Vehicle Allocation System, Vehicle Allocation Method, and Control Server

Abstract

A vehicle dispatch system comprising a plurality of vehicles of a plurality of vehicle types, a control server that has a processor and a memory and dispatches the vehicles, and a user terminal connected to the control server, wherein the control server comprises: an evaluation value acquisition unit that acquires an evaluation value for each evaluation index preset for each vehicle type when the plurality of vehicles are caused to travel along a preset travel path; a user coordination unit that receives an importance level for each evaluation index from the user terminal; and a vehicle dispatch planning unit that selects a vehicle to be dispatched on the basis of the evaluation value for each evaluation index multiplied by the importance level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle dispatching system.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in environments such as buses, factories, ports, and mines, a transportation system that replaces work by the driving of autonomous driving vehicles (ADVs) has begun to spread from the viewpoint of reducing labor and human operation errors.

[0003] In such a transportation system, the adoption of a remote control system that integrally manages the information of each autonomous driving vehicle at a control center has been promoted. For example, a vehicle dispatching system that selects and dispatches autonomous driving vehicles from among a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles is known (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the vehicle dispatching plan of Patent Document 1, only electric vehicles such as EVs (Electric Vehicles) and PHVs (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles) are the vehicles to be dispatched. Therefore, in a conventional technology, in a remote control system that includes vehicles with different driving indices (for example, fuel consumption and power consumption), such as conventional engine vehicles and hydrogen fuel vehicles whose research and development have been progressing in recent years, there has been a problem that a unified evaluation index for vehicle dispatching according to vehicle characteristics cannot be set.

[0006] In addition, in the above conventional example, there was a problem that it was difficult to compare vehicles according to the preferences and intentions of the user from among vehicles with different evaluation indices.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to realize optimal vehicle allocation according to the intention of use specified by the system user for a group of vehicles having different driving indices.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] The present invention is a vehicle allocation system including a plurality of vehicles composed of a plurality of vehicle types, a control server having a processor and a memory for performing vehicle allocation, and a user terminal connected to the control server, wherein the control server includes: an evaluation value acquisition unit that acquires evaluation values for each evaluation index set in advance for each vehicle type when the plurality of vehicles travel on a preset travel route; a user cooperation unit that receives the importance for the evaluation index from the user terminal; and a vehicle allocation planning unit that selects a vehicle to be allocated based on a value obtained by multiplying the importance for each evaluation value corresponding to the evaluation index.

Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, for a group of vehicles having different evaluation indices, a unified evaluation index taking into account the preferences for different evaluation indices according to the system user is given, and a vehicle allocation plan optimal for the preferences of the system user can be formulated.

[0010] At least one implementation detail of the subject matter disclosed in this specification is described in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, aspects, and effects of the disclosed subject matter will be clarified by the following disclosure, drawings, and claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

Figure 3D

Figure 3E

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a remote control system including a vehicle allocation system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The remote control system shown in FIG. 1 includes a control server 100, a plurality of vehicles 200 including engine vehicles, EVs (Electric Vehicles), hydrogen fuel vehicles, etc., a traffic information system 300, and a system user terminal 500. An in-vehicle device 201 is mounted on each of the vehicles 200.

[0014] The control server 100 is an information device (computer) that controls each vehicle 200 through remote control, and is realized by using, for example, a server installed in a predetermined facility such as a control center. The control server 100 communicates with the in-vehicle device 201 mounted on each vehicle 200 via a communication line 400 realized by the Internet, a mobile phone network, a wireless LAN, etc., and gives a driving instruction (or vehicle allocation instruction) to each vehicle 200.

[0015] Note that the driving instruction includes driving environment information such as the destination of vehicle allocation (starting point of transportation, end point of transportation) and the route. Further, the control server 100 communicates with the traffic information system 300 and the system user terminal 500 via the communication line 400.

[0016] A plurality of vehicles 200 perform a transportation operation from a designated starting point of transportation to an end point of transportation according to the driving instruction of remote control by the control server 100. The in-vehicle device 201 controls the speed and steering angle of the vehicle 200 for traveling on a designated route based on the task information transmitted from the control server 100 via the communication line 400.

[0017] In FIG. 1, only two vehicles 200 are drawn, but actually more vehicles 200 may be included. Further, each vehicle 200 may have different drive sources such as fossil fuel, hydrogen fuel, and electric power. Not limited to these drive sources, other drive sources may be used.

[0018] The traffic information system 300 detects information (traffic information) related to the driving environment such as obstacles and traffic jams that hinder the driving of vehicles within the area including the driving route of the vehicle 200, and notifies the control server 100 and the vehicle 200. The control server 100 superimposes the notified information on the map information stored in the server, and changes the vehicle allocation route if there is an obstacle existing on the driving route. In FIG. 1, only one traffic information system 300 is drawn, but actually more traffic information systems 300 may be included. As sensors for realizing the traffic information system 300, for example, a camera, a radar, a sonar, a LiDAR, etc. can be used.

