Transportation Planning System

Abstract

To provide a transportation planning system with which it is possible to reduce the possibility of arriving in a time slot in which a destination is unusable.SOLUTION: Provided is a transportation planning system for dropping and picking up a person to be serviced from the place of departure to a destination. This system comprises: a desired time acquisition unit for acquiring a desired arrival time at the destination and / or a desired departure time from the place of departure; an allowable time width acquisition unit for acquiring an allowable time width in which a deviation from the acquired desired time is tolerated, and the upper limit of which is set in accordance with the type of the destination; and a transportation plan generation unit for generating a transportation plan on the basis of the acquired desired time and the acquired allowable time width.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transportation planning system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a device that pre-sets the allowable time before and after the arrival time in a travel plan drawn up by a user (traveler) according to the destination, and allows the user to modify the set allowable time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3232967 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] At the destination where the user is to arrive, some facilities allow the user to arrive earlier or later than the scheduled arrival time, while other facilities do not allow the user to arrive earlier or later than the scheduled arrival time. In the device described in Patent Document 1, the user can arbitrarily modify the predetermined allowed time, so depending on the type of destination facility, for example, a plan may be generated in which the user arrives at a time that is not acceptable to the facility or during a time when the destination facility is unavailable.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a transportation planning system that can reduce the possibility of arriving at a destination during a time when it is unavailable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a transportation planning system for transporting a person to be transported from a departure point to a destination includes a desired time acquisition unit that acquires at least one of a desired time of arrival at the destination and a desired time of departure from the departure point, an allowable time width acquisition unit that acquires an allowable time width that allows for a deviation corresponding to the acquired desired time, the upper limit of the allowable time width being set according to the type of destination, and a transportation plan generation unit that generates a transportation plan based on the acquired desired time and the acquired allowable time width.

[0007] That is, the transportation planning system acquires information on at least one of the user's desired departure time and desired arrival time, and information on the allowable time range that allows deviation from the desired time, and generates a transportation plan. The information on the allowable time range also includes information on the upper limit of the allowable time range set according to the type of destination. Therefore, the generated transportation plan reflects the user's intention regarding the desired time and the facility's intention (destination's intention) regarding the allowable time range set according to the type of destination. Therefore, as with the device described in Patent Document 1, for example, the facility can avoid or suppress inconveniences such as the user arriving during unacceptable time periods or time periods when the facility is unavailable. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a transportation planning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a transportation planning system. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reservation screen. [Figure 4] 4 is a sequence chart showing an example of processing of the system in the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Here, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order. (1) Transport planning system configuration: (2) Sequence chart: (3) Other embodiments:

[0010] (1) Configuration of the transportation planning system: The transportation planning system in this embodiment is a system that picks up a person (user, person to be picked up or dropped off) who requests transportation at a specified departure point and delivers them to their destination. The people to be picked up or dropped off include, for example, children going to lessons such as cram schools, prep schools, and exercise classes, or to school (kindergarten, nursery school, elementary school, junior high school, high school, university, etc.), children going home, people (adults and children) going to the station, and people going to other facilities such as workspaces. The people to be picked up or dropped off are transported to their destination by, for example, a shuttle bus. The following explanation uses, as an example, a case where a child is transported by bus to a destination, which is a lesson facility.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a shuttle planning system 10 according to the present invention. The shuttle planning system 10 can communicate with a user terminal 20 of a user using a shuttle bus. In the shuttle planning system 10 shown in FIG. 1, when a user using a shuttle bus makes a shuttle reservation using the user terminal 20, the shuttle planning system 10 generates a shuttle plan by having a PDP (Pickup and Delivery Problem) server (not shown) create a shuttle plan. The PDP server uses various known algorithms to create a shuttle plan for transporting a passenger from a pickup point where the passenger is picked up to a delivery point where the passenger is dropped off. Although the shuttle planning system 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes only one user terminal 20, it may include multiple user terminals 20. In other words, shuttle reservations (transfer requests) from multiple users are sent to the shuttle planning system 10, and upon receiving the shuttle request, the shuttle planning system 10 generates a shuttle plan based on the multiple shuttle reservation requests.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the transportation planning system 10 according to this embodiment. In the example shown here, a shuttle bus travels around multiple schools A to D, which are the departure points of the shuttle bus users, and delivers passengers to their destinations, i.e., extracurricular activity facility X or extracurricular activity facility Y. Specifically, the shuttle bus picks up one or more passengers at School A from the shuttle bus departure and arrival point, and then picks up other passengers at School B, School C, and School D, respectively. The shuttle bus then drops off passengers who board the shuttle bus at Extracurricular Activity Facility X and Extracurricular Activity Facility Y, respectively. That is, in this embodiment, the transportation plan involves a pickup and delivery process in which passengers are picked up at schools A to D, which are pickup points, and delivered to extracurricular activity facility X or extracurricular activity facility Y, which is a delivery point.

