Program and information processing method

Abstract

To provide a calculation server that calculates a shared ride section without increasing the burden on a user and a driver of a toll vehicle, and calculates the share of a usage fee according to the riding distance of a user who uses the shared ride, and a communication terminal that communicates with the calculation server. [Solution] A processing method of an information processing device that communicates with a first terminal of a first user and a second terminal of a second user riding in a vehicle transmits information regarding a first fare to be paid by the first user to the first terminal and information regarding a second fare to be paid by the second user to the second terminal based on first boarding position information based on wireless communication between the vehicle's electronic device and the first terminal, first disembarking position information based on a loss of wireless communication between the electronic device and the first terminal, second boarding position information based on wireless communication between the electronic device and the second terminal, and second disembarking position information based on a loss of wireless communication between the electronic device and the second terminal.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a payment technology for multiple users sharing a paid vehicle such as a taxi. In particular, the present invention relates to a technology for calculating the share of the usage fee for each user when the riding distances of the multiple users sharing a paid vehicle are different. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, transportation using paid vehicles, such as taxis and hire cars, has been used as one of the means of transportation. Transportation using paid vehicles is very convenient because it can provide services that meet the needs of each individual user. However, the operating fees are higher than public transportation such as trains and buses.

[0003] Paid vehicles such as taxis and hire cars can be shared by as many users as possible, i.e., carpooling, to keep the cost per user low. In particular, when multiple users are traveling to the same destination, there is a high demand for carpooling.

[0004] In the above-mentioned method of sharing paid vehicles, a technology has been developed to calculate fares for each of multiple users based on the boarding locations and destinations of the users transmitted from the multiple users to a taxi driver or a taxi dispatch center, as shown in Patent Document 1. The boarding locations and destinations of the multiple users are transmitted from the multiple users to the taxi driver or taxi dispatch center verbally or by inputting text. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-233656 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, according to the technology described in Patent Document 1, when a user communicates their boarding location and destination by text input, the user has to set their destination in advance and input it in text, which is time-consuming. Furthermore, when the boarding location and destination are communicated verbally to a taxi driver, the taxi driver has to communicate the boarding locations and destinations of multiple users to a taxi dispatch center, which not only increases the driver's burden but also invites mistakes due to misremembering. Furthermore, even if the ride-sharing route is longer than necessary compared to a non-shared route, the fare share is simply determined based on each user's ride distance, which prevents fair division of the fare.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a calculation server that calculates shared ride sections without increasing the burden on users and drivers of paid vehicles, and calculates the share of the usage fee that users who use the shared ride are required to pay based on the distance traveled, and a communication terminal that communicates with the calculation server. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A server device according to one embodiment of the present invention has an identification information acquisition unit that acquires operation identification information that identifies the operation of a vehicle and user identification information that identifies multiple users riding in the operation; a location information identification unit that identifies boarding position information and disembarking position information for each of the multiple users based on the distance between the communication terminals of the multiple users and the vehicle; a memory unit that associates and stores the operation identification information, user identification information, boarding position information, and disembarking position information; a proportion calculation unit that calculates the proportion of the amount that each of the multiple users must pay for the operation based on the boarding position information and disembarking position information of the multiple users; and a fare calculation unit that calculates the amount that each of the multiple users must pay based on the proportion and the operation fare for the operation.

[0009] In another aspect, the percentage calculation unit may calculate the percentage based on the distance traveled when each of the multiple users independently travels by vehicle from the boarding position information to the disembarking position information.

[0010] In another aspect, the percentage calculation unit may calculate the percentage based on the actual travel distances traveled by each of a plurality of users using a vehicle, or the actual travel times required for the travel distances traveled.

[0011] In another aspect, the position information specifying unit may specify the boarding position information and the disembarking position information by short-range wireless communication between the communication terminal and the vehicle.

[0012] In another aspect, the device may further include a notification unit that notifies the user terminal of the amount.

[0013] A communication terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention has an identification information receiving unit that receives operation identification information that identifies the operation of a vehicle that operates in response to an operation request, a location information identifying unit that identifies the boarding location information and disembarking location information of a user riding in the vehicle based on the distance between the communication terminal of the user and the vehicle, and a fare information receiving unit that receives the boarding location information, disembarking location information, and the amount that the user must pay, calculated based on the operating fare for the operation.