[0019] Users of the vehicle allocation system provided by the control server 100 can issue commands for requests regarding the operation of the vehicle 200 via the system user terminal 500 and the control server 100. As requests regarding the operation, in addition to the pickup start point and the delivery end point, the intention of vehicle allocation (impact on the environment) can be included. Examples of the intention of vehicle allocation include constraint values set by the system user terminal 500 for the vehicle 200 and the preferences of the vehicle used for vehicle allocation.

[0020] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the system user inputs the pickup start position (pickup source) and the delivery end position (delivery destination) in advance to the control server 100 via the system user terminal 500, and the route generation unit 150 calculates candidates for the driving route in advance and stores them in the route information 151.

[0021] The functions of the control server 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the control server 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the control server 100 includes a vehicle cooperation unit 101, an infrastructure cooperation unit 102, a user cooperation unit 103, a map 110, a map information management unit 120, a vehicle information management unit 130, vehicle type information 210, vehicle information 220, a task information management unit 140, task information 141, a route generation unit 150, route information 151, an evaluation value acquisition unit 160, a vehicle allocation planning unit 170, an evaluation value table 171, and a vehicle allocation display unit 180.

[0023] The vehicle cooperation unit 101 includes a function of cooperating the control server 100 and the vehicle 200, and can notify the task information 141 to the vehicle 200 that is scheduled for vehicle allocation from the control server 100, and can also notify the control server 100 of the state of the vehicle 200 from the vehicle 200.

[0024] The infrastructure cooperation unit 102 includes a function of cooperating the control server 100 and the traffic information system 300, and by this function, the driving environment information (traffic information) including obstacle information on the road detected by the traffic information system 300 can be notified to the control server 100.

[0025] The user cooperation unit 103 includes a function of cooperating the control server 100 with the system user terminal 500 used by the system user. With this function, the information input by the system user to the system user terminal 500 can be notified to the control server 100, and the vehicle allocation result of the vehicle 200 determined by the control server 100 can be presented to the system user.

[0026] The user-side center cooperation unit 113 of the system user terminal 500 includes a function of cooperating the system user with the control server 100. With this function, the information input by the system user can be notified to the control server 100, and the vehicle allocation result of the vehicle 200 can be received from the control server 100.

[0027] The constraint value input unit 123 of the system user terminal 500 can input the constraint value for vehicle allocation set by the system user. The constraint value is a constraint condition for vehicle allocation set by the system user. As an example of the constraint value, for example, a threshold value for the transportation time (the maximum value of the transportation time or the driving time) and the like can be mentioned.

[0028] When selecting the vehicle 200 for vehicle allocation, the control server 100 excludes the vehicle 200 that exceeds (or is lower than) the threshold value set as the constraint value from the candidates for vehicle allocation targets. The above-mentioned constraint value is an example, and the constraint value can be set from other data held by the control server 100. Note that the constraint value can be set for each evaluation value corresponding to the evaluation index.

[0029] The importance input unit 133 of the system user terminal 500 can set and input the importance that the system user has for the evaluation index. The importance is a relative value set by the system user on the system user terminal 500 regarding the environmental performance and driving performance of the vehicle 200 for which vehicle allocation is desired.

[0030] For example, the importance is expressed in five levels: "attach great importance to", "attach importance to", "ordinary", "do not attach importance to", and "do not attach any importance to" for the environmental performance and driving performance. The system user selects the importance through a GUI (Graphical User Interface) such as a checkbox, and it is received by the importance input unit 133.

[0031] Note that the importance can be set for each evaluation index indicating the vehicle allocation preference and intention of the system user. For example, the importance can be set respectively for evaluation indexes related to environmental performance such as fossil fuel consumption, power consumption, and CO2 emissions.

[0032] Also, as evaluation indexes related to the driving performance required by the system user, for example, driving time (or transportation time) etc. can be used. The evaluation indexes can be appropriately set according to the characteristics of the vehicle type of the vehicle 200, and the evaluation indexes related to environmental performance and driving performance can be set respectively according to the drive source, energy source, or the use of the vehicle 200 etc.

[0033] In the system user terminal 500, an integer from "5" to "1" preset for the importance of each item such as environmental performance and driving performance of the vehicle type information 210 can be used as the importance value (weight wi) for each evaluation index and used for calculating the evaluation value for each evaluation index. Also, the importance is not limited to the above five levels and can be appropriately set by the administrator of the vehicle allocation system etc.

[0034] In this embodiment, examples using fuel consumption, power consumption, CO2 emissions, driving time, etc. as evaluation indexes are shown, but it is not limited to these, and environmental performance and driving performance such as NOx emissions and usage fees can be used. Also, as will be described later, for the evaluation value corresponding to the evaluation index, an example using a value obtained by dimensionlessizing each evaluation value through normalization is shown.

[0035] The map 110 stores link and node information representing roads within the driving area managed by the control server 100, and information indicating the driving environment on the road such as road gradient.

[0036] The map information management unit 120 has a function of superimposing traffic information from the traffic information system 300 acquired via the infrastructure cooperation unit 102 on the map 110, and a function of providing information on the map 110 to the evaluation value acquisition unit 160.

