the fifth generation mobile communication system, but is not necessarily limited to this.

[0012] In the vehicle management system 1, a user operates their user terminal 10 to request a ride from any pick-up point selected from a group of pick-up and drop-off points to any drop-off point. This ride request is transmitted from the user terminal 10 to the server device 30 via the network 2. Multiple vehicles, each equipped with an in-vehicle terminal 20, are distributed and either driving or waiting, and the server device 30 selects a vehicle that matches the user's ride request. The server device 30 identifies the route from the current location of the selected vehicle, through the pick-up point, to the drop-off point, and notifies the vehicle's in-vehicle terminal 20 of this route. The driver of the vehicle equipped with this in-vehicle terminal 20 drives the vehicle according to the notified route. The server device 30 also notifies the user's user terminal 10 of the vehicle the user should board and the estimated arrival times of that vehicle at the pick-up and drop-off points. The user travels by foot or other means to the notified pick-up point by the notified pick-up time, boards the vehicle at the pick-up point, and alights from the vehicle at the drop-off point at the scheduled drop-off time. In this embodiment, the boarding / alighting point may be a boarding point where the user gets into the vehicle, or an alighting point where the user gets out of the vehicle. In other words, the boarding / alighting point may be a point where the user can both get into and out of the vehicle, or a point where the user can only get into the vehicle, or a point where the user can only get out of the vehicle.

[0013] In this embodiment, the boarding and alighting point group includes boarding and alighting points set by the system administrator based on the perspective of demand and supply for vehicles, as well as boarding and alighting points set at any position designated by each user (for example, a location near the user's residence or workplace where it is easy for the user to board and alight). Hereinafter, the former boarding and alighting points are referred to as system-set boarding and alighting points, and the latter boarding and alighting points are referred to as user-set boarding and alighting points. In this embodiment, it is allowed for a plurality of users to share a vehicle and use it simultaneously. Therefore, the user-set boarding and alighting points in this embodiment can be used not only by the user who designated the user-set boarding and alighting points (hereinafter referred to as the boarding and alighting point setting user), but also by users other than the boarding and alighting point setting user.

[0014] A period during which the user can board and alight from the vehicle (set to one month in this embodiment, hereinafter referred to as the update period) is set for the user-set boarding and alighting points. The boarding and alighting point setting user can update the setting of the user-set boarding and alighting points by paying an update fee to the system administrator. This update fee varies depending on the usage record within the above period of the user-set boarding and alighting points. The usage record here includes not only the usage record by the boarding and alighting point setting user, but also the usage record by other users. The basic policy when determining the update fee is to lower the update fee when the usage record is high compared to when the usage record is low. This reduces the financial burden when updating user-set boarding and alighting points with a high usage record, and increases the likelihood of updating user-set boarding and alighting points with a high usage record. As a result, the possibility of a large number of user-set boarding and alighting points with a low usage record being scattered is also reduced.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 10. The user terminal 10 is a computer such as, for example, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a wearable terminal, or a personal computer. Physically, the user terminal 10 is configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, and a bus connecting these. In the following description, the term "device" can be read as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the user terminal 10 may be configured to include one or more of each device shown in the figure, or may be configured without including some devices.

[0016] Each function in the user terminal 10 is realized by causing the processor 1001 to load a predetermined software (program) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, so that the processor 1001 performs operations, controls communication by the communication device 1004, and controls at least one of reading and writing data in the memory 1002 and the storage 1003.

[0017] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by operating, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be constituted by a central processing unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic device, a register, etc. Also, for example, a baseband signal processing unit, a call processing unit, etc. may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0018] The processor 1001 reads programs (program code), software modules, data, etc., from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes accordingly. The program used is one that causes the computer to execute at least a part of the operations described later. Functional blocks of the user terminal 10 may be stored in the memory 1002 and implemented by control programs running on the processor 1001. Various processes may be executed by one processor 1001, but may also be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The program may also be transmitted from the network 2 to the user terminal 10 via a telecommunications line.

[0019] Memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. Memory 1002 may also be called a register, cache, main memory, etc. Memory 1002 can store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc., for carrying out the method according to this embodiment.

[0020] The storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disc, a digital multipurpose disc, a Blu-ray® disc), a smart card, flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy® disk, a magnetic strip, etc. The storage 1003 may also be called an auxiliary storage device.