[0013] Returning to FIG. 1, the user terminal 20 and the transportation planning system 10 will be described.

[0014] First, the user terminal 20 will be described. The user terminal 20 is an information processing device used by a user (i.e., a person being picked up or dropped off) who uses the shuttle bus. The user terminal 20 is, for example, a smartphone. The user terminal 20 may be a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), or the like, in addition to a smartphone. Furthermore, if the person being picked up or dropped off is a small child (e.g., a kindergartener or elementary school student), the user terminal 20 may be a smartphone used by the child's guardian. In this embodiment, the user terminal 20 receives an operation from the user and requests the shuttle planning system to make a reservation for the shuttle bus.

[0015] The user terminal 20 includes a control unit 21 including a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., a recording medium 22, a user I / F unit 23, and a communication unit 24. The recording medium 22 stores various programs and various data, such as reservation screen data 220, which is screen data used to reserve a shuttle bus. The user I / F unit 23 is a user interface that accepts input from the user and outputs various information to the user. In this embodiment, the user I / F unit 23 includes an information input unit and an information output unit, and includes, for example, input devices such as a touch panel, mouse, and keyboard, and an output device such as a display. That is, the user I / F unit 23 includes an input unit for user instructions and an output unit for images and sounds. The communication unit 24 is a device for communicating with external devices via wired or wireless communication, and the control unit 21 can communicate with the shuttle planning system 10 via the communication unit 24.

[0016] The control unit 21 can execute various programs stored in the recording medium 22 or ROM. The control unit 21 of this embodiment can execute a reservation application program 210 as an example of such a program. The reservation application program 210 is a program for causing the computer of the user terminal 20 to function as a reservation UI control unit 211. Note that the processing described below as being performed by the reservation UI control unit 211 is processing realized by the control unit 21.

[0017] The reservation UI control unit 211 acquires various information input by the user based on the operation of the user I / F unit 23. Specifically, the reservation UI control unit 211 acquires information such as the reservation date, departure point, destination, departure or arrival time of the shuttle bus, etc.

[0018] FIG. 3 is an example of a reservation screen rendered by the reservation screen data 220. The reservation screen displays various information input by the user through operation of the user I / F unit 23. In the example shown here, a calendar is displayed so that the user can select the date on which they would like to use the shuttle bus. The user can select the reservation date by performing an operation such as touching the calendar. The reservation screen also displays information regarding the departure point, destination, time designation, allowable time range, recipients, and reservation method.

[0019] The departure point is the departure point from which the user wishes to use the shuttle bus, and includes the type (or attribute) of each facility, such as school, extracurricular activity, station, restaurant, etc., and the specific facility name corresponding to that type. For example, in the example shown in Figure 3, school is selected as the type of departure point, and "XX Elementary School" is selected from among the schools.

[0020] The destination is the destination where the user wants to arrive by shuttle bus, and like the departure point, includes the type of facility such as school, extracurricular activity, station, restaurant, etc., and the specific facility name corresponding to that type. For example, in the example shown in Figure 3, extracurricular activity is selected as the destination type, and "△△ Cram School" is selected among extracurricular activities.

[0021] The time specification is the specification of the time of departure or arrival, and the user can specify at least one of the departure time and the arrival time. In the example shown in Figure 3, "Arrival" is selected and the time specification is "15:00".

[0022] The allowable time range is the allowable time range for deviation from the time a user departs from a departure point (desired departure time), or the allowable time range for deviation from the time a user arrives at a destination (desired arrival time). This allowable time range includes the allowable time range for delays and advances relative to the time specified by the user. Whether only delays, only advances, or both delays and advances are allowed in this allowable time range is determined depending on whether an arrival time or a departure time is specified, or is determined depending on the type of destination.

[0023] For example, if the user specifies an arrival time, the allowable time range is the time range from a time before the desired arrival time to the desired arrival time. In other words, the allowable time range is the time range on the earlier side of the specified time. Also, if the user specifies a departure time, the allowable time range is the time range from the desired departure time to a time after the desired departure time. In other words, the allowable time range is the time range on the later side of the specified time. Also, if the destination type is, for example, a residence (home), the allowable time range includes at least one of the time ranges: the time range from a time before the desired departure or arrival time specified by the user to the desired time, and the time range from the desired departure or arrival time to a time after the desired time. In other words, if the destination type is a residence, where either a delay or an advancement from the desired time is acceptable, the allowable time range may be set on the later side of the desired time, or the allowable time range may be set on the earlier side of the desired time, or the allowable time range may be set on both the later and earlier sides.

[0024] In the example shown in Figure 3, the user has selected "lesson" as the destination type and specified the arrival time. Since lessons usually have a specified start time, it is possible to arrive late for the specified time. thingTherefore, the allowable time range for specifying an arrival time is the time range from a time before the desired arrival time to the desired arrival time, so in the example shown in Figure 3, the allowable time range is the allowable time range on the earlier side. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 3, the allowable time range cannot be set to the allowable time range on the later side.