[0037] The vehicle information management unit 130 manages vehicle type information 210 including the weight of the vehicle 200, the vehicle size, and the type of the power source, and vehicle information 220 including values that can be dynamically changed such as the coordinates of the vehicle 200 and the assignment status of tasks, and has a function of providing information on the vehicle 200 to other functional blocks.

[0038] The task information management unit 140 manages task information 141 assigned to the vehicle 200, and has a function of providing task information to other functional blocks. The task information 141 includes, for example, the name of the article to be transported, characteristics of the article such as a breakable item, and the coordinates of the transport source and the transport destination.

[0039] The route generation unit 150 has a function of generating candidates for the driving route of the vehicle 200 from the map 110 and the task information management unit 140, generating route information by associating with the task information 141, and storing it in the route information 151.

[0040] The evaluation value acquisition unit 160 has a function of acquiring evaluation values for each evaluation index related to the driving of the vehicle 200 from the map information (110) of the driving route acquired from the map information management unit 120, the vehicle type information 210 and the vehicle information 220 acquired from the vehicle information management unit 130, the task information 141 acquired from the task information management unit 140, and the route information 151 acquired from the route generation unit 150, a function of excluding the vehicle 200 having an evaluation value conflicting with the constraint value input by the constraint value input unit 123 of the system user terminal 500 from the vehicle allocation candidate vehicles, and a function of optimizing the route to be traveled based on the calculated evaluation values.

[0041] As examples of evaluation metrics, the travel time from the origin to the destination, the fuel, electricity consumed, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, etc. can be used. The evaluation value acquisition unit 160 can expand the types of evaluation metrics by expanding the module that acquires the information necessary for calculating the evaluation value, and apply it to the evaluation value acquisition unit 160.

[0042] The vehicle allocation planning unit 170 has a function of normalizing the evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 by a non-dimensionalization method such as normalization, and multiplying the weight (importance) set by the system user inputted in the importance input unit 133 to the evaluation metric, so as to select the optimal allocated vehicle according to the preference of the system user and output the allocation result (vehicle allocation plan).

[0043] The vehicle allocation planning unit 170 further has a function of storing the correspondence relationship between the evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 and the vehicle 200 in the evaluation value table 171.

[0044] The allocated vehicle display unit 180 has a function of displaying (or outputting) the allocation result calculated by the vehicle allocation planning unit 170.

[0045] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle allocation plan presentation screen. The screen 600 in FIG. 7 is an example of a screen on which the allocation result output by the allocated vehicle display unit 180 is drawn. The screen 600 is displayed on the output device 26 of the control server 100 or the output device of the system user terminal 500.

[0046] The screen 600 includes a travel route display area D340, a vehicle-evaluation value correspondence table D330, a task table D350, an importance input area D310, and a constraint value input area 320.

[0047] In the travel route display area D340, the start point, end point, and route of the travel route calculated by the vehicle allocation planning unit 170 are drawn. Also, the vehicle allocation vehicle display unit 180 can obtain information on obstacles in the travel environment acquired from the map information management unit 120 and the occupancy status of the road from the task information 141 acquired from the task information management unit 140, etc., and can also represent impassable roads.

[0048] The vehicle - evaluation value correspondence table D330 is an example of a screen that associates the evaluation values acquired by the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 and the vehicle allocation planning unit 170 with the candidate vehicles to be allocated and displays them. The vehicle - evaluation value correspondence table D330 enables screen output when the vehicle allocation vehicle display unit 180 acquires data from the evaluation value table 171.

[0049] In the task table D350, the vehicle allocation vehicle display unit 180 acquires information regarding the tasks assigned to the vehicle 200 from the task information management unit 140 and displays the content of the tasks.

[0050] In the importance input area D310 for evaluation indicators, the importance for each evaluation indicator input by the system user is displayed. In the constraint value input area D320, the constraint value input by the system user is displayed.

[0051] When inputting the constraint value, by presenting the screen 600 to the system user terminal 500 and directly inputting it into the importance input area D310 for inputting the importance of the evaluation indicator and the constraint value input area D320, it is also possible to interactively execute the vehicle allocation plan. In particular, in the constraint value input area D320, the system user can select data (for example, the evaluation value table 171) stored in the control server 100 and input the constraint value for the selected data.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 8, the control server 100 is composed of a computer including a processor 21, a memory 22, a storage device 23, a network interface 24, an input device 25, and an output device 26.

[0053] In the memory 22, each functional unit of the vehicle cooperation unit 101, the infrastructure cooperation unit 102, the user cooperation unit 103, the map 110, the map information management unit 120, the vehicle information management unit 130, the task information management unit 140, the route generation unit 150, the evaluation value acquisition unit 160, the vehicle allocation planning unit 170, and the vehicle allocation vehicle display unit 180 is stored as a program.

[0054] The processor 21 operates as a functional unit that provides a predetermined function by processing according to the programs of each functional unit. For example, the processor 21 functions as the vehicle allocation planning unit 170 by processing according to the vehicle allocation planning program. The same applies to other programs. Furthermore, the processor 21 also operates as a functional unit that provides each function of a plurality of processes executed by each program. The computer and the computer system are devices and systems including these functional units.