[0021] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transceiver / receiver device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may include a high-frequency switch, duplexer, filter, frequency synthesizer, etc., to implement at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the transmit / receive antenna, amplifier section, transmit / receive section, transmission path interface, etc., may be implemented by the communication device 1004. The transmit / receive section may be implemented with physically or logically separated output and receive sections.

[0022] The input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from an external source (e.g., a key, microphone, switch, button, sensor, GPS (Global Positioning Unit) unit, etc.). The output device 1006 is an output device that outputs to an external source (e.g., a display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.). The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be configured as an integrated unit (e.g., a touchscreen).

[0023] Each device, such as the processor 1001 and memory 1002, is connected by a bus for communicating information. The bus may be configured using a single bus, or different buses may be used for each device.

[0024] Furthermore, the user terminal 10 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and some or all of each functional block may be realized by such hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0025] Figure 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an in-vehicle terminal 20. The in-vehicle terminal 20 is, for example, a car navigation system, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a wearable device, or a personal computer. The in-vehicle terminal 20 may be a terminal integrated into or fixed to the vehicle, or it may be a terminal that the driver can carry and bring into the vehicle. The hardware configuration of the in-vehicle terminal 20 may include one or more of the devices shown in Figure 3, or it may be configured without some of the devices. Alternatively, multiple devices with different housings may be connected to each other to constitute the in-vehicle terminal 20.

[0026] Physically, the in-vehicle terminal 20 is configured as a computer device similar to the user terminal 10, including a processor 2001, memory 2002, storage 2003, communication device 2004, input device 2005, output device 2006, and a bus connecting them. Each function in the in-vehicle terminal 20 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 2001 and memory 2002, which allows the processor 2001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 2004, and control at least one of data reading and writing in the memory 2002 and storage 2003. The processor 2001, memory 2002, storage 2003, communication device 2004, input device 2005, output device 2006, and the bus connecting them are hardware-wise the same as the processor 1001, memory 1002, storage 1003, communication device 1004, input device 1005, output device 1006, and the bus connecting them described for the user terminal 10, so their description is omitted.

[0027] Figure 4 shows the hardware configuration of the server device 30. The hardware configuration of the server device 30 may include one or more of the devices shown in Figure 4, or it may be configured without some of the devices. Alternatively, multiple devices with different enclosures may be connected via communication to constitute the server device 30.

[0028] The server device 30 is physically configured as a computer device including a processor 3001, memory 3002, storage 3003, communication device 3004, and a bus connecting them. Each function in the server device 30 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto the hardware such as the processor 3001 and memory 3002, which causes the processor 3001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 3004, and control at least one of the reading and writing of data in the memory 3002 and storage 3003. The processor 3001, memory 3002, storage 3003, communication device 3004, and the bus connecting them are hardware similar to the processor 1001, memory 1002, storage 1003, communication device 1004, and the bus connecting them described for the user terminal 10, so their description is omitted. However, the communication device 3004 does not need to be hardware for performing communication according to wireless communication standards; it may be hardware (transceiver / receiver device) for performing communication between computers via network 2 according to any wired communication standard.

[0029] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle management system 1. As shown in Figure 5, the server device 30 implements the following functions: acquisition unit 31, dispatch management unit 32, boarding / alighting point setting unit 33, renewal fee determination unit 34, usage fee determination unit 35, and output unit 36. The dispatch management unit 32 includes the following functions: schedule determination unit 321, map information storage unit 322, boarding / alighting point information storage unit 323, and vehicle information storage unit 324.

[0030] The acquisition unit 31 acquires various information from the user terminal 10 or the in-vehicle terminal 20. For example, if a user operates their user terminal 10 to request a ride from an arbitrary boarding point to an arbitrary alighting point, this ride request is transmitted from the user terminal 10 to the server device 30 via the network 2 and acquired by the acquisition unit 31. The in-vehicle terminal 20 periodically determines its own position using a GPS unit or so-called base station positioning, and transmits location information indicating its position to the server device 30 via the network 2, and the acquisition unit 31 acquires this vehicle's location information. Furthermore, if a user operates their user terminal 10 to request that an arbitrary location be set as a user-defined boarding / alighting point, this setting request is transmitted from the user terminal 10 to the server device 30 via the network 2 and acquired by the acquisition unit 31. Furthermore, if a user who has set a user-defined boarding / alighting point requests to update that setting, this update request is transmitted from the user terminal 10 to the server device 30 via the network 2 and acquired by the acquisition unit 31.