[0014] In another aspect, the position information identifying unit may identify the boarding position information and the disembarking position information by short-range wireless communication between the user's communication terminal and the vehicle.

[0015] In another aspect, the system may further include a fare information receiving unit that receives fare information including the fare from the vehicle, and a fare information transmitting unit that transmits the fare information received by the fare information receiving unit to the calculation server. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The calculation server, communication terminal, and communication terminal program of the present invention can provide a calculation server that calculates the shared ride section without increasing the burden on users and drivers of paid vehicles, and calculates the usage fee burden rate of users who use the shared ride based on the distance traveled, and a communication terminal that communicates with the calculation server. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a calculation server used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a communication terminal used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a calculation server used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a communication terminal used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a communication terminal used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the operational flow of a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] A figure showing an example of an interface displayed on a user terminal when a program for a ride-sharing support device is started in the operational flow of a ride-sharing fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11]A figure showing an example of an interface displayed on a user terminal when a program for a ride-sharing support device is started in the operational flow of a ride-sharing fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] A figure showing an example of a user registration interface in the operational flow of the shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] A figure showing an example of a user registration interface in the operational flow of the shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] A figure showing an example of an interface for inputting a boarding location in the operational flow of a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an interface for confirming consent to a user information request in the operational flow of a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display after an operation request signal is sent in the operational flow of the shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display during pickup in the operational flow of a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display when a vehicle arrives at the location of a user terminal in the operational flow of a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a calculation method of a calculation server used in a shared fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] A figure showing an example of a method for determining whether a user is getting on or off in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] A figure showing an example of a method for determining whether a user is getting on or off in a shared ride fare calculation system related to a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22]A figure showing an example of a method for determining whether a user is getting on or off in a shared ride fare calculation system related to a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] A figure showing an example of a method for determining whether a user is getting on or off in a shared ride fare calculation system related to a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] A figure showing an example of a method for determining whether a user is getting on or off in a shared ride fare calculation system related to a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25] A diagram showing an overview of the calculation method of a calculation server used in a shared fare calculation system related to a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] A figure showing an example of a method for determining whether a user is getting on or off in a shared ride fare calculation system related to a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] A figure showing an example of a method for determining whether a user is getting on or off in a shared ride fare calculation system related to a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a communication terminal used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 29] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a communication terminal used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The following describes the calculation server, communication terminal, and communication terminal program according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the calculation server, communication terminal, and communication terminal program according to the present invention can be implemented in many different ways, and should not be interpreted as being limited to the description of the embodiments shown below. In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same parts or parts having similar functions are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0019] Furthermore, in the following explanation, it is the user who uses the toll vehicle, but since the user travels with the communication terminal (user terminal) that the user owns, there is no clear distinction between the two. For example, when a user uses a toll vehicle, they own the user terminal and use the toll vehicle, so it may be expressed as "a user terminal uses a toll vehicle." This has the same meaning as "a user who owns a user terminal uses a toll vehicle." Similarly, when a user uses a vehicle arrangement service, it may be expressed as "a user terminal uses the service."

[0020] In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, a shared ride fare calculation system using a vehicle such as a taxi or hire car, whose fare varies depending on either or both of the travel distance and the travel time, is described as an example of a vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to other vehicles such as ships, airplanes, and helicopters.

[0021] First Embodiment A shared ride fare calculation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a shared ride fare calculation system including a program for calculating a shared ride fare will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0022] [System Overview] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a ride-sharing fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an overview of a ride-sharing fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a ride-sharing fare calculation system 10 according to the first embodiment includes a calculation server 110, a dispatch server 120, and a social networking service (SNS) server 130 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "SNS server 130"). As shown in FIG. 1, the calculation server 110 and the SNS server 130 communicate with multiple user terminals 200A and 200B, and the dispatch server 120 communicates with a vehicle 300. Here, the vehicle 300 is a vehicle that has received a travel request from the user terminal 200A, and first lets the user terminal 200A board, then lets the user terminal 200B board, and heads toward the destination with the user terminals 200A and 200B riding together.