[0055] The storage device 23 stores vehicle type information 210, vehicle information 220, task information 141, route information 151, an evaluation value table 171, the map 110, importance information (D310), constraint value information (D320), and vehicle-evaluation value correspondence information (D330).

[0056] The network interface 24 is connected to the communication line 400 and communicates with the vehicle 200, the system user terminal 500, and the traffic information system 300. The input device 25 is composed of a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, or the like. The output device 26 is composed of a display, a speaker, or the like.

[0057] Note that the system user terminal 500 is composed of a computer in the same manner as the control server 100 although not shown in the figure, and has a processor, a memory, a storage device, a network interface, an input device, and an output device. Also, the user-side center cooperation unit 113, the constraint value input unit 123, and the importance input unit 133 are stored in the memory as programs and executed by the processor.

[0058] Figures 3A to 3E describe the details of the database stored in the storage device 23 of the control server 100. Note that the format for storing data in the storage device 23 is not limited to a database.

[0059] Figures 3A and 3B show the vehicle type information 210 and vehicle information 220 managed by the vehicle information management unit 130. Figure 3A is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle type information 210.

[0060] The vehicle type information 210 stores data representing the characteristics of the vehicle 200 for each vehicle type. As an example of its attributes (items), there are a vehicle type ID 2101, a vehicle weight 2102, a vehicle width 2103, a vehicle height 2104, a vehicle length 2105, a drive source 2106, and the like.

[0061] Figure 3B is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle information 220. The vehicle information 220 has a relation with the above vehicle type information 210. In the vehicle information 220, a vehicle ID 2201 is assigned to each of the plurality of vehicles 200 managed by the control server 100. The vehicle information 220 stores, as information for each vehicle 200, for example, a vehicle ID 2201, a vehicle type ID 2202, a task allocation status 2203, vehicle coordinates 2204, an air conditioning state 2205, and the like.

[0062] Figure 3C is a diagram showing an example of the task information 141. The task information 141 describes information on tasks (vehicle allocation plans) assigned to the vehicle 200. As an example of the information stored in the task information 141, there are a task ID 1411, an assigned vehicle ID 1412, the content of the transported item 1413, the source coordinates 1414, the destination coordinates 1415, the weight of the transported item 1416, and the like.

[0063] Figure 3D is a diagram showing an example of the route information 151 that the vehicle 200 can travel. The route information 151 stores a route information ID 1511 that describes a travel route for executing a certain task ID 1512, the corresponding vehicle ID 1513 that travels on the travel route, and a link number 1514 for describing the travel route.

[0064] In the route information 151, an example is shown in which a single route information ID 1511 is associated with a certain task ID 1512. However, a plurality of route information IDs 1511 may be stored for a certain task ID 1512. By storing a plurality of route information IDs 1511, it is also possible to optimize the transport route in the vehicle allocation planning unit 170. For example, for the same task ID 1512 = 0003, a plurality of route information IDs 1511 = 0003 and 0004 may be set, and the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 may assign the optimal route information to the task ID.

[0065] The link number 1514 can include position information such as an identifier of a node on the map 110 and an identifier of obstacle information. The obstacle information can include an identifier of an obstacle such as traffic congestion or construction work and the degree of the obstacle.

[0066] FIG. 3E is a diagram showing an example of the evaluation value table 171. The evaluation value table 171 is a table that stores a correspondence table between the vehicle 200 of the vehicle allocation candidate calculated by the vehicle allocation planning unit 170 and the evaluation value.

[0067] As an example of the attribute, an evaluation value ID 1711 for identifying the evaluation value, a task ID 1712 for specifying the task, a vehicle ID 1713 that is a vehicle allocation candidate for the task 1712, a travel time 1714 used as an evaluation index for defining the goodness of travel, a travel time: dimensionless 1715 obtained by dimensionlessizing the travel time, a fossil fuel consumption amount 1716, a fossil fuel consumption amount: dimensionless 1717 obtained by dimensionlessizing the fossil fuel consumption amount, a power consumption amount 1718, a power consumption amount: dimensionless 1719 obtained by dimensionlessizing the power consumption amount 1718, and a total evaluation value 1720 for each evaluation value ID 1711 calculated by the vehicle allocation planning unit 170 from the dimensionless evaluation value are stored.

[0068] The travel time: dimensionless 1715, the fossil fuel consumption amount: dimensionless 1717, and the power consumption amount: dimensionless 1719 store values obtained by dimensionlessizing the evaluation value in the vehicle allocation planning unit 170 as described later.

[0069] The data in FIGS. 3A to 3E is an example of the data for implementing the present invention, and does not limit the data stored in the control server 100.

[0070] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated flowchart shows an example of the process performed in the vehicle dispatching system. In the following example, a travel route used for vehicle dispatching is pre-generated in the control server 100, and an example is shown in which the control server 100 generates a vehicle dispatching plan for the vehicle 200 according to the preferences of the system user.

[0071] In step S100, the control server 100 sets the travel route of the vehicle 200 to perform the task managed by the task information management unit 140.