[0025] Furthermore, an upper limit of the allowable time range is set depending on the type of destination. Specifically, the user is not allowed to arbitrarily adjust the allowable time range without limit, but can adjust the allowable time range based on a predetermined upper limit depending on the type of destination. For example, if the destination is a lesson, the upper limit of the allowable time range may be a predetermined time (e.g., 45 minutes) before the start of the lesson at the lesson facility due to the convenience of the lesson facility (e.g., the classroom is unlocked 45 minutes before the start of the lesson). This upper limit of the allowable time range is set in advance because, in the case of a lesson facility, if students gather at the lesson facility significantly earlier than the start of the lesson (e.g., one hour before), it may be impossible to secure a waiting area for the students. For this reason, the lesson facility may preset the upper limit of the allowable time range to the time at which a waiting area can be secured. Therefore, for example, if a user sets the allowable time range to one hour, their request will not be fulfilled, and the maximum allowable time range will be the upper limit of 45 minutes.

[0026] The example shown in FIG. 3 illustrates a state in which the upper limit of the allowable time range is set to 45 minutes, but the user has set the allowable time range to 30 minutes. In other words, the example shown in FIG. 3 illustrates a state in which the allowable time range can be set arbitrarily between 0 and 45 minutes, and the user has set the allowable time range to 30 minutes. The user can set the allowable time range by operating a slide bar in the user interface. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the arrow above the diamond indicates the slide bar. By tapping the diamond labeled "30 minutes" and sliding it left or right, the position of the diamond and the numerical value inside it change, allowing the length of the allowable time range to be adjusted. This limits the movement of the slide bar, so the allowable time range is set so as not to exceed the upper limit of the allowable time range. Therefore, the user will not accidentally set an allowable time range that exceeds the upper limit.

[0027] The person to be picked up or dropped off is, for example, a child or an adult to be picked up or dropped off. In the example shown in Figure 3, children are selected as the person to be picked up or dropped off, and the number of children to be picked up or dropped off (xx people) is also shown.

[0028] The reservation method allows you to select whether to make a reservation for bus transportation by bulk reservation or individual reservation. Bulk reservation is a method of making multiple reservations at once, and is used when the destination is a fixed day of the week, such as for lessons. Individual reservation is a method of making a reservation each time the shuttle bus is used. In the example shown in Figure 3, bulk reservation has been selected.

[0029] Furthermore, the reservation UI control unit 211 has a function for requesting a shuttle bus reservation from the shuttle planning system 10, in addition to acquiring various pieces of information input based on the user's operation of the user I / F unit 23. Specifically, the reservation UI control unit 211 transmits information input by the user's operation to the shuttle planning system 10. For example, the reservation UI control unit 211 transmits various pieces of information (reservation date, departure point, destination, etc.) input on the reservation screen described above. Furthermore, the reservation UI control unit 211 transmits information on the allowable time width adjusted by the user based on the upper limit of the allowable time width.

[0030] The reservation UI control unit 211 also receives information from the shuttle planning system 10 as a function for making a shuttle bus reservation request to the shuttle planning system 10. For example, it receives information related to the upper limit of the allowable time range set according to the type of destination. The reservation UI control unit 211 also receives a shuttle plan created based on the shuttle bus reservation request. The reservation UI control unit 211 also notifies the user of the received information by displaying it on the output unit of the user I / F unit 23.

[0031] Next, the shuttle planning system 10 will be described. The shuttle planning system 10 is an information processing device that generates a shuttle plan based on a request for transportation from a user who uses a shuttle bus. The shuttle planning system 10 is, for example, a stationary general-purpose computer or a cloud-based external server. The shuttle planning system 10 in this embodiment generates a shuttle plan that includes a pickup point where the person to be shuttled will be picked up and a delivery point where the person to be shuttled will be delivered to their destination.

[0032] The transportation planning system 10 comprises a control unit 11 equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., a recording medium 12, and a communication unit 13. The recording medium 12 records various programs and various data. The communication unit 13 is a device for communicating with external devices via wired or wireless communication, and the control unit 11 can communicate with a user terminal 20 via the communication unit 13.

[0033] The recording medium 12 stores reservation information 121, allowable time range information 122, and map information 123. The reservation information 121 stores information indicating the reservation date, the type and name of the departure point, the type and name of the destination, the desired arrival time at the destination, the desired departure time from the departure point, the time designation, the allowable time range, the people to be picked up and dropped off, and the reservation method, all of which are input by the user via the user terminal 20. That is, when the user inputs information by operating the user I / F unit 23 of the user terminal 20 and requests a pick-up reservation, the input information such as the desired time is transmitted. The control unit 11 receives the information via the communication unit 13 and stores it in the recording medium 12 as reservation information 121. Note that, since there are multiple users of the shuttle bus, an ID is associated with each user in the recording medium 12, and the reservation information 121 (i.e., various information such as the destination and departure point) is linked to the associated user ID and recorded therein.