[0031] The dispatch management unit 32 manages vehicle dispatch. More specifically, the dispatch management unit 32 selects a vehicle that matches the user's ride request from a group of vehicles located near the pick-up point included in the ride request, or from a group of vehicles scheduled to travel near that pick-up point. The dispatch management unit 32 determines the operation schedule of the selected vehicle from its current location, through the pick-up point, to the drop-off point. This operation schedule includes information representing the route along a time axis, such as which vehicle passes through which location and when. For example, it includes the scheduled pick-up time when the vehicle selected for the user will arrive at the user's pick-up point, and the scheduled drop-off time when the vehicle will arrive at the user's drop-off point. This history of operation schedules is used as a record of each user's use of each vehicle when determining the update fee for user-defined pick-up and drop-off points, and when determining the usage fee when a user picks up or drops off a vehicle at user-defined pick-up and drop-off points set by the user.

[0032] The map information storage unit 322 of the dispatch management unit 32 stores map data and traffic data for the traffic service area where the vehicle management system 1 provides services. The map data includes information on the location of each road within the traffic service area, the directions in which travel is possible and the number of lanes on each road, and information on traffic signals, etc., on each road. The traffic data includes information on congestion, accidents, etc., on each road within the traffic service area. The traffic data may also include information on traffic volume sensed by a predetermined sensing device in each region, and statistical information from a macro perspective on how groups of vehicles on the road move according to conditions such as the date and time. This map data and traffic data are used to identify the route of a vehicle and the time it takes for the vehicle to travel along that route.

[0033] The pick-up / drop-off location information storage unit 323 of the dispatch management unit 32 stores pick-up / drop-off location information for all pick-up / drop-off locations, including system-configured pick-up / drop-off locations and user-configured pick-up / drop-off locations.

[0034] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the boarding / alighting location information stored in the boarding / alighting location information storage unit 323. As illustrated in Figure 6, the boarding / alighting location information includes a location ID that identifies each boarding / alighting location, the location of each boarding / alighting location, a setting entity ID that identifies the entity that set each boarding / alighting location, an update deadline which is the end of the update period for each boarding / alighting location, usage history for each boarding / alighting location, a setting fee that the user pays to the system administrator in order to set a location of their choice as a user-set boarding / alighting location, an update fee that the boarding / alighting location setting user pays to the system administrator in order to update the settings of the user-set boarding / alighting location, and a usage fee that the user pays to the system administrator each time the user uses each boarding / alighting location (i.e., boards or alights from the vehicle).

[0035] In the example in Figure 6, the user IDs "U0012" and "U0105" corresponding to location IDs "B00001" and "B00003" are both user IDs that identify the user. In other words, the boarding and alighting locations corresponding to these location IDs are user-configured boarding and alighting locations. On the other hand, the user ID "sys" corresponding to location ID "B00002" means the system administrator. In other words, the boarding and alighting location corresponding to this location ID is a system-configured boarding and alighting location.

[0036] Usage records and charges for user-defined pick-up / drop-off locations are stored separately for the user who set the location and for other users. For example, at the user-defined pick-up / drop-off location with location ID "B00001", the usage record during the update period was 15 times for the user who set the location and 3 times for other users, totaling 18 times. The usage fee was 80 yen for the user who set the location and 100 yen for other users. In contrast, usage records and charges for system-defined pick-up / drop-off locations are the same for all users. For example, at the system-defined pick-up / drop-off location with location ID "B00002", the usage record during the update period was 250 times for all users, and the usage fee was a uniform 100 yen for all users.

[0037] Returning to the explanation of Figure 5, the vehicle information storage unit 324 of the dispatch management unit 32 stores vehicle information for each vehicle. This vehicle information includes the ID of each vehicle, location information, and current occupancy status. In this embodiment, the information from the in-vehicle terminal 20 is considered to be the location of the vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle location information in the vehicle information storage unit 324 is updated by the location information transmitted from the in-vehicle terminal 20 to the server device 30.