[0023] Here, when there is no particular distinction between user terminal 200A and user terminal 200B, they are simply referred to as user terminal 200. Furthermore, the multiple user terminals 200 may be communication terminals that can connect to at least the first network 101 shown in Fig. 2, and each user terminal 200 may have different functions. The user terminal 200 may be a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet PC, a PDA, a personal computer, a PHS, or the like.

[0024] The calculation server 110 is a server that calculates the proportion and amount of the operation fare that each of the plurality of user terminals 200 that use a shared ride to the vehicle 300 should bear. Here, the calculation server 110 acquires operation identification information that identifies the operation of the vehicle 300 and user identification information that identifies the plurality of users riding in the operation, specifies boarding position information and disembarking position information of each of the plurality of users based on the distance between the user terminals 200, which are the communication terminals of the plurality of users, and the vehicle 300, associates and stores the above operation identification information, user identification information, boarding position information, and disembarking position information, calculates the proportion that each of the plurality of users should bear for the operation based on the boarding position information and disembarking position information of the plurality of users, and calculates the amount that each of the plurality of users should bear based on the proportion and the operation fare for the operation.

[0025] Here, the operation identification information is, for example, identification information assigned to each of the multiple vehicles 300 for each hire run. Specific examples of operation identification information include an order sheet issued for each hire run or an operation log for each hire run. Furthermore, the user identification information is, for example, information that identifies the user terminal 200A and the user terminal 200B. Specific examples of user identification information include device-specific information possessed by each user terminal 200, and user IDs (IDentifiers) in a service that are specific to each of the user terminals 200A and 200B and are managed by the SNS server 130.

[0026] The dispatch server 120 is a server owned by a dispatch center that receives operation requests and issues pick-up instructions to the vehicle 300, and manages the location information and operation information of the vehicle 300. Here, the operation information includes the above-mentioned operation identification information and operation fare. The operation information may also include user identification information. The dispatch server 120 may manage the above-mentioned operation information in either an analog or digital manner. Analog management is a management method in which the driver of the vehicle 300 brings back to the dispatch center an order sheet created for each operation of the vehicle 300 and a receipt for the operation fare recorded on the fare meter, and a worker at the dispatch center stores the order sheet and the receipt in the database of the dispatch server 120. On the other hand, digital management is a management method in which the operation identification information of the vehicle 300 corresponding to the order sheet and / or the operation fare corresponding to the receipt are transmitted from the vehicle 300 to the dispatch server 120 via wireless communication, and the information is sequentially stored in the database.

[0027] The SNS server 130 is a server that provides SNS services to user terminals 200, and manages personal information (device-specific information of the user terminal, name, telephone number, credit card information, email address, address, age, gender, user ID, etc.) of users who own multiple user terminals 200 that are subscribed to the SNS service.

[0028] Here, one or both of the plurality of user terminals 200 and the vehicle 300 has a location specifying means. The location specifying means may be, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System). In the shared ride fare calculation system 10, the location information of the multiple user terminals 200 is transmitted to the calculation server 110, and the location information of the vehicle 300 is transmitted to the dispatch server 120. The location information of the destination 400 is input by the multiple user terminals 200, and the location information of the destination 400 is transmitted to the calculation server 110 from the user terminal 200 that input the location information. In addition to the GPS, short-range wireless communication can also be used as another example of the location identification means. The details of short-range wireless communication will be explained in detail later.

[0029] In this embodiment, the calculation server 110, the dispatch server 120, and the SNS server 130 are configured as separate servers, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the calculation server 110 may have the functions of one or both of the dispatch server 120 and the SNS server 130. In other words, a single server may implement the functions of the calculation server 110, the dispatch server 120, and the SNS server 130.

