Travel plan creation system

Abstract

To provide a travel planning system capable of suppressing a time required to create a travel plan from becoming longer while maintaining desired precision.SOLUTION: A travel planning system comprises: a recording part in which movement times between respective combinations of two points selected out of a plurality of delivery destinations are recorded for each time zone, where the movement times are recorded for each time zone in the recording part on condition that when a difference between a first movement time being the movement time in a first time zone and a second movement time being the movement time in a second time zone succeeding to the first time zone does not exceed a predetermined reference, the first time zone and the second time zone are regarded as one time zone; and a travel planning part which creates a travel plan based upon the movement times.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a travel plan creation system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a system that creates travel time (travel time cost) information between points for each time zone in advance considering traffic conditions such as traffic jams, and creates a travel plan (operation plan) for a vehicle using the created travel time information.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When creating a travel plan, as in the system described in Patent Document 1, a more accurate (or precise) travel plan can be created by using detailed data such as travel time for each time zone. On the other hand, in the system described in Patent Document 1, the amount of data becomes enormous as detailed data is used, the processing load of the system for creating the travel plan increases, and as a result, the time required to create the travel plan may become longer.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a travel plan creation system capable of suppressing an increase in the time required to create a travel plan while maintaining a desired accuracy.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a recording unit that records the travel time between two points for each time period for each combination of two points selected from a plurality of delivery destinations. When the difference between the first travel time, which is the travel time in the first time period, and the second travel time, which is the travel time in the second time period consecutive to the first time period, does not exceed a predetermined criterion, the first time period and the second time period are regarded as one time period, and the recording unit records the travel time for each time period, and a travel plan creation unit that creates a travel plan based on the travel time.

[0007] That is, in the travel plan creation system, data of time periods with little change in travel time between points is combined, and a travel plan is created using information on the combined travel time. Specifically, the difference in travel time between points in the first time period and the second time period consecutive to the first time period is calculated. When the calculated difference does not exceed a predetermined criterion (for example, a criterion that enables creation of a travel plan desired by the user), the first time period and the second time period are regarded as one time period and recorded in the recording unit as the travel time for each time period. Then, the travel plan is created based on the travel time recorded as one time period. Therefore, in the travel plan creation system, the amount of data when creating a travel plan is less than when creating a travel plan using information for each non-combined time period. Therefore, the processing load when creating a travel plan can be reduced. Also, along with being able to reduce the processing load when creating a travel plan in this way, it is possible to suppress the time required to create a travel plan from becoming too long. That is, in the travel plan creation system, it is possible to reduce the load required to create a travel plan while maintaining the accuracy desired by the user who requests creation of a travel plan.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order. (1) Configuration of the travel plan creation system: (2) Flowchart: (3) Other embodiments:

[0010] (1) Configuration of the travel plan creation system: The travel plan creation system in the present embodiment is a system used for creating a travel plan when a vehicle tours a plurality of locations. For example, it is used for creating a travel plan when a delivery vehicle delivers goods to a plurality of delivery destination stores such as convenience stores and supermarkets. Also, for example, it is used for creating a pick-up and drop-off plan for a pick-up and drop-off bus that picks up and drops off passengers at a plurality of locations. In the following description, the case of using it for creating a travel plan when delivering goods to each store will be described.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a travel plan creation system 10 according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, the travel plan creation system 10 is, for example, a stationary general-purpose computer or a cloud-type server, etc., and is operated from a user terminal (not shown). For example, a user (administrator) who manages the operation of a delivery vehicle belonging to a delivery base or a predetermined location operates the operation input unit of the user terminal to cause the travel plan creation system 10 to create a travel plan.

[0012] In this embodiment, the driving plan is a plan for one or more delivery vehicles departing from a delivery base or a predetermined location to travel to a plurality of locations (i.e., delivery destinations) in a determined order and perform cargo handling operations for delivering goods at each location. In this embodiment, the driving plan is created by defining the order in which each delivery vehicle arrives at a plurality of delivery destination locations and the period for performing cargo handling operations at each delivery destination. Specifically, the driving plan creation system 10 outputs information regarding the travel time between each location calculated by the route search server 100 to the VRP (Vehicle Routing Problem) server 200. In addition to the travel time between each location, the driving plan creation system 10 outputs information such as the goods to be unloaded at each delivery destination location, the location of each delivery destination, and the location of the delivery base (shipping location) to the VRP server 200 to create a driving plan for delivery. Note that the VRP server 200 is a server that creates a plan for a vehicle departing from a delivery base to deliver goods to each delivery destination store using a known algorithm. In this embodiment, a delivery plan is created by defining the order in which the delivery vehicle arrives at a plurality of delivery destinations, the delivery route, the period (time) for performing cargo handling operations at each delivery destination, and the goods to be unloaded. The route search server 100 is a server that searches for a route that can move between two locations at the minimum cost using a known algorithm.

[0013] In this embodiment, the driving plan creation system 10, the route search server 100, and the VRP server 200 can communicate with each other via a network. Note that the route search server 100 only needs to be able to communicate with at least the driving plan creation system 10, and the communication method is not particularly limited. Similarly, the VRP server 200 only needs to be able to communicate with at least the driving plan creation system 10, and the communication method is not particularly limited.