[0038] The schedule determination unit 321, in response to the passenger request acquired by the acquisition unit 31, selects a vehicle for the user to ride by referring to the contents of the map information storage unit 322, the boarding / alighting point information storage unit 323, and the vehicle information storage unit 324, determines the operating schedule for that vehicle as the confirmed vehicle, and stores the determined operating schedule in association with the vehicle's ID. As mentioned above, this operating schedule includes information about the route of each vehicle, such as which vehicle passes through which location and when, and which user boards from which boarding point and alights at which alighting point on which vehicle.

[0039] The boarding / alighting point setting unit 33 sets the location specified by the user as a user-defined boarding / alighting point where boarding and alighting are possible during a one-month update period in this embodiment. In other words, the boarding / alighting point setting unit 33 sets the user-defined boarding / alighting point by writing the boarding / alighting point information related to the user-defined boarding / alighting point to the boarding / alighting point information storage unit 323.

[0040] The renewal fee determination unit 34 determines the renewal fee to be paid by the user who set the boarding / alighting point in order to renew the setting of the boarding / alighting point, based on the usage record of the user-set boarding / alighting point. Specifically, if the usage record of the user-set boarding / alighting point is equal to or greater than a threshold (first threshold), the renewal fee determination unit 34 determines a renewal fee lower than the setting fee paid by the user when the user-set boarding / alighting point was first set according to the user's specifications. On the other hand, if the usage record of the user-set boarding / alighting point is less than a threshold (second threshold), the renewal fee determination unit 34 determines a renewal fee higher than the setting fee paid by the user when the user-set boarding / alighting point was first set according to the user's specifications. Furthermore, if the usage record of the user-set boarding / alighting point is equal to or greater than a threshold (third threshold), the renewal fee determination unit 34 determines a renewal fee lower than the fee when the usage record of the user-set boarding / alighting point is less than a threshold (third threshold). The above thresholds (first threshold), threshold (second threshold), and threshold (third threshold) can be determined arbitrarily and may be the same value.

[0041] The fare determination unit 35 determines the fare that a user will pay to use the vehicle between multiple pick-up and drop-off locations. Specifically, the fare determination unit 35 determines a lower fare for a user who has specified user-defined pick-up and drop-off locations when using the vehicle at those locations than the fare for using the vehicle at locations other than those specified. Furthermore, if the usage record at the user-defined pick-up and drop-off locations is above a threshold (the fourth threshold), the fare determination unit 35 determines a lower fare than when the usage record at those locations is below the threshold (the fourth threshold). On the other hand, the fare determination unit 35 determines a predetermined fixed fare (for example, 100 yen) for users other than the pick-up and drop-off location users when using the vehicle at the user-defined pick-up and drop-off locations. Also, the fare determination unit 35 determines a predetermined fixed fare (for example, 100 yen) for all users when using the vehicle at system-defined pick-up and drop-off locations.

[0042] Figure 7 illustrates a fare determination table that describes the rules for determining renewal fees and usage fees for user-defined pick-up and drop-off locations. In the example in Figure 7, if a user has used a user-defined pick-up and drop-off location less than 5 times, the renewal fee for updating the setting of that location is 110 yen and the usage fee for using that location is 90 yen. If the usage is 5 times or more but less than 20 times, the renewal fee is 100 yen and the usage fee is 80 yen. If the usage is 20 times or more but less than 100 times, the renewal fee is 80 yen and the usage fee is 70 yen. If the usage is 100 times or more, the renewal fee is 50 yen and the usage fee is 60 yen.

[0043] Here, the setup fee for setting a new user-defined pick-up / drop-off point is a fixed fee of 100 yen per user-defined pick-up / drop-off point. If the usage record at the pick-up / drop-off point exceeds a threshold (the first threshold, in this case 20 times), the renewal fee will be 80 yen or 50 yen, which is lower than the setup fee of 100 yen. On the other hand, if the usage record at the pick-up / drop-off point is less than the threshold (the second threshold, in this case 5 times), the renewal fee will be 110 yen, which is higher than the setup fee of 100 yen. Furthermore, the renewal fee of 80 yen when the usage record exceeds the threshold (the third threshold, in this case 20 times) is lower than the usage fee of 100 yen when the usage record is less than 20 times. Using the same logic, if this threshold (the third threshold) is set to 100 times, the renewal fee of 50 yen when the usage record at the user-defined pick-up / drop-off point is 100 times or more is lower than the usage fee of 80 yen when the usage record is less than 100 times.