[0030] Here, each user of the multiple user terminals 200 may be a user with whom a contactable exchange relationship, referred to as "follow" or "friend," has been established in the SNS service managed by the SNS server 130. In other words, the multiple user terminals 200 form a contactable exchange relationship registered by at least one user in a predetermined service to which the multiple user terminals 200 have registered. While the configuration in which the multiple user terminals 200 form an exchange relationship has been exemplified here, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. In other words, the multiple user terminals 200 do not necessarily have to form the above-described exchange relationship. In this case, the SNS server 130 can be omitted from FIG. 1.

[0031] Furthermore, each user of the multiple user terminals 200 may be a user who has established a "friend" relationship in a social networking service managed by the SNS server 130. In other words, the multiple user terminals 200 have formed a mutually recognized social relationship in a predetermined service in which the multiple user terminals 200 have registered. A mutually recognized social relationship does not simply mean that the users recognize each other's existence, but refers to a relationship established, for example, when one user approves a request sent by the other user to establish a friend relationship. While the configuration in which the multiple user terminals 200 have formed a mutually recognized social relationship has been illustrated here, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. In other words, in the shared ride fare calculation system 10, the multiple user terminals 200 do not necessarily have the above-described social relationship. In this case, the SNS server 130 can be omitted from FIG. 1.

[0032] 2, the calculation server 110, the dispatch server 120, the SNS server 130, and the plurality of user terminals 200 are connected to one another via a first network 101. The dispatch server 120 and the vehicles 300 are connected to one another via a second network 102. Here, the calculation server 110, the dispatch server 120, and the SNS server 130 have databases (DB) 115, 125, and 135, respectively. A general IP network can be applied as the first network 101. A taxi radio or a local network can be applied as the second network 102.

[0033] Here, operation identification information, user identification information, and boarding position information and alighting position information of each of the multiple users are stored in the database 115 of the calculation server 110. Furthermore, the operation identification information, user identification information, boarding position information and alighting position information of each of the multiple users stored in the database 115 are associated with each other.

[0034] 2 illustrates a configuration in which the dispatch server 120 and the vehicle 300 are connected via the second network 102, but this configuration is not limiting, and for example, the vehicle 300 may be connected to the dispatch server 120 via the first network 101. Also, while FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration in which the calculation server 110, the dispatch server 120, and the SNS server 130 are directly connected to the databases 115, 125, and 135, respectively, this configuration is not limiting, and for example, the databases 115, 125, and 135 may be connected to the first network 101. In other words, instead of the databases 115, 125, and 135, cloud computing, which stores data via a network, may be used.

[0035] The database 115 connected to the calculation server 110 or the database 135 connected to the SNS server 130 stores personal information of the user who owns each of the user terminals 200 (device specific information, name, telephone number, credit card information, email address, address, age, sex, user ID), evaluation information of the user who owns the user terminal 200 and the vehicle 300, road map information, traffic congestion information, etc. Here, each item included in the personal information of the user of the user terminal 200 is stored in association with each other.

[0036] The database 125 connected to the dispatch server 120 stores the vehicle type, vehicle number, driver information (name, mobile phone number, age, gender), actual vehicle status such as empty vehicle, out of service, pick-up, or hire, and location information of the vehicle 300.

[0037] Database 135 connected to SNS server 130 stores the user IDs of users who use the SNS service provided by SNS server 130, device-specific information of the user terminals owned by the users, a list of other users who have formed exchange relationships with the users (friend list), etc. Furthermore, if SNS server 130 has a payment system within the SNS service, database 135 may also store information registered in the payment system, such as credit card information.

[0038] [Hardware configuration of the calculation server] 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a calculation server 110 used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to FIG. 3, the calculation server 110 includes a control unit 111, a hard disk 112, and a communication unit 113.

[0039] The control unit 111 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and storage devices such as registers and memory. The control unit 111 executes programs stored in the memory using the CPU, and performs arithmetic processing in response to command signals from the user terminal 200.

[0040] The hard disk 112 is a storage device capable of storing a large amount of data, and stores programs necessary for arithmetic processing and the like, and temporarily stores information transmitted from the user terminal 200 .

[0041] The communication unit 113 controls the transmission and reception of data between the dispatch server 120 , the SNS server 130 , and the user terminal 200 via the first network 101 .

[0042] Here, the storage device of the control unit 111 reads out and stores the programs required for the arithmetic processing from the hard disk 112 as required.