[0034] The allowable time range information 122 stores information on allowable time ranges that are predetermined for each type of destination. For example, if the destination is a class facility, the allowable time range is a predetermined time (e.g., 45 minutes) before the start of class. This allowable time range information also includes an upper limit for the allowable time range. The upper limit for the allowable time range may be predetermined for each type of destination, or may be changed as appropriate depending on the user's desired time. An example of a case in which the allowable time range is changed depending on the user's desired time is when the destination is a class facility and the user's desired time is later (e.g., after 5 p.m.), there is a greater need for noise suppression than when the desired time is earlier. Therefore, the allowable time range is set shorter for later desired times than for earlier desired times. In other words, if the upper limit for the allowable time range for a class facility is normally 45 minutes, the upper limit for the allowable time range is set to a shorter time range than usual, such as 30 minutes or 15 minutes.

[0035] Map information 123 is information used to search for shuttle routes and identify the locations of shuttle destinations, and includes node data indicating the positions of nodes set on roads along which shuttle buses travel, shape interpolation point data indicating the positions of shape interpolation points for identifying the shapes of roads between nodes, link data indicating the connections between nodes, and feature data indicating the positions, types, names, etc. of features on and around roads. These features include facilities that can be shuttle destinations.

[0036] This map information 123 is used when identifying the location of the departure point or destination transmitted from the user terminal 20. Specifically, the control unit 11 refers to the map information 123 and identifies the location and type of the target facility from the name of the departure point or destination transmitted from the user terminal 20. Note that, if the user terminal 20 is equipped with map information, the location (coordinates) and type of the target facility may be identified on the user terminal side, and the name, location, and type of the departure point or destination may be transmitted to the transportation planning system 10.

[0037] The control unit 11 can execute various programs stored in the recording medium 12 or ROM. The control unit 11 of this embodiment can execute a transportation plan generation program 110 as an example of this program. The transportation plan generation program 110 is a program for causing the control unit 11 of the transportation planning system 10 to function as a desired time acquisition unit 111, an allowable time range acquisition unit 112, and a transportation plan generation unit 113. Note that, below, the processes described as being performed by the desired time acquisition unit 111, the allowable time range acquisition unit 112, and the transportation plan generation unit 113 are processes realized by the control unit 11.

[0038] The desired time acquisition unit 111 acquires a desired time of departure from a departure point and a desired time of arrival at a destination. Specifically, the desired time acquisition unit 111 acquires the desired time of departure and the desired time of arrival by referring to reservation information 121 stored in the recording medium 12. Note that, in acquiring the reservation information 121, the desired time acquisition unit 111 acquires the desired time of departure and the desired time of arrival of the plurality of users by referring to the reservation information 121 of a predetermined number of users. For example, the desired time acquisition unit 111 acquires the reservation information 121 when a predetermined number of requests (requests for pick-up and drop-off reservations) have been accumulated. Alternatively, the desired time acquisition unit 111 acquires the reservation information 121 when a predetermined period of requests (e.g., one week's worth) have been accumulated. Alternatively, the desired time acquisition unit 111 acquires the reservation information 121 when a predetermined time per day (e.g., 10 p.m.) has arrived. Note that the desired time acquisition unit 111 may acquire the reservation information 121 by referring to other events.

[0039] The allowable time range acquisition unit 112 acquires an allowable time range according to the type of destination. The allowable time range is a time range that allows for a deviation corresponding to the departure time or arrival time, is determined in advance according to the type of destination, and is stored in the above-mentioned allowable time range information 122. The allowable time range acquisition unit 112 also acquires an upper limit of the allowable time range included in the allowable time range information 122. Specifically, the allowable time range acquisition unit 112 identifies the names of the departure point and destination by referring to the reservation information 121, and identifies facilities with those names by referring to the feature data in the map information 123, and acquires the type of the facility. The allowable time range acquisition unit 112 then acquires the allowable time range and the upper limit of the allowable time range according to this type by referring to the allowable time range information 122.

[0040] The upper limit of the allowable time range is set according to the type of destination, and if the destination is a class facility, for example, it is determined taking into consideration the time period when the target class is held, the interval between classes before and after the target class, the location of the class facility, and the surrounding area. The upper limit of the allowable time range may also be changed according to the desired time acquired by the desired time acquisition unit 111. For example, if the destination is a class facility and the desired time is later (e.g., after 5 p.m.), there is a greater need for noise suppression than if the desired time is earlier, so the allowable time range is set shorter for later desired times than for earlier desired times. The allowable time range acquisition unit 112 acquires the upper limit of the allowable time range set in this way.

[0041] It is preferable that the allowable time width information 122 acquired by the allowable time width acquisition unit 112 is acquired simultaneously or almost simultaneously with the reservation information 121 acquired by the desired time acquisition unit 111 described above, but the reservation information 121 and the allowable time width information 122 may be acquired at different times.