[0014] The travel plan creation system 10 includes a control unit 20 equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., a recording unit 30, and a communication unit 40. The recording unit 30 records various programs and various data. The control unit 20 executes various programs stored in the recording unit 30 and the ROM. As an example of this program, the control unit 20 can execute a travel plan creation program 21. The communication unit 40 is a device for performing wireless communication with an external device, and the control unit 20 can communicate with a route search server 100 and a VRP server 200 via the communication unit 40.

[0015] The recording unit 30 stores travel time information 30a. The travel time information 30a stores information regarding the travel time (i.e., travel time cost) between each pair of locations for each time zone. For example, information regarding the travel time between any two locations is stored for each hour within 24 hours (0:00 - 1:00, 1:00 - 2:00, ···). Also, information regarding the travel time between two locations when a predetermined time zone and the time zone consecutive to the predetermined time zone are regarded as one time zone is stored. That is, the recording unit 30 records the travel time between two locations for each time zone for each combination of two locations selected from a plurality of locations. Further, the recording unit 30 records the travel time between two locations for each time zone for all combinations of two locations among a plurality of delivery destinations of the delivery target. Note that the travel time for each time zone is the travel time considering traffic conditions such as road congestion.

[0016] Here, the calculation of the travel time will be described. The travel time is calculated, for example, by the route search server 100. Specifically, the route search server 100 acquires the locations (departure and destination) that are the delivery bases and the locations of each delivery destination (waypoints), and searches for the routes between each location. The route search is executed based on the map information recorded in a recording unit (not shown) of the route search server 100. The map information is information used for route search and the like, and shows a network of sections defined by nodes and links. The map information includes node data indicating the positions of these nodes, shape interpolation point data indicating the positions of shape interpolation points for specifying the shape of the section between nodes, and link data indicating the connection between nodes. Further, the map information also includes feature data indicating the positions of features existing around roads, stations, etc. Furthermore, the map information also includes travel time information obtained from probe traffic information (road traffic information generated using the actual positions and vehicle speeds of vehicles traveling) corresponding to each link. Note that this travel time information reflects the degree of congestion and crowding. That is, in the present embodiment, the link data is associated with the travel time cost when traveling through the section indicated by the link. Note that the map information may be recorded not only in the recording unit of the route search server 100 but also in the recording unit 30 of the travel plan creation system 10.

[0017] In addition, the route search server 100 searches for routes from the distribution base to each location with reference to map information. The route search may be performed using various algorithms. For example, the Dijkstra's algorithm, the A* algorithm, or modified versions of these algorithms can be adopted. Then, after the route search server 100 performs the route search, it calculates the travel time between each two locations. For example, when there are three locations, namely Location A, Location B, and Location C, the travel time between each pair of locations, that is, the travel time between Location A and Location B, the travel time between Location B and Location C, and the travel time between Location A and Location C is calculated. More specifically, with reference to the travel time costs associated with the link data, all the travel times between the links existing between Location A and Location B are added up. Thereby, the travel time between Location A and Location B can be calculated. Note that the travel time between Location A and Location B includes the travel time when moving from Location A to Location B and the travel time when moving from Location B to Location A, and the route search server 100 calculates each travel time.

[0018] Similarly, the route search server 100 calculates the travel time between Location B and Location C and the travel time between Location A and Location C. That is, all the travel times between the link sections existing between Location B and Location C and between Location A and Location C are added up. Then, the route search server 100 performs the same processing for all time periods (0:00 - 1:00, 1:00 - 2:00, ···), calculates the travel time for each time period, and transmits information regarding the calculated travel time to the travel plan creation system 10. The travel plan creation system 10 that has received the information regarding the travel time records it in the recording unit 30 as travel time information 30a.

[0019] FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of information on the travel time calculated as described above, that is, an example of the travel time information 30a. In the example shown in this FIG. 2A, information on the travel time from 1 o'clock to 3 o'clock among the travel times between locations is shown. Note that the other time zones from 4 o'clock to 24 o'clock are omitted. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, in the time zone of 3 o'clock (from 3 o'clock to 4 o'clock), the travel time from point A to point B and the travel time from point B to point A are each "65 minutes", the travel time from point B to point C and the travel time from point C to point B are each "105 minutes", and the travel time from point A to point C and the travel time from point C to point A are each "140 minutes".