[0044] Furthermore, as mentioned above, when a user who has set their own pick-up / drop-off points uses a pick-up / drop-off point other than the one they have set themselves, the fee is a fixed 100 yen per use. In contrast, when a user who has set their own pick-up / drop-off points uses a vehicle at a pick-up / drop-off point they have set themselves, the usage fee is at most 90 yen (if they have used the vehicle less than 5 times), which is lower than the 100 yen usage fee when using a vehicle at a pick-up / drop-off point other than the one they have set themselves (i.e., a pick-up / drop-off point set by another user or a pick-up / drop-off point set by the system).

[0045] Furthermore, the fare of 80 yen when the number of uses at a user-defined pick-up / drop-off point is above a threshold (the fourth threshold, in this case, 5 times) is lower than the fare of 90 yen when the number of uses is less than 5 times. Similarly, when this threshold (the fourth threshold) is set to 20 times, the fare of 70 yen when the number of uses at a user-defined pick-up / drop-off point is 20 or more times is lower than the fare of 80 yen when the number of uses is less than 20 times. Also, when this threshold (the fourth threshold) is set to 100 times, the fare of 60 yen when the number of uses at a user-defined pick-up / drop-off point is 100 or more times is lower than the fare of 70 yen when the number of uses is less than 20 times.

[0046] Note that the thresholds and charges in the fee determination table illustrated in Figure 7 are merely examples, and system administrators can arbitrarily determine the rules regarding these thresholds and charges.

[0047] The output unit 36 ​​transmits various types of information to the user terminal 10 or the in-vehicle terminal 20 via the network 2. The information transmitted from the output unit 36 ​​to the user terminal 10 includes, for example, information about the vehicle the user of the user terminal 10 should board, the scheduled time of arrival at the boarding and alighting points, and information about the setting of boarding and alighting points. The information transmitted from the output unit 36 ​​to the in-vehicle terminal 20 includes, for example, information about the user boarding the vehicle and information about the route from the vehicle's current location to the alighting point via the boarding point.

[0048] [Operation] Next, the operation of the server device 30 will be described. The procedures for each process shown in Figures 8 and 9 are described in the program stored in the server device 30's storage 3003, etc. In the following description, when the server device 30 is described as the main processing unit, it specifically means that by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 3001 and memory 3002, the processor 3001 performs calculations, and the process is executed by controlling communication by the communication device 3004 and the reading and / or writing of data in memory 3002 and storage 3003. The same applies to the user terminal 10 and the in-vehicle terminal 20.

[0049] [Actions related to setting / updating boarding / alighting locations] Next, the process for setting / updating boarding / alighting points will be explained. In Figure 8, first, the server device 30 (acquisition unit 31) acquires a request for setting or updating a user-defined boarding / alighting point transmitted from the user terminal 10 via the network 2 (step S101). A setting request for setting a user-defined boarding / alighting point includes at least the user ID of the user who specifies the user-defined boarding / alighting point and the location of the point desired by that user. Similarly, an update request for updating a user-defined boarding / alighting point includes at least the user ID of the user who has set the user-defined boarding / alighting point and wishes to update it, and the location ID of that user-defined boarding / alighting point.

[0050] If the request concerns the setting of a user-defined boarding / alighting point (step S102; setting), the server device 30 (boarding / alighting point setting unit 33) generates conditions for setting the user-defined boarding / alighting point (such as paying a setting fee of 100 yen), and the server device 30 (output unit 36) transmits these conditions to the user terminal 10 (step S103). If the user accepts these conditions, the server device 30 (boarding / alighting point setting unit 33) sets the user-defined boarding / alighting point by writing the boarding / alighting point information related to the user-defined boarding / alighting point to the boarding / alighting point information storage unit 323 (step S104).

[0051] In step S102, if the request is for updating the user-defined boarding / alighting location (step S102; update), the server device 30 (boarding / alighting location setting unit 33) refers to the contents of the boarding / alighting location information storage unit 323 and the contents of the fare determination table to generate conditions for updating the user-defined boarding / alighting location (such as paying a payment of XX yen as an update fee), and the server device 30 (output unit 36) transmits these conditions to the user terminal 10 (step S105). If the user accepts these conditions, the server device 30 (boarding / alighting location setting unit 33) updates the user-defined boarding / alighting location by writing the boarding / alighting location information related to the user-defined boarding / alighting location to the boarding / alighting location information storage unit 323 (step S106).