[0042] The shuttle plan generation unit 113 generates a shuttle bus shuttle plan based on the acquired desired time and the acquired allowable time width. That is, the shuttle plan generation unit 113 generates a shuttle bus shuttle plan based on the desired departure time and desired arrival time acquired by the desired time acquisition unit 111, and the allowable time width and the upper limit of the allowable time width acquired by the allowable time width acquisition unit 112.

[0043] Specifically, the transportation plan generation unit 113 refers to reservation information 121 for multiple persons to be picked up or dropped off, outputs various information such as the departure point for each person to be picked up, the destination for dropping off the person to be picked up, the desired time (at least one of the desired departure time and desired arrival time), and the allowable time range to a PDP server (not shown), and causes the PDP server to create a transportation plan.

[0044] Here, the processing in the PDP server will be specifically described. First, the PDP server acquires the locations of departure points and destination points for all users for whom a shuttle plan is to be created. Next, the PDP server determines a distance cost based on the distance between any two points selected from all departure points and destination points. The PDP server also acquires the number of shuttle buses available at the shuttle base. Note that the number of shuttle buses may be predetermined. The PDP server then determines a bus cost to be added each time a shuttle bus is used. An objective function that minimizes these distance costs and bus costs is used to acquire a shuttle order that minimizes costs. Note that a constraint is imposed on the shuttle order so that each user arrives at the destination after the departure point. Note that the cost is not limited to this example, and costs may be used depending on various factors.

[0045] Next, the PDP server refers to the same information as the map information 123 and searches for a route that visits the locations in the obtained pick-up / drop-off order. The cost can be, for example, a distance cost, and the route that minimizes the distance cost is obtained. Furthermore, the PDP server obtains for each route the travel time required for the shuttle bus to depart from the shuttle bus base (departure / arrival point) at the departure time and perform the pick-up / drop-off along the route in the above-mentioned pick-up / drop-off order. The arrival time at that location is obtained by adding the travel time required to the location next to the base to the departure time. The required time at that location (such as parking time required for pick-up / drop-off) is added to the arrival time to obtain the departure time. By repeating the same process for each subsequent location, the PDP server can obtain the arrival time at each location and the departure time from each location.

[0046] The acquired plan is called a tentative transfer plan. The PDP server determines whether the desired arrival time at each user's destination falls within the allowable time range in the tentative transfer plan. It also determines whether the desired departure time from each user's departure point falls within the allowable time range. If the PDP server determines that the desired arrival time or desired departure time does not fall within the allowable time range, it changes the conditions and modifies the tentative transfer plan. For example, when acquiring the transfer sequence, it performs processing such as formulating a tentative transfer plan in which a different transfer sequence with a cost greater than the minimum cost is adopted. On the other hand, if the PDP server determines that the desired arrival time or desired departure time falls within the allowable time range, it completes the generation of the transfer plan. Then, when the generation of the transfer plan is completed, the generated transfer plan is recorded on the recording medium 12 of the transfer plan system 10.

[0047] In the example shown in Fig. 2, the result of the shuttle plan generated by the shuttle plan generation unit 113 is a route that starts from the shuttle bus departure and arrival point, passes through School A, School B, School C, School D, Lesson Facility X, and Lesson Facility Y in this order, and finally returns to the departure and arrival point. That is, the shuttle plan generation unit 113 acquires information indicating the locations of the departure points (schools A to D) and destinations (lesson facility X or lesson facility Y), information on the desired arrival times and desired departure times at Lesson Facility X or Lesson Facility Y, information on the allowable time range for each user, and other information on shuttle bus reservations, received from the user terminals 20 of each of the users whose departure point is School A, the users whose departure point is School B, the users whose departure point is School C, and the users whose departure point is School D. Then, the shuttle plan generation unit 113 outputs the various acquired information to the PDP server, and the PDP server generates a shuttle plan.

[0048] As described above, the shuttle planning system 10 configured as above is made up of the user terminal 20 and the shuttle planning system 10, which transmit and receive information via their respective communication units. That is, upon receiving a shuttle bus request from a user, the shuttle planning system 10 generates a shuttle plan based on the reservation information 121 and the allowable time width information 122. The processing executed by the shuttle planning system 10 of this embodiment will be described below using a sequence chart.

[0049] (2) Sequence chart: Fig. 4 is a sequence chart including processing executed by the control unit of each terminal in the transfer planning system 10. In the sequence chart shown in Fig. 4, processing is executed by the user terminal 20 and the transfer planning system 10. When a user inputs information related to a shuttle bus reservation into the user terminal 20, processing in the user terminal 20 is started (steps S1 and S2 described below). Then, the information related to the shuttle bus reservation is sent from the user terminal 20 to the transfer planning system 10, and when the transfer planning system 10 receives the information related to the shuttle bus reservation, processing in the transfer planning system 10 is started (step S4 described below).