[0020] Also, as described above, the travel time information 30a of the present embodiment stores information on the travel time between two points when a predetermined time zone and a time zone continuous with the predetermined time zone are made into one time zone. Specifically, it includes the travel time for each time zone in which the first time zone (for example, from 1 o'clock to 2 o'clock) and the second time zone continuous with the first time zone (for example, from 2 o'clock to 3 o'clock, or from 0 o'clock to 1 o'clock) are made into one time zone. The information on the travel time is one of the parameters for creating a driving plan (i.e., a delivery plan) including the delivery order. Since the driving plan is created by the VRP server 200, the more information on the travel time between locations there is, the greater the processing load on the VRP server 200 and the longer the processing time. Specifically, when the interval of the time zones in the travel time information is short (narrow), the travel time information referred to when determining the delivery order increases. In other words, the switching of the data to be referred to increases, and as a result, the processing load on the VRP server 200 increases and the processing time becomes longer. Therefore, it is preferable that the amount of data output to the VRP server 200 is small. Also, for example, depending on the time zone such as late at night, there may be little variation in the travel time between two points, and it may be possible to combine a plurality of continuous time zones into one time zone. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when a predetermined standard is satisfied, a plurality of continuous time zones are combined into one time zone, and the information on the travel time of the combined one time zone is recorded as the travel time information 30a.

[0021] Whether to combine a plurality of consecutive time periods into one time period is determined by the control unit 20. Specifically, the control unit 20 determines whether the difference between the first moving time, which is the moving time of the first time period, and the second moving time, which is the moving time of the second time period consecutive to the first time period, exceeds a predetermined criterion. The control unit 20, between any two points, when determining that the difference between the first moving time, which is the moving time of the first time period (for example, from 1 o'clock to 2 o'clock), and the second moving time, which is the moving time of the second time period consecutive to the first time period (for example, from 2 o'clock to 3 o'clock), does not exceed a predetermined criterion, sets the first time period and the second time period as one time period. That is, the moving time between 1 o'clock and 2 o'clock and the moving time between 2 o'clock and 3 o'clock between any two points are recorded as the same moving time. Specifically, from 1 o'clock to 3 o'clock is set as one time period, and the average value of the moving time between points in the first time period and the moving time between points in the second time period is recorded in the moving time information 30a. That is, the moving time between points from 1 o'clock to 3 o'clock (for example, from point A to point B) is constant.

[0022] On the other hand, the control unit 20, between any two points, when determining that the difference between the first moving time, which is the moving time of the first time period (for example, from 1 o'clock to 2 o'clock), and the second moving time, which is the moving time of the second time period consecutive to the first time period (for example, from 2 o'clock to 3 o'clock), exceeds a predetermined criterion, does not set the first time period and the second time period as one time period. That is, the moving time between 1 o'clock and 2 o'clock and the moving time between 2 o'clock and 3 o'clock are recorded in the moving time information 30a as separate moving times.

[0023] Note that combining a plurality of consecutive time periods into one time period is not limited to between the first time period and the second time period consecutive to the first time period. As long as a predetermined criterion is satisfied, further consecutive third time period, fourth time period (omitted hereinafter) may be grouped into one time period. That is, in the above example, when a predetermined criterion is satisfied, it may be recorded in the moving time information 30a as the moving time of one time period over a plurality of time periods, such as from 1 o'clock to 5 o'clock.

[0024] Here, the criteria for whether to combine consecutive time periods into one time period will be described. As described above, in order to reduce the processing load on the VRP server 200, it is preferable to reduce the amount of information output to the VRP server 200. On the other hand, if the amount of information output to the VRP server 200 is reduced, the amount of information for creating a travel plan will decrease, so there may be cases where the user's desired travel plan cannot be created. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the deviation between the travel time in the created travel plan and the travel time when actually executing the travel plan is within a range that can maintain the accuracy required by the user (in other words, within a range where the user's desired travel plan can be executed), and a plurality of consecutive time periods are configured to be combined into one time period.

[0025] Specifically, the control unit 20 determines that the difference in travel time does not exceed the standard when the average value of the difference (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the difference in travel time or the difference) between the first travel time, which is the travel time of the first time period, and the second travel time, which is the travel time of the second time period consecutive to the first time period, is equal to or less than the first threshold value, and the standard deviation based on the difference in travel time is equal to or less than the second threshold value. That is, the control unit 20 combines the first time period and the second time period into one time period when the average value and the standard deviation in the difference in travel time are respectively equal to or less than the corresponding threshold values. Then, the control unit 20 creates the travel time in one time period of the first time period and the second time period as the average value of the travel times between the points of the first time period and the second time period. That is, the control unit 20 creates a travel plan using the average value of the travel times. Note that the first threshold value of the average value in the difference and the second threshold value of the standard deviation based on the difference are predetermined values, and the first threshold value increases as the range of values that can be tolerated as the error between the travel time and the required time in actual travel becomes larger. The second threshold value increases as the range that can be tolerated as the variation in the error becomes larger.

[0026] On the other hand, when the control unit 20 determines that at least one of the conditions that the average value of the difference in travel times is equal to or less than a first threshold value and the standard deviation based on the difference in travel times is equal to or less than a second threshold value is not satisfied, it determines that the difference in travel times exceeds the standard. That is, when at least one of the values of the average value and the standard deviation in the difference in travel times is greater than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit 20 does not combine the first time period and the second time period into one time period. In other words, when the average value or the standard deviation in the difference in travel times is greater than the threshold value and a travel plan with the accuracy required by the user cannot be created, the first time period and the second time period are not combined, and a travel plan is created using the travel time information in each time period.