[0072] In step S101, the system user inputs the importance for each preset evaluation index via the system user terminal 500. In this step, the system user can set a parameter for defining a vehicle type along with the preferences of the system user by inputting, for example, a five-level importance for the evaluation index via the importance input unit 133 of the system user terminal 500.

[0073] In step S102, the control server 100 selects the number (index) i of the first evaluation index from the set of N evaluation indexes to be the target of evaluation value calculation, and starts the iterative process from step S103. Note that the number i of the evaluation index is a value preset corresponding to the evaluation value table 171 as shown in FIG. 3E.

[0074] In step S103, for the case where the control server 100 travels along the travel route set in step S100 above, the evaluation values of the currently selected evaluation index are acquired for all vehicles 200 that can be dispatched.

[0075] To obtain the evaluation value, the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 may use a function that outputs the evaluation value, an evaluation value simulator, or the like. Note that the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 may obtain the evaluation value from the route generation unit 150 or the task information management unit 140.

[0076] For example, after calculating the driving route, the route generation unit 150 can calculate the evaluation value for each vehicle 200 with respect to the currently selected evaluation index (such as fossil fuel consumption, power consumption, CO2 emissions, driving time, etc.) by referring to the vehicle type information 210 and the vehicle information 220.

[0077] Also, regarding the specific calculation method of the evaluation value, since it can be calculated by a known or well-known method for each evaluation index according to the route information such as the distance and elevation difference of the driving route and the power source and specifications of the vehicle 200, it will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0078] Hereinafter, the evaluation value of the evaluation index number i and the vehicle type j of the vehicle 200 is the evaluation value L i,j and is represented by the following formula (1).

[0079]

Equation

[0080] However, x i,j is an instruction function indicating the application of the evaluation index number i to the vehicle 200 of type j, t is the time, Y order is the vehicle allocation requirement information including importance, etc., and Z map is the map information of the vehicle 200.

[0081] In step S104, the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 performs non-dimensionalization of the evaluation value L i,j . Since the evaluation value L i,j is expressed in different units such as fossil fuel consumption (L) and power consumption (Wh), it is difficult to compare between different evaluation indexes as it is. Therefore, the vehicle allocation planning unit 170 performs non-dimensionalization on the evaluation value L i,j of each evaluation index to realize the evaluation for different evaluation indexes.

[0082] As a method of dimensionless conversion, for example, for each evaluation index, the evaluation value L i,j of the maximum value (L i, (max)) and the minimum value (L i, (min)) are used for normalization and the like. Usually, in normalization, the evaluation value L i,j is converted into a value from 0 to 1 for dimensionless conversion. However, when considering the importance received in step S101, the importance is multiplied by the normalized evaluation value. However, when the dimensionless evaluation value is 0, even if the importance is multiplied, a value of 0 is returned, so the significance of weighting is lost.

[0083] Therefore, the control server 100 of the present embodiment performs dimensionless conversion of the evaluation value L i、j in a form that does not include 0 in the normalization range, for example, by adding 1 to the normalized value to perform dimensionless conversion in the range from 1 to 2. The dimensionless evaluation value L i,j (norm) is expressed by the following formula (2).

[0084]

Equation

[0085] Here, i is an index indicating the evaluation index, j is an index indicating the vehicle 200 of the vehicle allocation candidate, and L i、j represents the evaluation value of the j-th vehicle 200 with respect to the i-th evaluation index. Also, among the evaluation values L i,j of all the vehicle allocation candidate vehicles with respect to the i-th evaluation index, the evaluation value L i (max) represents the maximum value, and the evaluation value L i (min) represents the minimum value among the evaluation indices i excluding 0, and L i,j (norm) represents the dimensionless evaluation value of the j-th vehicle with respect to the i-th evaluation index.

[0086] In step S105, the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 uses the evaluation value L i,j calculated in step S104 above, the dimensionless evaluation value L i,j (norm), and the total evaluation value J jBased on this, an evaluation value table 171 showing the evaluation value for each vehicle 200 is generated.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 3E, for each vehicle 200 that can be allocated for each task ID 1712, the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 generates a record in the evaluation value table 171 and assigns an evaluation value ID 1711. Note that the vehicle 200 that can be allocated is a vehicle having a vehicle ID 2201 in a record where the task allocation status 2203 in the vehicle information 220 is "none".

[0088] In step S106, if the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 has finished calculating the evaluation value L for all evaluation indicators i to N, the iteration of steps S103 to S105 is terminated. Otherwise, the process returns to step S103 to calculate the evaluation value for all evaluation indicators. i,j In step S106, if the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 has finished calculating the evaluation value L for all evaluation indicators i to N, the iteration of steps S103 to S105 is terminated. Otherwise, the process returns to step S103 to calculate the evaluation value for all evaluation indicators.

[0089] In step S107, the vehicle allocation planning unit 170 multiplies the evaluation value L i,j (norm) obtained by normalizing the importance (weight wi) input by the system user in step S101 above, and stores the total evaluation value J j for each vehicle 200 in the evaluation value table 171 generated in step S105 above.