[0052] [Operations related to operation management] Next, we will explain the process when a user boards a vehicle. In Figure 9, first, the server device 30 (acquisition unit 31) acquires a boarding request transmitted from the user terminal 10 via the network 2 (step S11). This boarding request includes at least information about the boarding and alighting points specified by the user who wishes to board.

[0053] Next, the server device 30 (schedule determination unit 321) identifies candidate vehicles for boarding in response to the boarding request acquired by the acquisition unit 31 (step S12). Specifically, the schedule determination unit 321 identifies as candidate vehicles vehicles that are within a threshold distance from the boarding point in the boarding request, or vehicles that are scheduled to travel within a threshold distance from the boarding point, and that are scheduled to travel within a threshold distance from the disembarking point in the boarding request.

[0054] If no vehicle is identified as a candidate vehicle for boarding (step S13; NO), the server device 30 (output unit 36) performs a predetermined NG process, such as sending a message to the user terminal 10 indicating that there are no vehicles available for boarding, and then terminates the process (step S14).

[0055] On the other hand, if one or more vehicles have been identified as potential boarding vehicles (Step S13; YES), the server device 30 (schedule determination unit 321) determines the operating schedule (Step S15), and the server device 30 (output unit 36) transmits information regarding the determined operating schedule to the in-vehicle terminal 20 and the user terminal 10 (Step S16).

[0056] Once the vehicle's operation is completed according to this schedule, the usage fee calculated based on the contents of the boarding / alighting point information storage unit 323 and the contents of the fare determination table is collected from the user in a predetermined manner.

[0057] According to the embodiment described above, if the user-defined pick-up / drop-off location has a high usage record, the renewal fee will be lower than the initially set fee, while if the user-defined pick-up / drop-off location has a low usage record, the renewal fee will be higher than the initially set fee. Furthermore, if the user-defined pick-up / drop-off location has a high usage record, the renewal fee will be lower than if the usage record is low. This makes it possible to appropriately determine the renewal fee for a user-defined pick-up / drop-off location according to its usage record.

[0058] [Differentiation] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The embodiments described above may be modified as follows. Furthermore, two or more of the following modifications may be combined and implemented. [Example 1] When setting or updating user-defined pick-up / drop-off locations, the days or times when those locations can be used, and the types of vehicles that can be used at those locations, may be limited.

[0059] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the boarding / alighting location information stored by the boarding / alighting location information storage unit 323 in a modified example. As illustrated in Figure 10, the boarding / alighting location information for a user-defined boarding / alighting location includes time conditions regarding the days or times when the user-defined boarding / alighting location can be used, and vehicle type conditions regarding the types of vehicles that can be used at the user-defined boarding / alighting location. In the example in Figure 10, the user-defined boarding / alighting location with location ID "B00001" is only available to vehicles with "boarding / alighting assistance function" during "weekdays 7:00-19:00", and only to "8-seater" vehicles on "holidays". Depending on these time and vehicle type conditions, the setting fee, renewal fee, or usage fee for the user-defined boarding / alighting location may be determined. Thus, the boarding / alighting location setting unit may set user-defined boarding / alighting locations by limiting them to days or times specified by the user within a period, or by limiting them to the types of vehicles specified by the user. This makes it possible to, for example, restrict the use of user-defined pick-up and drop-off locations to weekdays or only during withdrawals, or to restrict them to large vehicles only.