[0043] [User device hardware configuration] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a communication terminal used in a ride-sharing fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. According to Fig. 4, a user terminal 200, which is a communication terminal used in the ride-sharing fare calculation system 10, includes a memory 205, a control unit 210, a short-range wireless communication unit 215, and a communication module 220. A display 230, operation buttons 240, a speaker 250, and a microphone 260 are provided on one side of the user terminal 200. The display 230 may have a touch sensor, and the operation buttons 240 may not be provided. If the user terminal 200 does not have a calling function, the speaker 250 and the microphone 260 may not be provided.

[0044] The memory 205 stores data such as programs for causing the user terminal 200 to execute specific functions, information specific to the user terminal 200, and personal information of the user held by the user terminal 200.

[0045] The control unit 210 has an arithmetic unit such as a CPU and a storage unit such as a register. The control unit 210 executes programs stored in the memory 205 using the CPU, and realizes various functions of the user terminal 200 in response to command signals input by the user.

[0046] The short-range wireless communication unit 215 is a functional unit that performs short-range wireless communication using high-frequency radio waves in the megahertz to gigahertz range, and is capable of communication within a range of several meters to several tens of meters. Short-range wireless communication is communication that receives radio waves emitted from a radio wave source and transmits various information such as unique information of a communication device and the distance between the radio wave source and the communication device. Examples of short-range wireless communication include RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) ​​and BLE (BlueTooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). Here, the short-range wireless communication unit 215 has an antenna that receives the radio waves emitted from the radio wave source and a logic circuit that analyzes the received radio waves in the above-mentioned short-range wireless communication. The short-range wireless communication unit 215 may also have a logic circuit that modulates the radio waves emitted from the radio wave source in order to transmit unique information of the user terminal 200.

[0047] The communication module 220 includes an antenna for wirelessly transmitting and receiving signals, a high-frequency circuit, a demodulation circuit, etc. The communication module 220 is controlled by the control unit 210 to connect to a network and access the calculation server 110.

[0048] The display 230 may be a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like. The touch sensor may be a resistive film type, a capacitive type, an optical type, or the like. The user operates the user terminal 200 according to the indications on the display to realize various functions.

[0049] [Vehicle hardware configuration] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle used in a ride-sharing fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. According to FIG. 5, a short-range wireless communication unit 320 is provided inside a vehicle body 310 of a vehicle 300. The short-range wireless communication unit 320 includes a radio wave source that emits radio waves used for short-range wireless communication. The short-range wireless communication unit 320 may also include a receiving unit that receives radio waves modulated by the short-range wireless communication unit 215 of the user terminal 200, and an analyzing unit that analyzes the unique information of the user terminal 200 from the modulated radio waves.

[0050] [Computation server functional configuration] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a calculation server used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 provides a more detailed explanation of each functional block of the calculation server 110 in Fig. 2. According to Fig. 6, the calculation server 110 includes an identification information acquisition unit 170, a location information determination unit 172, a storage unit 174, a ratio calculation unit 176, a fare calculation unit 178, and a notification unit 180.

[0051] The identification information acquisition unit 170 acquires operation identification information and an operation fare from the dispatch server 120. Here, as described above, the operation identification information is information that identifies the operation of the vehicle 300, and may be information transmitted from the vehicle 300 via wireless communication, or may be information based on an order sheet stored by a worker. Alternatively, it may be a mixture of these. Furthermore, the identification information acquisition unit 170 acquires user identification information from the user terminal 200. The user identification information is information that identifies multiple users who are riding in the operation of the vehicle 300. In the case of FIG. 6 , the identification information acquisition unit 170 acquires a user ID from the user terminal 200 as the user identification information. Here, the identification information acquisition unit 170 may communicate with the SNS server 130 to acquire a user ID in an SNS service managed by the SNS server 130 as the user identification information.

[0052] The position information identification unit 172 identifies boarding position information and disembarking position information of each of the multiple user terminals 200 based on the distances between the multiple user terminals 200 and the vehicle 300. The boarding position information and disembarking position information may be identified by short-range wireless communication between the user terminal 200 and the vehicle 300, or may be identified based on information obtained by GPS.