[0090] The calculation of the total evaluation value J j is performed by multiplying the importance for each evaluation indicator (i) received in step S101 above by the weight wi, and the total evaluation value J i,j which is the sum of the dimensionless evaluation values for each vehicle 200 obtained by the evaluation value acquisition unit 160 from the dimensionless evaluation value L j is calculated by the following equation (3).

[0091]

Equation

[0092] In the above equation (3), N represents the total number of evaluation indicators. The dimensionless evaluation value L i,jBy multiplying the importance (weight wi) for each evaluation index set by the system user in (norm), the vehicle allocation planning unit 170 of the control server 100 can evaluate vehicles 200 having an internal combustion engine and vehicles 200 with different units of evaluation indexes such as EVs.

[0093] The vehicle allocation planning unit 170, for example, the evaluation value L i,j The total evaluation value J, which is the weighted evaluation value obtained by multiplying (norm) by the weight wi j The vehicle 200 with the minimum value can be selected as the vehicle 200 for which vehicle allocation is to be performed.

[0094] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the condition for selecting the weighted evaluation value is that the total evaluation value J j is the minimum, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the condition of the total evaluation value to be selected can be changed according to the content of the total evaluation value.

[0095] The control server 100 of this embodiment can perform optimal vehicle allocation for vehicles 200 with different evaluation indexes to be focused on, using dimensionless values. Further, the control server 100 can allocate a vehicle 200 that takes into account the preferences of the system user by adjusting the weight wi of the evaluation index.

[0096] As described above, in the vehicle allocation system having the control server 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to easily compare the performance between vehicles 200 with different units of evaluation indexes and the environmental load (CO2 emissions, fuel consumption, power consumption) when traveling on a driving route. Thereby, in a vehicle allocation system that handles various vehicle types, it is possible to select and allocate an optimal vehicle 200 according to the preferences of the user and the driving route.

[0097] In addition, the control server 100 calculates the evaluation value for each evaluation index when a vehicle 200 that can be allocated on a pre-generated driving route is driven, and by dimensionlessizing the evaluation value, it becomes possible to compare the environmental performance (energy consumption, CO2 emissions) between vehicle types with different units of evaluation values.

[0098] Then, the control server 100 can compare the vehicles 200 in the usage form intended by the system user with the total evaluation value obtained by multiplying the dimensionless evaluation value by the importance (weight), reflect the intention of the system user, and determine the vehicle 200 whose total evaluation value satisfies a predetermined condition as the vehicle to be dispatched.

Example

[0099] In this example, a process of selecting and inputting constraint values is added to the process shown in FIG. 4 of Example 1. The control server 100 selects the vehicle 200 with the minimum total evaluation value J from among the vehicles 200 that satisfy the constraint values j and generates a vehicle dispatch plan.

[0100] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed in Example 2. Other configurations are the same as those in Example 1 described above. Hereinafter, the parts changed from Example 1 will be described.

[0101] In step S108 in the flowchart FIG. 5 representing this example, a constraint value for the evaluation value L is input from the system user terminal 500 via the constraint value input unit 123. i,j

[0102] As an example of the constraint value, by inputting an upper limit value as the time required until the completion of transportation, when the travel time obtained in the evaluation value acquisition step S103 conflicts with the upper limit value, the subsequent calculation for the vehicle 200 is terminated, and the calculation for the next vehicle 200 is started.

[0103] The constraint values input from the system user terminal 500 are not limited to those for the evaluation values, and may be selected from the data items stored in the control server 100, such as when only EVs are to be used as vehicle dispatch candidates.

Example

[0104] This example optimizes the plurality of travel routes set in step S100 of FIG. 4 in Example 1 based on the evaluation value L. i,j

[0105] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed in the third embodiment. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. In step S102A in the flowchart FIG. 6 representing this embodiment, one is selected from the set of evaluation metrics and the set of route candidates.

[0106] The set of evaluation metrics is a plurality of evaluation metrics preset to evaluate the characteristics of each vehicle type of the vehicle 200. As shown in FIG. 3E of the first embodiment, evaluation metric (i)=1 is the travel time, evaluation metric (i)=2 is the fossil fuel consumption, and evaluation metric (i)=3 is the power consumption. The set of route candidates is the route information 151 generated by the route generation unit 150, and is data in which a plurality of route information IDs 1511 are set for one task ID 1512.

[0107] In step S109 of FIG. 6, in addition to the optimization of the vehicle 200 to be dispatched described in the first embodiment, an iterative calculation for evaluating the travel route of the vehicle 200 to be dispatched is performed.

[0108] The evaluation value acquisition unit 160 sequentially selects a travel route (route information ID 1511) from the route information 151 generated by the route generation unit 150, with the total number of route candidates as a set of M travel route candidates, and acquires each evaluation value in the evaluation value table 171.

[0109] The evaluation value acquisition unit 160 and the vehicle allocation planning unit 170 calculate the total evaluation value J j for a plurality of route information IDs 1511, and calculate the combination of the route information ID 1511 and the vehicle 200 for which the total evaluation value J j is the minimum as the optimal vehicle to be dispatched.