[0050] First, the control unit 21 in the user terminal 20 acquires various information related to the shuttle bus reservation (step S1). That is, the control unit 21 acquires information related to the shuttle bus reservation input by the user through the function of the reservation UI control unit 211. Specifically, the control unit 21 can acquire information related to the shuttle bus reservation by the user operating the user I / F unit 23 to input information related to the shuttle bus reservation (e.g., reservation date, person to be picked up, etc.).

[0051] Furthermore, the control unit 21 acquires location and desired time information as information related to the shuttle bus reservation (step S2). Specifically, the control unit 21 acquires information on the departure point and destination, and the desired departure time and desired arrival time (or the desired departure time and desired arrival time) input by the user through the function of the reservation UI control unit 211. Note that this step S2 and the above-mentioned step S1 may be executed simultaneously, or the content of step S2 may be included in the content of step S1. If the location and desired time information of step S2 is included in step S1, step S2 may be skipped.

[0052] When the control unit 21 acquires information related to shuttle bus reservations and location and desired time information in steps S1 and S2, it transmits the acquired reservation information to the shuttle planning system 10 (step S3). That is, the control unit 21 transmits reservation information 121 related to shuttle bus reservations, including the location and desired time information entered by the user, to the shuttle planning system 10, which generates a shuttle plan. As described in FIG. 2, information related to shuttle bus reservations is transmitted to the shuttle planning system 10 from multiple users (i.e., from multiple user terminals 20), but transmission of the reservation information in step S3 is not necessarily executed at the same time from all user terminals 20. That is, each user may operate the user terminal 20 at any time, and transmission of reservation information may be executed at different times from each terminal. In this embodiment, reservation information 121 is collected over a predetermined period of time.

[0053] Next, the control unit 11 in the shuttle planning system 10 receives the reservation information 121 regarding the shuttle bus reservation, including the location and desired time information, transmitted by the user terminal 20 in step S3 (step S4). The control unit 11 stores the received reservation information 121 regarding the shuttle bus reservation, including the location and desired time information, in the recording medium 12.

[0054] Next, the control unit 11 acquires the allowable time width and the upper limit of the allowable time width (step S5). That is, the control unit 11 acquires the allowable time width and the upper limit of the allowable time width included in the allowable time width information 122 by using the function of the allowable time width acquisition unit 112. As described above, the allowable time width is determined in advance depending on the type of destination and recorded on the recording medium 12. Also, the upper limit of the allowable time width may be determined depending on the type of destination and recorded on the recording medium 12, or may be changed depending on the acquired desired time information and recorded on the recording medium 12.

[0055] When the control unit 11 acquires information regarding the allowable time width and the upper limit of the allowable time width in step S5, it transmits the acquired information to the user terminal 20 (step S6). That is, the control unit 11 transmits information regarding the allowable time width, including the upper limit of the allowable time width, to the user terminal 20 in order to allow the user to adjust the allowable time width. Note that this information regarding the allowable time width, including the upper limit of the allowable time width, is transmitted to all user terminals 20 of users who transmitted information regarding shuttle bus reservations to the shuttle planning system 10 in step S3.

[0056] Next, the control unit 21 in the user terminal 20 receives information about the allowable time range including the upper limit of the allowable time range from the transportation planning system 10 in step S6 (step S7).

[0057] When the control unit 21 receives the information about the allowable time width including the upper limit of the allowable time width in step S7, the control unit 21 generates a UI for the allowable time width using the function of the reservation UI control unit 211 (step S8). Specifically, the reservation UI control unit 211 generates a UI for the allowable time width that can be adjusted by the user using, for example, a slide bar, in the output unit of the user I / F unit 23. Specifically, the information on the allowable time range, including the upper limit of the allowable time range received in step S7, is reflected on the UI. For example, in the example of Fig. 3, the allowable time range is "0 to 45 minutes," and a UI is generated in which the upper limit of the allowable time range is set to 45 minutes, which is earlier than the arrival time of 15:00. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the user adjusts the slide bar to set the allowable time range to "30 minutes."

[0058] Next, the control unit 21 acquires the adjusted allowable time range adjusted by the user (step S9). That is, the control unit 21 acquires the allowable time range set by the user by adjusting the slide bar in the allowable time range UI generated in step S8. In the example of Fig. 3 above, the allowable time range adjusted by the user is "30 minutes," so in this case, the user terminal 20 acquires information of "allowable time range: 30 minutes."

[0059] When the control unit 21 acquires the information on the allowable time width adjusted in step S9, it transmits the acquired information on the adjusted allowable time width to the shuttle planning system 10 (step S10). That is, the control unit 21 transmits information on the allowable time width set (adjusted) by the user to the shuttle planning system 10 as information for generating a shuttle plan. Note that information on the set allowable time width is transmitted to the shuttle planning system 10 from multiple users (i.e., from multiple user terminals 20) at any timing.

[0060] Next, the control unit 11 in the transportation planning system 10 receives the information on the adjustable allowable time width transmitted by the user terminal 20 in step S10 (step S11). The control unit 11 also stores the received information on the allowable time width in the recording medium 12. That is, the control unit 11 adds information on the adjustable allowable time width to the reservation information 121 associated with the user ID, and updates the information stored in the recording medium 12.