[0060] [Differentiation 2] The length of the renewal period may be changed according to the usage history of the user-defined boarding and alighting points. Specifically, if the usage history of the user-defined boarding and alighting points is high, the renewal period should be made longer, and if the usage history of the user-defined boarding and alighting points is low, the renewal period should be made shorter. Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the fare determination table stored by the boarding and alighting point setting unit 33 in this modified example. In Figure 11, if the usage history in a certain renewal period is 20 times or more, the renewal period will be longer than when it is less than 20 times. Furthermore, if the usage history in a certain renewal period is 100 times or more, the renewal period will be even longer than when it is less than 100 times. Thus, the server device 30 may be equipped with a renewal period determination unit that determines the length of the renewal period for the user-defined boarding and alighting points. This renewal period determination unit may determine a period longer than the previous renewal period as the next renewal period if the usage history of the user-defined boarding and alighting points in a certain renewal period is above a threshold (the fifth threshold). Furthermore, the renewal period determination unit may, if the usage record at a user-defined boarding / alighting point during a certain renewal period is less than a threshold (the sixth threshold), determine a shorter period as the next renewal period. This makes it possible to appropriately determine the renewal period for a user-defined boarding / alighting point according to the usage record at that point. Note that the above thresholds (the fifth threshold) and (the sixth threshold) can be determined arbitrarily and may be the same value.

[0061] [Difference 3] The renewal fee may be varied according to the length of the renewal period. Specifically, the renewal fee should be lower for longer renewal periods and higher for shorter renewal periods. Figure 12 illustrates a fare determination table stored by the boarding / alighting point setting unit 33 in this modified example. In Figure 12, the boarding / alighting point setting user can select from three types of renewal periods: 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. For a 1-month renewal period, the renewal fee is 100 yen; for a 3-month renewal period, the renewal fee is 250 yen; and for a 6-month renewal period, the renewal fee is 400 yen. In other words, in the example in Figure 12, the longer the renewal period, the lower the renewal fee per unit period (for example, the renewal fee per month). Thus, the renewal fee determination unit 34 may determine the renewal fee in such a way that the renewal fee per unit period decreases as the renewal period lengthens. This makes it possible to determine the renewal fee under favorable conditions, such as making it cheaper for boarding / alighting point setting users who set longer renewal periods.

[0062] [Differentiation Example 4] In the embodiments described above, the vehicle usage record at a user-defined pick-up / drop-off point included the vehicle usage record by the user who specified that pick-up / drop-off point, as well as the vehicle usage record by other users. However, the usage record to be targeted at a user-defined pick-up / drop-off point is not limited to this example. For example, the vehicle usage record at a user-defined pick-up / drop-off point may include only the vehicle usage record by the user who specified that pick-up / drop-off point, or it may include only the vehicle usage record by users other than the user who specified the pick-up / drop-off point.

[0063] [Difference 5] Although a server device 30 has been exemplified as an example of the information processing device according to the present invention, the present invention can be applied to any computer that implements the functional blocks illustrated in Figure 5. Furthermore, the server device 30 does not need to store the boarding and alighting point information; other devices may store it. In this case, the server device can request the other device to search for the boarding and alighting point information and obtain the search results, or instruct the other device to update the boarding and alighting point information.

[0064] [Other variations] The block diagrams used in the description of the above embodiments show functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired or wireless connections). A functional block may also be realized by combining the above one device or the above multiple devices with software.

[0065] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, judgment, calculation, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, exploration, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, assumption, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), and assigning. For example, a functional block (configuration part) that enables transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, the method of implementation is not particularly limited.

[0066] Information notification is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be carried out by other means. For example, information notification may be carried out by physical layer signaling (e.g., DCI (Downlink Control Information), UCI (Uplink Control Information)), upper layer signaling (e.g., RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling, broadcast information (MIB (Master Information Block), SIB (System Information Block))), other signals, or combinations thereof. RRC signaling may also be called RRC messages, and may be, for example, RRC Connection Setup messages, RRC Connection Reconfiguration messages, etc.

[0067] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be applied to at least one of the following systems: LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and other appropriate systems, as well as next-generation systems extended based thereon. Furthermore, multiple systems may be applied in combination (for example, a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G).

[0068] The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of each aspect / embodiment described herein may be reordered, provided they are consistent with each other. For example, the methods described herein present various step elements in an exemplary order and are not limited to that specific order.

[0069] Information can be output from a higher layer (or lower layer) to a lower layer (or higher layer). Input and output may also occur via multiple network nodes.

[0070] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0071] The determination may be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), by a boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0072] Each aspect / embodiment described herein may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed during implementation. Furthermore, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification).

[0073] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the intent and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the descriptions in the present disclosure are illustrative and not intended to be restrictive in any way.

[0074] Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc., whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or by any other name. Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) and wireless technologies (such as infrared or microwave), at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0075] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0076] In addition, terms used in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of the channel and symbol may be a signal (signaling). Also, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, cell, frequency carrier, etc.