[0110] Thereby, even when there are a plurality of travel route candidates, by obtaining the evaluation value obtained by multiplying the importance (weight wi) by the dimensionless evaluation value L i,j in step S107 of dispatching the vehicle 200, it is possible to simultaneously optimize the travel route to be dispatched and the vehicle 200 to be dispatched.

[0111] <Conclusion> As described above, the vehicle allocation system of the above embodiment can be configured as follows.

[0112] (1) A vehicle allocation system including a plurality of vehicles (200) composed of a plurality of vehicle types (vehicle type information 210), a control server (100) having a processor (21) and a memory (22) for allocating the vehicles (200), and a user terminal (500) connected to the control server. The control server (100) includes an evaluation value acquisition unit (160) that acquires an evaluation value (L) for each preset evaluation index (i) when the plurality of vehicles (200) travel on a preset travel route, a user cooperation unit (103) that receives the importance (wi) for the evaluation index (i) from the user terminal (500), and a vehicle allocation plan unit (170) that selects a vehicle (200) to be allocated based on the value obtained by multiplying the importance (wi) for each evaluation value (L) corresponding to the evaluation index (i). The vehicle allocation system is characterized by having these components.

[0113] With the above configuration, the control server 100 can give a unified evaluation index considering the preferences of different evaluation indexes according to the system user to vehicles 200 having different evaluation indexes, and formulate a vehicle allocation plan that is optimal for the preferences of the system user.

[0114] (2) The vehicle allocation system according to (1) above, wherein the evaluation value acquisition unit (160) calculates the sum of the values obtained by multiplying the value of the importance (wi) for each evaluation value (L) as a total evaluation value (J), and selects a vehicle (200) whose total evaluation value (J) satisfies a predetermined condition as a vehicle to be allocated. The vehicle allocation system is characterized by this.

[0115] With the above configuration, by reflecting the importance in the total evaluation value, it becomes possible to realize the allocation of vehicles 200 that reflect the preferences and allocation intentions of the system user.

[0116] (3) The vehicle allocation system according to (1) above, wherein the evaluation value acquisition unit (160) uses the maximum value and the minimum value of the evaluation value (L) for the evaluation index (i) to calculate the evaluation value (L normA vehicle allocation system characterized by normalizing

[0117] Even when the unit of the evaluation value corresponding to the evaluation index differs for each vehicle type, by normalizing the evaluation value, it becomes possible to compare the environmental performance and driving performance of the vehicle 200 with an internal combustion engine and the electric vehicle.

[0118] (4) The vehicle allocation system according to (1) above, wherein the user cooperation unit (103) receives a constraint value for the evaluation value (L) from the user terminal (500), and the evaluation value acquisition unit (160) excludes a vehicle (200) having the evaluation value (L) that does not satisfy the constraint value from the vehicle allocation target.

[0119] With the above configuration, by making a vehicle allocation plan with the vehicle 200 that satisfies the constraint value, it becomes possible to reflect the vehicle allocation intention of the system user.

[0120] (5) The vehicle allocation system according to (1) above, wherein the preset travel route includes a plurality of travel routes, and the evaluation value acquisition unit (160) calculates, for each travel route, the sum of the values obtained by multiplying the value of the importance (wi) for each evaluation value (L) as the total evaluation value (J), and selects a vehicle (200) whose total evaluation value (J) satisfies a predetermined condition as the vehicle allocation target.

[0121] With the above configuration, even when there are a plurality of travel routes, it is possible to select the optimal travel route and vehicle 200 by comparing the total evaluation values for each travel route.

[0122] (6) The vehicle allocation system according to (5) above, further comprising an infrastructure cooperation unit (102) that receives traffic information from a traffic information system (300), and the evaluation value acquisition unit (160) calculates an evaluation value (L) corresponding to the evaluation index (i) based on the traffic information.

[0123] With the above configuration, it is possible to avoid obstacles such as traffic jams and accidents on the driving route and select the optimal driving route and vehicle 200.

[0124] (7) The vehicle allocation system according to (3) above, wherein the preset evaluation index (i) is set according to the characteristics of the plurality of vehicle types.

[0125] With the above configuration, by setting an evaluation index corresponding to the characteristics of the vehicle 200 with different drive sources and energy sources and dimensionlessizing the evaluation value corresponding to the evaluation index, it is possible to compare the environmental performance and driving performance of vehicles 200 with different characteristics.

[0126] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments are described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention and are not necessarily limited to those including all the configurations described. Also, a part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Also, any addition, deletion, or replacement of a part of the configuration of each embodiment can be applied alone or in combination.

[0127] In addition, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in hardware by designing part or all of them, for example, by an integrated circuit. Also, each of the above configurations and functions may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program for realizing each function. Information such as a program, table, file, etc. for realizing each function can be placed in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0128] Also, control lines and information lines show those considered necessary for explanation, and not necessarily all control lines and information lines are shown on the product. In practice, it may be considered that almost all configurations are interconnected.