[0027] Note that the first threshold value of the average value in the above-described difference and the second threshold value in the standard deviation increase as the number of delivery destinations (locations) increases. For example, when the number of locations is larger than in the above-described example (the three locations of Location A, Location B, and Location C), the first threshold value and the second threshold value are larger than the respective threshold values in the case of the three locations. In other words, the criteria for combining a plurality of time periods are lowered. This is because as the number of locations increases, the number of combinations between two locations increases.

[0028] Further, in determining whether or not the difference in the above-mentioned travel times satisfies the criterion, the control unit 20 determines whether or not it satisfies the criterion based on the differences in travel times for all combinations of two points selected from a plurality of delivery destinations (locations). When there are the above-mentioned three locations, namely Location A, Location B, and Location C, the difference in travel time between each pair of locations in the first time period and the difference in travel time between each pair of locations in the second time period are calculated. Specifically, (i) the difference between the travel time from Location A to Location B in the first time period and the travel time from Location A to Location B in the second time period, (ii) the difference between the travel time from Location B to Location A in the first time period and the travel time from Location B to Location A in the second time period, (iii) the difference between the travel time from Location B to Location C in the first time period and the travel time from Location B to Location C in the second time period, (iv) the difference between the travel time from Location C to Location B in the first time period and the travel time from Location C to Location B in the second time period, (v) the difference between the travel time from Location A to Location C in the first time period and the travel time from Location A to Location C in the second time period, and (vi) the difference between the travel time from Location C to Location A in the first time period and the travel time from Location C to Location A in the second time period are calculated.

[0029] Then, the control unit 20 calculates the average value of all (six) differences and the standard deviation based on all the differences. Specifically, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the calculated average value is less than or equal to the first threshold value and the standard deviation is less than or equal to the second threshold value. When the average value and the standard deviation are each less than or equal to the threshold value, the control unit 20 regards the first time period and the second time period as one time period. That is, in the present embodiment, the combinations of two points for which the travel time is recorded as one time period when the difference in travel time does not exceed a predetermined criterion are all combinations of two points selected from a plurality of points. In other words, the determination of whether or not only some combinations of two points satisfy the criterion is not made.

[0030] FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example of the travel time information 30a including the time zone combining a plurality of time zones. In the example shown in this FIG. 2B, the information of the travel time from 1:00 to 7:00 among the travel times between locations is shown. Note that the other time zones (8:00 to 24:00) are omitted. In the example shown in FIG. 2B, the time zone from 1:00 to 5:00 is recorded as the information of one time zone. That is, according to the determination of the above-described control unit 20, it is determined that the difference in the travel time between each location from 1:00 to 5:00 does not exceed the reference, and a plurality of time zones are recorded as the information of one time zone. In the time zone of 7:00 (7:00 to 8:00) shown in FIG. 2B, the travel time from point A to point B is "55 minutes", the travel time from point B to point A is "70 minutes", the travel time from point B to point C is "110 minutes", the travel time from point C to point B is "115 minutes", the travel time from point A to point C, and the travel time from point C to point A are each "155 minutes". The information regarding the travel time in this 7:00 time zone is recorded in the recording unit 30 in a state where it is not combined with other time zones. That is, between point A and point B and between point B and point C, there is a variation in the travel time, and since the difference in the travel time from the continuous other time zones is large and does not satisfy the reference, it can be said that it is recorded in the recording unit 30 in a state where it is not combined with other time zones.

[0031] Also, the control unit 20 can execute various programs stored in the recording unit 30 and the ROM. The control unit 20 of the present embodiment can execute a travel plan creation program 21 as an example of this program. The travel plan creation program 21 is a program for causing the control unit 20 to function as a travel time acquisition unit 21a and a travel plan creation unit 21b. In the following, the processes described as being performed by the travel time acquisition unit 21a and the travel plan creation unit 21b are processes realized by the control unit 20.

[0032] The travel time acquisition unit 21a acquires information regarding the travel time between each two points for each time zone. Specifically, it refers to the travel time information 30a stored in the recording unit 30 to acquire information regarding the travel time between each two points. In this embodiment, it refers to the travel time information 30a shown in FIG. 2A or FIG. 2B to acquire information regarding the travel time between each two points.

[0033] The travel plan creation unit 21b creates a travel plan for delivery based on the information necessary for creating a travel plan including the acquired travel time information. That is, the travel plan creation unit 21b creates a travel plan including the delivery order of a plurality of delivery destinations based on the information regarding the travel time acquired by the travel time acquisition unit 21a and other information necessary for the travel plan (for example, the goods to be unloaded at each delivery destination point, the position of each delivery destination, the position of the delivery base (shipping point), etc.).

[0034] Specifically, the travel plan creation unit 21b outputs information necessary for creating a travel plan, that is, the above-mentioned travel time between each point, the goods to be unloaded at each delivery destination point, the position of each delivery destination, the position of the delivery base (shipping point), etc. to the VRP server 200 to create a travel plan for delivery.