[0077] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0078] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or other corresponding information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by an index. The names used for the parameters described above are not restrictive in any way. Furthermore, the formulas and other expressions using these parameters may differ from those expressly disclosed in this disclosure. Various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements can be identified by any suitable name, and therefore, the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not restrictive in any way.

[0079] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably. A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or several other appropriate terms.

[0080] The user terminal 10 or in-vehicle terminal 20 may also be called a transmitting device, receiving device, communication device, etc.

[0081] The terms "determining" and "decision" can encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "decision" can include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiry (e.g., searching in tables, databases, or other data structures), and ascertaining. Furthermore, "determining" and "decision" can also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, and accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," or "considering."

[0082] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be reinterpreted as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0083] In this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0084] In the configuration of each of the above devices, "means" may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0085] Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR.

[0086] In this disclosure, if articles are added through translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0087] In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combine" may be interpreted similarly to "different." [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1...Vehicle management system, 2...Network, 10...User terminal, 1001...Processor, 1002...Memory, 1003...Storage, 1004...Communication device, 1005...Input device, 1006...Output device, 20...In-vehicle terminal, 2001...Processor, 2002...Memory, 2003...Storage, 2004...Communication device, 2005...Input device, 2006...Output device, 30...Server device, 31...Acquisition unit, 32...Dispatch management unit, 321...Schedule determination unit, 322...Map information storage unit, 323...Boarding / alighting point information storage unit, 324...Vehicle information storage unit, 33...Boarding / alighting point setting unit, 34...Renewal fee determination unit, 35...Usage fee determination unit, 36...Output unit, 3001...Processor, 3002...Memory, 3003...Storage, 3004...Communication device.

Claims

1. a boarding and alighting point setting unit that sets a location designated by a user as a boarding and alighting point where the user can board or alight from a vehicle during a certain update period; an update fee determination unit that determines an update fee to be paid by the user who has designated the set boarding and alighting point in order to update the setting of the boarding and alighting point, according to a vehicle usage record at the set boarding and alighting point; An information processing device comprising:

2. The renewal fee determination unit If the usage record at the boarding / alighting point is equal to or greater than a first threshold, determining a renewal fee that is lower than the set fee paid by the user when the boarding / alighting point was initially set in accordance with the user's designation; or If the usage record at the boarding / alighting point is less than a second threshold, a renewal fee higher than the set fee paid by the user when the boarding / alighting point was initially set in accordance with the user's designation is determined.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. When the usage record at the boarding / alighting point is equal to or greater than a third threshold, the renewal fee determination unit determines a lower renewal fee than when the usage record at the boarding / alighting point is less than the third threshold.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

4. a usage fee determination unit that determines a usage fee to be paid by a user for using a vehicle at the boarding and alighting point; The usage fee determination unit determines a usage fee when the user who has specified the boarding and alighting point set by the boarding and alighting point setting unit uses a vehicle at the boarding and alighting point, which is lower than a usage fee when the user uses a vehicle at a boarding and alighting point other than the boarding and alighting point.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

5. When the usage record at the boarding / alighting point is equal to or greater than a fourth threshold, the usage fee determination unit determines a usage fee that is lower than a usage fee when the usage record at the boarding / alighting point is less than the fourth threshold.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

6. The vehicle usage history at the boarding / alighting point includes a vehicle usage history by the user who specified the boarding / alighting point, or a vehicle usage history by a user other than the user who specified the boarding / alighting point.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

7. The boarding and alighting point setting unit sets the boarding and alighting point by limiting the day or time designated by the user within the period.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

8. The boarding and alighting point setting unit sets the boarding and alighting points by limiting the type of vehicle designated by the user.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

9. an update period determination unit that determines the length of an update period for the boarding and alighting points; The update period determination unit If the usage record at the boarding / alighting point in a certain update period is equal to or greater than a fifth threshold, a period longer than the certain update period is determined as the next update period, or if the usage record at the boarding / alighting point in the certain update period is less than a sixth threshold, a period shorter than the certain update period is determined as the next update period.

9. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

10. The renewal fee determination unit determines a renewal fee such that the longer the renewal period, the lower the renewal fee per unit period.

10. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

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