Claims

1. A vehicle dispatching system including a plurality of vehicles composed of a plurality of vehicle types having different drive sources, a control server having a processor and a memory for dispatching the vehicles, and a user terminal connected to the control server, wherein: The control server: An evaluation value acquisition unit that acquires evaluation values for each preset evaluation index when the plurality of vehicles travel along a preset travel route; A user cooperation unit that receives the importance of the evaluation index from the user terminal; A vehicle dispatching planning unit that selects a vehicle to be dispatched based on the value obtained by multiplying the importance by each evaluation value corresponding to the evaluation index; And has: The evaluation index: Includes information on energy consumption with different units of evaluation values for each drive source; The evaluation value acquisition unit: A vehicle dispatching system characterized by normalizing the evaluation value using the maximum and minimum values of the evaluation value for the evaluation index.

2. The vehicle dispatching system according to Claim 1, wherein: The evaluation value acquisition unit: Calculates the sum of the values obtained by multiplying the importance value for each evaluation value as a total evaluation value, and selects, as a vehicle to be dispatched, a vehicle whose total evaluation value satisfies a predetermined condition. A vehicle dispatching system characterized by this.

3. The vehicle dispatching system according to Claim 1, wherein: The user cooperation unit: Receives a constraint value for the evaluation value from the user terminal, and The evaluation value acquisition unit: A vehicle dispatching system characterized by excluding a vehicle having an evaluation value that does not satisfy the constraint value from the vehicles to be dispatched.

4. The vehicle dispatching system according to Claim 1, wherein: The preset travel route includes a plurality of travel routes, and The evaluation value acquisition unit: Calculates, for each travel route, the sum of the values obtained by multiplying the importance value for each evaluation value as a total evaluation value, and selects, as a vehicle to be dispatched, a vehicle whose total evaluation value satisfies a predetermined condition. A vehicle dispatching system characterized by this.

5. The vehicle dispatching system according to Claim 4, further comprising: An infrastructure cooperation unit that receives traffic information from a traffic information system, and The evaluation value acquisition unit: A vehicle dispatching system characterized by calculating an evaluation value corresponding to the evaluation index based on the traffic information.

6. The vehicle dispatching system according to Claim 1, wherein: The preset evaluation index is set according to the characteristics of the plurality of vehicle types. A vehicle dispatching system characterized by this.

7. A vehicle dispatching method in which a server having a processor and a memory dispatches a plurality of vehicles composed of a plurality of vehicle types having different drive sources, An evaluation value acquisition step in which the server acquires evaluation values for each evaluation index preset for each vehicle type in advance when the plurality of vehicles travel on a preset travel route; A user cooperation step in which the server receives the importance for the evaluation index from a user terminal; A vehicle allocation planning step in which the server selects a vehicle to be allocated based on a value obtained by multiplying the importance by each evaluation value corresponding to the evaluation index; comprising: The evaluation index includes information on energy consumption with different units of evaluation values for each drive source; The evaluation value acquisition step is: A vehicle allocation method characterized by normalizing the evaluation value using the maximum value and the minimum value of the evaluation value for the evaluation index. **Claim 8**: The vehicle allocation method according to claim 7, The evaluation value acquisition step is: A vehicle allocation method characterized by calculating the sum of the values obtained by multiplying the value of the importance for each evaluation value as a total evaluation value, and selecting, as a vehicle to be allocated, a vehicle whose total evaluation value satisfies a predetermined condition. **Claim 9**: The vehicle allocation method according to claim 7, The user cooperation step is: Receiving a constraint value for the evaluation value from the user terminal, The evaluation value acquisition step is: A vehicle allocation method characterized by excluding, from the vehicles to be allocated, vehicles having the evaluation value that does not satisfy the constraint value. **Claim 10**: The vehicle allocation method according to claim 7, The preset travel route includes a plurality of travel routes, The evaluation value acquisition step is: A vehicle allocation method characterized by calculating, for each travel route, the sum of the values obtained by multiplying the value of the importance for each evaluation value as a total evaluation value, and selecting, as a vehicle to be allocated, a vehicle whose total evaluation value satisfies a predetermined condition. **Claim 11**: The vehicle allocation method according to claim 10, Further including an infrastructure cooperation step of receiving traffic information from a traffic information system, The evaluation value acquisition step is: A vehicle allocation method characterized by calculating an evaluation value corresponding to the evaluation index based on the traffic information. **Claim 12**: The vehicle allocation method according to claim 7, A vehicle allocation method characterized in that the preset evaluation index is set according to the characteristics of the plurality of vehicle types. **Claim 13**: A control server having a processor and a memory, for allocating a plurality of vehicles composed of a plurality of vehicle types having different drive sources, An evaluation value acquisition unit that acquires evaluation values for each evaluation index preset for each vehicle type in advance when the plurality of vehicles travel on a preset travel route; A user cooperation unit that receives the importance for the evaluation index, A vehicle allocation planning unit that selects a vehicle to be allocated based on a value obtained by multiplying the importance for each evaluation value corresponding to the evaluation index, and has, The evaluation index includes information on energy consumption with different units of evaluation values for each power source, The evaluation value acquisition unit, A control server characterized by normalizing the evaluation value using the maximum value and the minimum value of the evaluation value for the evaluation index.

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