[0053] The storage unit 174 stores operation identification information, user identification information, boarding position information, and disembarking position information in association with each other. The above information is read from the database 115 connected to the calculation server 110 and temporarily stored in the hard disk 112 of the calculation server 110. However, the above information does not necessarily have to be stored in the hard disk 112. In other words, the above information is stored in association with each other in the database 115 connected to the calculation server 110, and the calculation server 110 may perform subsequent calculations by referring to the above information stored in the database 115.

[0054] The ratio calculation unit 176 calculates the ratio that each of the multiple users who own multiple user terminals 200 should bear for the operation of the vehicle 300, based on the boarding position information and drop-off position information of each of the multiple user terminals 200. The specific calculation method of the ratio calculation unit 176 will be described later.

[0055] The fee calculation unit 178 calculates the amount to be paid by each of the plurality of user terminals 200 based on the rate calculated by the rate calculation unit 176 and the travel fee for traveling the vehicle 300 .

[0056] The notification unit 180 notifies the user terminals 200 using the shared ride of the amount of payment calculated by the fare calculation unit 178. Here, the notification unit 180 can notify information such as the operation date and time, user information (such as name, telephone number, address, etc.) using the shared ride, each user's boarding and disembarking location, the route, and payment status, in addition to the calculated amount of payment. When the notification unit 180 notifies the user of map information such as the route, the notification can be performed by displaying it on the user terminal 200 using a web view that performs processing to display each location information. These calculation results and the data notified to the user terminal 200 are stored in the database 115. Here, if the above information is notified to the user terminal 200 by another server or another system, the calculation server 110 does not need to have the notification unit 180.

[0057] Although not shown, the calculation server 110 may have an arrangement management unit in addition to the above-mentioned identification information acquisition unit 170, location information determination unit 172, memory unit 174, ratio calculation unit 176, fee calculation unit 178, and notification unit 180.

[0058] In the shared ride fare calculation system 10, when the user terminal 200 transmits an operation request, the dispatch management unit submits the operation request to the dispatch server 120. Here, the dispatch management unit may have a delay function so that the dispatch management unit submits the operation request to the dispatch server 120 after a predetermined period has elapsed since the user terminal 200 transmitted the operation request. Furthermore, the dispatch management unit can accept cancellation of the operation request from the user terminal 200 during the delay period. On the other hand, if the dispatch order is not canceled during the delay period, the dispatch management unit submits an operation request to the dispatch server 120.

[0059] The dispatch management unit may also notify the user terminal 200 of the location information of the user terminal 200 while the vehicle 300 is picking up the user, the location information of the vehicle 300, the location information of the destination, and traffic congestion information. The dispatch management unit may also provide the user terminal 200 with a means for making an inquiry to the vehicle 300 (by phone call or message) while the vehicle 300 is picking up the user. The dispatch management unit may also provide the user terminal 200 that has used the vehicle 300 with a means for evaluating the used vehicle 300. Conversely, the dispatch management unit may also provide the vehicle 300 used by the user terminal with a means for evaluating the used user terminal 200. These evaluation results are stored in the database 115. Here, based on the evaluation results, the priority of the vehicle 300 used by the user terminal 200 or the priority of the user terminal 200 that provides the service of the ride-sharing fare calculation system 10 may be changed.

[0060] [Functional configuration of the communication terminal that requests operation] Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a communication terminal used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 provides a more detailed explanation of the functional blocks of user terminal 200A of user A, who makes a trip request, among the user terminals 200 shown in Fig. 2. According to Fig. 7, user terminal 200A making a trip request includes a trip request signal transmitter 270, an identification information receiver 272, a location information identifier 274, and a fare information receiver 276.

[0061] The operation request signal transmitting unit 270 transmits an operation request signal to the dispatch server 120 requesting operation of the vehicle 300. The identification information receiving unit 272 receives from the dispatch server 120 operation identification information that identifies the operation of the vehicle 300 that will operate in response to the operation request transmitted by the operation request signal transmitting unit 270. Here, as described above, the operation identification information may be an operation log for each hire journey transmitted by wireless communication from the vehicle 300 to the dispatch server 120, or may be information on an order sheet stored by an employee in the dispatch server 120 or database 125. Alternatively, it may be a mixture of these.