[0035] Here, the processing in the VRP server 200 will be specifically described. The VRP server 200 creates a plan for a vehicle departing from the delivery base to deliver goods to each delivery destination store by a known algorithm. Specifically, the VRP server 200 first acquires the positions of all points including the delivery base and each delivery destination. Then, the VRP server 200 determines a distance cost based on the distance between any two points selected from all the points. Also, the VRP server 200 acquires the number of delivery vehicles available at the delivery base. Note that the number of delivery vehicles may be predetermined. And the VRP server 200 determines the delivery vehicle cost added each time a delivery vehicle is used. Using an objective function that minimizes the sum of these distance costs, delivery vehicle costs, and travel time costs based on the travel time received from the travel plan creation system 10, it acquires the delivery order that minimizes the cost.

[0036] Note that, depending on the departure time and arrival time at each location, the time zone of the travel time information 30a to be referred to may be different. Specifically, when specifying the delivery order, the VRP server 200 sets a temporary delivery order and specifies the delivery order with the minimum cost from among the temporary delivery orders. This cost includes a travel time cost. The travel time cost is defined for each time zone, as is the travel time information 30a shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Also, since time zones may be combined, they are not necessarily defined at regular intervals. Therefore, the VRP server 200 specifies the arrival time at the delivery destination and the departure time from the delivery destination when going to each delivery destination in the temporarily set delivery order from the delivery base. Then, the VRP server 200 refers to the travel time information 30a based on the time zone to which the travel time belongs (for example, the time zone to which the departure time or arrival time belongs) and specifies the travel time. For example, the VRP server 200 specifies the travel time from the delivery base to the first delivery destination based on the travel time information 30a in the time zone to which the departure time from the delivery base belongs. Further, the VRP server 200 sets the time obtained by adding the travel time to the departure time from the delivery base as the arrival time at the first delivery destination. Furthermore, the VRP server 200 sets the time obtained by adding the handling time at the first delivery destination to the arrival time as the departure time from the first delivery destination. Then, the VRP server 200 refers to the travel time information 30a and specifies the travel time in the time zone to which the departure time from the first delivery destination belongs. By repeating such processing for the temporarily set delivery order and calculating the sum of the travel times, the travel time cost in the temporarily set delivery order can be obtained.

[0037] Next, the VRP server 200 refers to the same map information as the map information referred to by the route search server 100 and searches for a route to visit the locations in the obtained delivery order. The cost may be, for example, a distance cost or a travel time cost, and a route that minimizes these costs is obtained. Note that a period (time) for performing handling at each delivery destination may be added to the travel time cost. In this way, the creation of the driving plan is completed. When the creation of the driving plan is completed, the created driving plan is transmitted to the driving plan creation system 10 and recorded in the recording unit 30.

[0038] The travel plan creation system 10 configured as described above uses, as a parameter, the travel time information in which a plurality of time zones are recorded as information of one time zone when creating a travel plan, as described above. Hereinafter, the processing content executed by the travel plan creation system 10 of the present embodiment will be described using a flowchart.

[0039] (2) Flowchart: FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the travel plan creation process executed by the control unit 20. In the present embodiment, the travel plan creation process is executed, for example, when a request for creating a travel plan is received from a user terminal or the like that creates a travel plan. Hereinafter, the specific control content will be described using a flowchart.

[0040] First, the control unit 20 acquires the moving time cost between points in consideration of the traffic situation for each time zone (step S1). Specifically, the control unit 20 refers to the travel time information 30a stored in the recording unit 30 by the function of the travel time acquisition unit 21a. Regarding the calculation of the travel time between points, as described above, it is performed by the route search server 100. That is, when the above-mentioned points are three points, namely point A, point B, and point C, the route search server 100 calculates the two-way travel time between point A and point B, the two-way travel time between point B and point C, and the two-way travel time between point A and point C. Specifically, with reference to the travel time cost (that is, the travel time) associated with the link data, all the travel times of the link sections existing between point A and point B are added together. Similarly, all the travel times of the link sections existing between point B and point C and between point A and point C are added together. Then, the route search server 100 performs the same processing for each time zone (0:00 to 1:00, 1:00 to 2:00,...), calculates the travel time in each time zone, and transmits the information regarding the calculated travel time to the travel plan creation system 10.

[0041] Next, the control unit 20 performs the following loop process for all time zones included in the movement time information 30a. Specifically, the control unit 20 calculates the difference in movement time cost between the first time zone and the second time zone at each location (step S2). This is a process of calculating the difference in movement time between each location for the first time zone (for example, 1:00 to 2:00) and the consecutive second time zone (for example, 2:00 to 3:00). When calculating the difference in movement time between the three locations A, B, and C described above, (i) calculate the difference between the movement time from location A to location B in the first time zone (1:00 to 2:00) and the movement time from location A to location B in the consecutive second time zone (2:00 to 3:00). Similarly, (ii) the difference between the movement time from location B to location A in the first time zone and the movement time from location B to location A in the second time zone, (iii) the difference between the movement time from location B to location C in the first time zone and the movement time from location B to location C in the second time zone, (iv) the difference between the movement time from location C to location B in the first time zone and the movement time from location C to location B in the second time zone, (v) the difference between the movement time from location A to location C in the first time zone and the movement time from location A to location C in the second time zone, and (vi) the difference between the movement time from location C to location A in the first time zone and the movement time from location C to location A in the second time zone are calculated.