[0061] Next, the generation of a transfer plan executed by the transfer planning system 10 will be described. Since a transfer plan is generated based on transfer reservations of multiple users, it is executed with the information of S1 to S11 described above aggregated. In other words, the processing of steps S12 to S14 described below is not executed immediately after the processing of step S11 is completed, but is executed at predetermined intervals, such as once a day or once a week. In other words, while the processing of steps S1 to S11 described above is executed at a timing selected by the user, a transfer plan is executed with transfer reservations accumulated for a predetermined period because it is necessary to coordinate the schedules of multiple users. Note that in the sequence chart of FIG. 4, the arrow between step S11 and step S12 is indicated by a dashed line because the processing before step S11 and the processing after step S12 are executed in different ways.

[0062] Based on this, the control unit 11 generates a shuttle plan (step S12). That is, the control unit 11 uses the function of the shuttle plan generation unit 113 to create a shuttle plan based on the acquired desired time information and the acquired allowable time range information. Specifically, the shuttle plan generation unit 113 outputs to an external PDP server information on desired times, such as the desired departure time and desired arrival time for each user, information on the allowable time range, and information on other shuttle bus reservations, such as the reservation date. The PDP server creates a shuttle plan based on this various information. That is, it creates a pickup and delivery shuttle plan that picks up each user at the departure point and delivers them to the destination.

[0063] Then, the control unit 11 transmits the transportation plan generated in step S12 to the user terminal 20 (step S13). That is, the transportation plan generated by the function of the transportation plan generating unit 113 is transmitted to the user.

[0064] The control unit 21 in the user terminal 20 receives the shuttle plan transmitted in step S13 (step S14). The control unit 21 then displays the received shuttle plan on the output unit of the user I / F unit 23 in the user terminal 20, thereby notifying the user of the contents of the shuttle plan. This allows the user to grasp information such as "what time the shuttle bus will depart from which departure point and what time it will arrive at which destination." If the conditions desired by the user (desired time and allowable time range) are not met, a notice that the shuttle plan could not be generated is output to the display unit of the user I / F unit 23. In that case, for example, the user may change the conditions and request the shuttle bus reservation system 10 again. If a shuttle plan based on the conditions desired by the user is not generated, a notice suggesting another plan may be output to the display unit of the user I / F unit 23.

[0065] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. As described above, in this embodiment, a transfer plan is generated by acquiring information on at least one of the user's desired departure time and desired arrival time, and information on an allowable time range for deviation from the desired time. The information on the allowable time range includes information on the upper limit of the allowable time range set according to the type of destination. The user then arbitrarily adjusts the allowable time range within the set allowable time range. Therefore, the generated transfer plan reflects the user's intention regarding the desired time and the facility's intention regarding the allowable time range set according to the type of destination (destination side's intention). Therefore, the transfer plan system 10 of this embodiment, like the device described in Patent Document 1, can avoid or suppress inconveniences such as the user arriving at a time period that is not allowable or when the facility is unavailable at the destination facility.

[0066] Furthermore, in the shuttle planning system 10 of this embodiment, the allowable time range is adjusted by the user operating a slide bar on the user interface. That is, by restricting the movement of the slide bar, the allowable time range is set so as not to exceed the upper limit of the allowable time range. Therefore, the user will not accidentally set an allowable time range that exceeds the upper limit. Furthermore, since the user can adjust the allowable time range with a simple operation such as operating the slide bar displayed on the display unit of the user I / F unit 23 with their finger, even if the person operating the user terminal 20 is, for example, a child, they can easily request a shuttle bus reservation.

[0067] (3) Other embodiments: The above embodiment is one example for carrying out the present invention, and various other embodiments can be adopted. For example, at least some of the components constituting the transportation planning system 10 may be separated into multiple devices or systems. That is, at least some of the desired time acquisition unit 111, the allowable time range acquisition unit 112, and the transportation plan generation unit 113 constituting the transportation planning system 10 may be separated into multiple devices. Furthermore, some of the components of the above embodiment may be omitted, and the order of processing may be changed or omitted.

[0068] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, when the transportation plan generation unit 113 generates a transportation plan, the information for generating the transportation plan is output to an external PDP server, but this PDP server may be incorporated into the transportation plan system 10.

[0069] In the example of FIG. 3, a user requests a shuttle bus reservation by specifying a desired arrival time. However, a shuttle bus reservation may be made by specifying a desired departure time instead of a desired arrival time. Furthermore, a user may make a shuttle bus reservation by specifying both a desired arrival time and a desired departure time. When a user specifies a desired departure time, the allowable time range and the upper limit of the allowable time range are predetermined and set according to the type of destination, as with the desired arrival time. Furthermore, the allowable time range and the upper limit of the allowable time range may be predetermined and set according to the type of departure location. For example, the former may be configured such that the upper limit of the allowable time range is large when the destination is a type of destination where time constraints are unlikely, such as a shopping mall, and the upper limit of the allowable time range is small when the destination is a type of destination where time constraints may occur, such as an after-school class. For example, the latter may be configured such that the upper limit of the allowable time range is large when the departure location is a facility where departure time discrepancies are unlikely to be a concern, such as a home, and the upper limit of the allowable time range is small when the departure location is a facility where the stay period is likely to be restricted due to locking doors, such as a school.

[0070] When the allowable time range is set based on the upper limit of the allowable time range, a transportation plan is generated based on the allowable time range at the desired departure time and the desired departure time. The upper limit of the allowable time range may be changed depending on the desired departure time desired by the user. When the user specifies the desired departure time and the desired arrival time, the transportation plan is generated taking into account the allowable time range at the desired departure time and the allowable time range at the desired arrival time.

[0071] Furthermore, the various information related to shuttle bus reservations is not limited to the information shown in Figure 3, i.e., departure point, destination, designated time, allowable time range, recipients, and reservation method, but may include other information related to shuttle bus reservations, such as additions or deletions. Furthermore, the allowable time ranges of "45 minutes" and "30 minutes" described in the example of Figure 3 are merely examples and may be changed under specified conditions. Furthermore, although the example shown in Figure 3 uses radio buttons that allow various options to be selected individually, check boxes that allow multiple selections may be used instead of radio buttons.

[0072] The desired time acquisition unit 111 only needs to acquire at least one of the desired time of arrival at the destination and the desired time of departure from the departure point, and therefore may also acquire information regarding other shuttle bus reservations, as described above.

[0073] The allowable time range acquisition unit 112 may acquire an allowable time range that allows a deviation corresponding to the acquired desired time, with the upper limit of the allowable time range set according to the type of destination.

[0074] The shuttle plan generation unit 113 is only required to generate a shuttle plan based on at least the desired time and the allowable time range that have been acquired, and therefore, information regarding other shuttle bus reservations may be included as parameters when generating the shuttle plan.

[0075] The allowable time range can be set by the user (i.e., the user) operating a slide bar on the user interface, or can be adjusted by entering a number of minutes or selecting a number that indicates the number of minutes within the set allowable time range.

[0076] In the above-described embodiment, the allowable time range is the time range from a time before the desired arrival time to the desired arrival time in the case of a desired arrival time, and is the time range from the desired departure time to a time after the desired departure time in the case of a desired departure time. On the other hand, for example, if the destination type is a type that may include both a time before and a time after the desired departure time, the allowable time range may include at least one of a time range from a time before the desired time to the desired time and a time range from the desired time to a time after the desired time. For example, this is applied to a type of destination that allows for a shift before or after the desired time, such as home.

[0077] The recording medium 12 may store other information in addition to the reservation information 121, the allowable time width information 122, and the map information 123. For example, a transportation plan generated by the transportation plan generating unit 113 may be stored.

[0078] Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied as a program or method. The above-described systems, programs, and methods may be realized as standalone devices or may be realized using shared components, and include various other aspects. For example, it is possible to provide a method or program realized by the above-described system. Furthermore, it is possible to modify the invention as appropriate, for example, by making some parts software and some parts hardware. Furthermore, the invention can also be realized as a recording medium for a program that controls the device. Of course, the recording medium for the software may be a magnetic recording medium or a semiconductor memory, and any recording medium developed in the future can be considered in the same way. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10...Transportation planning system, 11, 21...Control unit, 12, 22...Recording medium, 13, 24...Communication unit, 20...User terminal, 23...User I / F unit 23, 110...Transportation plan generation program, 111...Desired time acquisition unit, 112...Allowable time range acquisition unit, 113...Transportation plan generation unit, 121...Reservation information, 122...Allowable time range information, 123...Map information, 210...Reservation application program, 211...Reservation UI control unit, 220...Reservation screen data.

Claims

1. A transportation planning system for transporting a person to be transported from a departure point to a destination, a desired time acquisition unit that acquires at least one of a desired time of arrival at the destination and a desired time of departure from the departure point; an allowable time range acquisition unit that acquires an allowable time range in which an upper limit of the allowable time range is set according to the type of the destination, in an allowable time range that allows a deviation corresponding to the acquired desired time; a transportation plan generating unit that generates a transportation plan based on the acquired desired time and the acquired allowable time width. Transportation planning system.

2. The allowable time range is set by operating a slide bar on the user interface of the person being picked up and dropped off. The transportation planning system of claim 1 .

3. the allowable time range at the desired arrival time is a time range from a time before the desired arrival time to the desired arrival time, the allowable time range at the desired departure time is a time range from the desired departure time to a time after the desired departure time, The transportation planning system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The allowable time width is The time span includes at least one of a time span from a time before the desired time to the desired time and a time span from the desired time to a time after the desired time. The transportation planning system according to claim 1 or 2.

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