[0042] Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the calculated average value and standard deviation of the differences satisfy predetermined criteria respectively (step S3). Specifically, the control unit 20 determines whether the average value of the differences in movement time calculated in step S2 is less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold value and whether the standard deviation of the differences in movement time is less than or equal to a predetermined second threshold value.

[0043] Note that, when determining whether the difference in travel time meets the criterion, the control unit 20 determines whether it meets the criterion based on the differences in travel time for all combinations of two locations selected from a plurality of delivery destinations (locations). When there are three locations, i.e., Location A, Location B, and Location C described above, the control unit 20 calculates the six differences in travel time of (i) to (vi) described above. Then, the control unit 20 calculates the average value of all the differences and the standard deviation based on all the differences. Further, the control unit 20 determines whether the calculated average value is less than or equal to a first threshold value and whether the standard deviation is less than or equal to a second threshold value. When the control unit 20 determines that the average value and the standard deviation are each less than or equal to the threshold value, it regards the first time period and the second time period as one time period. That is, in the present embodiment, when the difference in travel time does not exceed a predetermined criterion, the combinations of two locations that are regarded as one time period and for which the travel time is recorded are all combinations of two locations selected from a plurality of locations. In other words, it does not determine whether only some combinations of two locations meet the criterion.

[0044] If it is determined negatively in this step S3, that is, if at least one of the conditions that the average value of the difference in travel time is less than or equal to the first threshold value and that the standard deviation of the difference in travel time is less than or equal to the second threshold value is not satisfied, and it is determined that the difference exceeds a predetermined criterion, the control unit 20 returns to step S2. That is, it starts the loop process in another time period.

[0045] On the other hand, when the determination in step S3 is affirmative, that is, when it is determined that the average value of the difference in travel times is equal to or less than the first threshold value and the standard deviation in the difference in travel times is equal to or less than the second threshold value, and thus the difference does not exceed a predetermined standard, the control unit 20 creates travel time cost data between points in the first time period and the second time period with the average value (step S4). Specifically, the control unit 20 creates, as the travel time cost data between points, the average value of the travel time between points in the first time period (for example, the travel time from point A to point B) and the travel time between points in the second time period (for example, the travel time from point A to point B). Also, the control unit 20 performs the same process for the travel times between other points. That is, for the travel time from point B to point A, the travel time from point B to point C, the travel time from point C to point B, the travel time from point A to point C, and the travel time from point C to point A, the average values in the first time period and the second time period are created as the travel time cost data between points. Then, the control unit 20 records the created travel time cost data between points in the recording unit 30. As a result, the travel time between each pair of points in the combined single time period (for example, 1:00 to 3:00) becomes constant respectively.

[0046] The control unit 20 performs the same process, that is, the processes of steps S2 to S4, for each of the other time periods (every hour from 3:00 to 24:00). Note that, as a result of performing the same process, when there are a plurality of time periods that can be combined into one time period, the control unit 20 constructs one time period across the plurality of time periods. That is, the time periods to be combined are not limited to a single continuous time period and may be performed across a plurality of time periods. In the example shown in FIG. 2B described above, as a result of performing the processes of steps S2 to S4, the time period from 1:00 to 5:00 is combined as one time period. Then, when steps S2 to S4 are performed for all time periods, the loop process ends.

[0047] Next, the control unit 20 creates a travel plan based on the travel time cost data created in step S4 (step S5). That is, the control unit 20 creates a travel plan by the function of the travel plan creation unit 21b. Specifically, the travel plan creation unit 21b outputs travel time information and other information necessary for the travel plan (for example, information such as the goods to be unloaded at each delivery destination, the positions of each delivery destination, and the position of the distribution base) to an external VRP server 200. The VRP server 200 creates a travel plan based on these various types of information.

[0048] Next, the effects of the present embodiment will be described. As described above, in the present embodiment, with regard to travel time information, which is one of the parameters when creating a travel plan, the data of the time zone with little change in the travel time between locations is configured to be combined. Specifically, the difference in travel time between locations between the first time zone and the second time zone consecutive to the first time zone is calculated, and when the average value and standard deviation of the difference do not exceed a predetermined standard required when creating a travel plan, the first time zone and the second time zone are combined as one time zone. Then, the average value of the respective travel times between each location in the first time zone and the second time zone is created as the travel time of the combined time zone and recorded in the recording unit 30. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the travel time information used when the VRP server 200 creates a travel plan includes information regarding the travel time of the combined time zone. That is, the amount of information regarding the travel time output to the VRP server 200 is reduced compared to the information regarding the travel time for each predetermined time zone such as every hour. In other words, regarding the travel plan, it is possible to reduce the travel time information between locations compared to the conventional case while maintaining the accuracy required by the user. And the VRP server 200 can create a travel plan using the reduced travel time information compared to the conventional case. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the processing load of the VRP server 200 and suppress the increase in the time required to create a travel plan.

[0049] Also, in the present embodiment, as described above, when determining whether the difference in travel time exceeds the reference, not only the average value of the difference between the travel time in the first time period and the travel time in the second time period but also the standard deviation is used for the determination. By using the standard deviation, the travel time with less variation from the average value will be used for creating the delivery plan. Therefore, for example, compared with the case where the delivery plan is created based only on the average value, an error in travel time is less likely to occur between the created delivery plan and the actually executed delivery plan.

[0050] Further, in the travel plan creation system 10 in the present embodiment, since the travel time information combining a plurality of time periods can be recorded, the usage capacity of the recording unit 30 can be reduced. Also, in the present embodiment, when combining a plurality of time periods into one time period, it is configured to determine whether all combinations among the combinations between locations satisfy the criteria. That is, the average value and the standard deviation of the difference in travel time described above each become one value even when the number of locations increases. Therefore, the information regarding the travel time output to the VRP server 200 becomes one value in the combined time period. As a result, the amount of travel time information processed by the VRP server 200 is reduced, so the processing load on the VRP server 200 can be reduced. That is, compared with the case of creating travel time information using the difference and the standard deviation of the travel time between each location, the amount of information processed by the VRP server 200 can be reduced.

[0051] Also, by combining a plurality of time periods for all combinations among the combinations between locations in this way, it is possible to avoid performing complicated processes such as referring to the combined travel time information for one section and referring to the uncombined travel time information for other locations in the same time period. As a result, the processing load on the VRP server 200 can be further reduced.

[0052] (3) Other embodiments: The above embodiments are examples for implementing the present invention, and various other embodiments can also be adopted. For example, at least a part of each component constituting the travel plan creation system 10 may be divided and exist in a plurality of devices or systems. That is, at least a part of the travel time acquisition unit 21a and the travel plan creation unit 21b constituting the travel plan creation system 10 may be divided and exist in a plurality of devices. Also, a part of the configuration of the above-described embodiments may be omitted, or the processing order may be changed or omitted.

[0053] Further, in the above-described embodiment, when creating a travel plan, information for generating a travel plan is output to an external route search server 100 or a VRP server 200. However, at least one of the route search server 100 and the VRP server 200 may be incorporated into the travel plan creation system 10. That is, the travel plan creation system 10 and the VRP server 200 may be configured by the same device. Alternatively, the travel plan creation system 10 and the route search server 100 may be configured by the same device. Alternatively, the route search server 100 and the VRP server 200 may be configured by the same device. Alternatively, the travel plan creation system 10, the route search server 100, and the VRP server 200 may be configured by the same device. Also, the travel plan creation system 10, the route search server 100, or the VRP server 200 may be configured by a plurality of systems. For example, at least a part of the travel plan creation system 10, the route search server 100, or the VRP server 200 may be configured by a cloud server.

[0054] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the process of combining a plurality of consecutive time zones is configured to be performed by the travel plan creation system 10. However, the process of combining a plurality of consecutive time zones may be executed by an external server or the like. In that case, the processed travel time information as a result is recorded in the recording unit 30, and the travel time information recorded in the recording unit 30 is output to the VRP server 200, and a travel plan is created.

[0055] Also, in the above-described embodiment, when the process of combining a plurality of consecutive time zones is performed because the difference in travel time does not exceed the reference, the travel time is configured to adopt the average value of the travel times between locations. However, this travel time is not limited to the average value. For example, it may be the travel time in one combined time zone of the longest travel time among the travel times between locations. As an example, when the travel time from point A to point B in the first time zone is "60 minutes" and the travel time from point A to point B in the second time zone is "65 minutes", the travel time in one combined time zone of "65 minutes" is used. In this case, when creating a travel plan, the control unit 20 uses the longest travel time information to create a travel plan by the function of the travel plan creation unit 21b. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of inconveniences such as delays in the delivery time scheduled when actually delivering goods to the store. That is, since the travel plan is created based on the longest travel time, it is possible to create a travel plan with a time margin.

[0056] Also, in the above-described embodiment, although the travel time was calculated in "one-hour units" such as 1 o'clock to 2 o'clock as an example for each time zone, it is not limited to every hour, and the travel time may be calculated in other time units such as every 30 minutes or every 10 minutes. In that case, in the determination of whether the difference in travel time between a plurality of consecutive time zones exceeds a predetermined reference, the predetermined reference (that is, the magnitudes of the first threshold and the second threshold) may be changed with respect to the case of one-hour units. For example, in the case of a unit smaller than one-hour units (that is, 30-minute units or 10-minute units), the magnitudes of the predetermined reference (the first threshold and the second threshold) may be larger than those in the case of one-hour units. Since the purpose of this embodiment is to reduce the processing load of the VRP server 200 while maintaining the accuracy of the travel plan, as the time unit becomes smaller, the information regarding the travel time increases. Therefore, the predetermined reference may be changed within a range that can suppress an increase in the processing load of the VRP server 200 while maintaining the accuracy of the travel plan.

[0057] In the above-described embodiment, although three locations, i.e., Location A, Location B, and Location C, are used as examples of a plurality of locations, the number of such locations may be at least two or more. And the first threshold value of the difference in travel time which is a predetermined criterion, and the second threshold value in the standard deviation are, for example, increased as the number of locations increases. As the number of locations increases, the parameter (difference in travel time) when combining a plurality of time zones into one time zone increases, so the first threshold value and the second threshold value may be increased. In other words, the level of the threshold value becomes looser. Note that the first threshold value and the second threshold value may be predetermined values (i.e., fixed values) without being changed according to the number of locations in this way.

[0058] Also, in the above-described embodiment, although the object to be combined is described as time (time zone), the object to be combined may be other parameters as long as the processing load on the VRP server 200 can be reduced. For example, the object to be combined may be a day of the week. Specifically, combine on Mondays to Fridays (so-called weekdays) and combine on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (so-called holidays). In this case, the same travel time information is used to create a driving plan on weekdays. Similarly, the same travel time information is used to create a driving plan on holidays. Thereby, for example, compared with the case of creating a driving plan based on the travel time information for each day, the information regarding the travel time can be significantly reduced. In other words, since the information regarding the travel time output to the VRP server 200 is significantly reduced, the processing load on the VRP server 200 can be significantly reduced. Note that in this way, the object to be combined is not limited to weekdays and holidays among the days of the week, and specific days of the week may be combined (for example, combine Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Also, in addition to combining the days of the week, the above-described plurality of time zones may be further combined. In that case, furthermore, the information regarding the travel time can be reduced, so the processing load on the VRP server 200 can be further reduced.

[0059] The objects to be combined are not limited to time and day of the week, and may also be other items such as "month" or "season". For example, in the case of "month", any months from January to December (for example, January and February) can be combined, and the combined "month" uses the same travel time information to create a driving plan. Also, in the case of "season", for example, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, a driving plan is created for each season using the same travel time information.

[0060] In addition, the travel time information calculated by the route search server 100 is not limited to the travel time information generated from probe traffic information, and may be, for example, travel time information generated from VICS (registered trademark) information.

[0061] The recording unit 30 records the travel time between two points for each time period for each combination of two points selected from a plurality of points. When the difference between the first travel time, which is the travel time in the first time period, and the second travel time, which is the travel time in the second time period consecutive to the first time period, does not exceed a predetermined standard, the first time period and the second time period are regarded as one time period, and it is sufficient that the travel time is recorded for each time period. Therefore, other information, such as map information or the driving plan created by the VRP server 200, may be recorded in the recording unit 30.

[0062] The driving plan creation unit 21b only needs to be able to create a driving plan based on at least the travel time recorded in the recording unit 30. Therefore, other information related to the creation of other driving plans may be included as parameters when creating a driving plan.

[0063] Also, in the above-described embodiment, although the driving plan when delivering goods to each delivery destination is described as an example, it is not limited to this, and it may be applied to other embodiments that visit a plurality of points.

[0064] Furthermore, the present invention is also applicable as a program or a method. Also, the above-described system, program, and method may be realized as a single device or may be realized by using shared components, and include various aspects. For example, it is possible to provide a method or a program realized by the above-described system. Also, it can be appropriately changed, such as being partly software and partly hardware. Furthermore, the invention is also established as a recording medium for a program that controls the device. Of course, the software recording medium may be a magnetic recording medium, a semiconductor memory, or any recording medium developed in the future, and can be considered in exactly the same way.

Explanation of Signs

[0065] 10…Travel plan creation system, 20…Control unit, 21…Travel plan creation program, 21a…Moving time acquisition unit, 21b…Travel plan creation unit, 30…Recording unit, 30a…Moving time information, 40…Communication unit, 100…Route search server, 200…VRP server.

Claims

1. A recording unit that records the travel time between two points for each time period for each combination of two points selected from a plurality of delivery destinations, wherein when the difference between the first travel time, which is the travel time in the first time period, and the second travel time, which is the travel time in the second time period consecutive to the first time period, does not exceed a predetermined criterion, the first time period and the second time period are regarded as one time period, and the recording unit in which the travel time is recorded for each time period, A travel plan creation unit that creates a travel plan based on the travel time, A travel plan creation system comprising:

2. The recording unit records the travel time between the two points for each time period for all combinations of two points of all of the plurality of delivery destinations among the delivery targets, The travel plan creation system according to Claim 1.

3. The travel plan creation unit creates a travel plan including the delivery order of the plurality of delivery destinations, The travel plan creation system according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. When the average value of the difference is equal to or less than a first threshold value and the standard deviation based on the difference is equal to or less than a second threshold value, the difference is regarded as not exceeding the criterion, The travel plan creation system according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

5. The first threshold value and the second threshold value increase as the number of the plurality of delivery destinations increases, The travel plan creation system according to Claim 4.

6. The difference is the difference between the first travel time and the second travel time for all combinations of two points selected from the plurality of delivery destinations, and when the difference does not exceed the criterion, the combinations of two points for which the travel time is recorded as one time period are all combinations of two points selected from the plurality of delivery destinations, The travel plan creation system according to any one of Claims 1 to 5.

7. The travel time is the average value of the first travel time and the second travel time, or the longer travel time of the first travel time and the second travel time, The travel plan creation system according to any one of Claims 1 to 6.

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