[0062] The position information identification unit 274 identifies boarding position information and disembarking position information of the user terminal 200 based on the distance between the user terminal 200 boarding the vehicle 300 operating in response to the above-mentioned operation request and the vehicle 300. As will be described in detail later, the boarding position information and disembarking position information may be information generated in response to a signal obtained from a short-range wireless communication unit that generates a signal when the distance between the user terminal 200 and the vehicle 300 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance, or may be information obtained based on the distance between the position information of the user terminal 200 and the position information of the vehicle 300 obtained by GPS or the like.

[0063] The fare information receiving unit 276 receives the amount to be paid by the user, calculated based on the boarding position information and the disembarking position information identified by the position information identifying unit 274, and the operating fare for operating the vehicle 300.

[0064] [Functional configuration of passenger communication devices] Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a communication terminal used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 provides a more detailed explanation of the functional blocks of user terminal 200B, one of the user terminals 200 in Fig. 2, which is a passenger in vehicle 300 operating in response to an operation request from user terminal 200A. According to Fig. 8, the passenger user terminal 200B is similar in functional block to the user terminal 200A of user A who makes the operation request, but differs from user terminal 200A in that user terminal 200B does not have an operation request signal transmission unit 270.

[0065] Because the user terminal 200B does not need to issue an operation request, it does not need to have the operation request signal transmission unit 270 as described above. However, this does not mean that the user terminal 200B does not need to have the operation request signal transmission unit 270. Of course, the user terminal 200B may have the operation request signal transmission unit 270.

[0066] [Operation flow of the shared ride fare calculation system] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the operation flow of the shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 uses a flowchart to explain in detail the operation of each block of the shared ride fare calculation system 10 shown in Fig. 2.

[0067] First, the user terminal 200A starts a program that operates the ride-sharing fare calculation system 10 (step S501). Here, examples of interfaces displayed on the user terminal when the program of the ride-sharing fare calculation system 10 is started in step S501 are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The interface 610 shown in FIG. 10 is a setting screen for the SNS service provided by the SNS server 130. As shown in FIG. 10, the interface 610 has a vehicle icon 611, and selecting the vehicle icon 611 starts the program of the ride-sharing fare calculation system 10. Here, the interface 610 has multiple tabs at the bottom of the screen, such as a friend list tab 612, a talk tab 613, a timeline tab 614, and an other tab 615. A tab for starting the program of the ride-sharing fare calculation system 10 may be placed in one of these multiple tabs.

[0068] When the vehicle icon 611 in the interface 610 is selected, the interface 620 in Fig. 11 is displayed. The interface 620 is the top screen of the ride-sharing fare calculation system 10. By selecting the request button 621 in the interface 620, the calculation server 110 can be accessed from the user terminal 200.

[0069] Here, when using the shared ride fare calculation system 10 for the first time, a user registration interface 630 and a credit card information registration interface 631 shown in Figures 12 and 13 may be displayed. The interface 630 displays fields for entering at least the name and telephone number of the user terminal 200. The interface 631 also displays fields for entering at least the credit card number, expiration date, and PIN.

[0070] Next, the user terminal 200A executes an operation request to the vehicle 300 (step S502). Here, FIG. 14 shows an example of an interface displayed on the user terminal when an operation request is made in step S502. The interface 640 shown in FIG. 14 is a map displayed by a web view function. The user uses the user terminal 200 to select a boarding position 600 on the map. A boarding position pin 641 is displayed as a landmark at the selected boarding position 600. In addition, a boarding position address 642 is displayed above the boarding position pin 641. To set the selected boarding position 600, the position information of the boarding position 600 is set as the boarding position of the user terminal 200A by selecting a set button 643.

[0071] 14, the estimated travel time (15 minutes) from the current location of the user terminal 200 to the boarding location 600 is displayed on the boarding location pin 641. Also displayed on the map are a plurality of vehicles 644 managed by the dispatch server 120. Here, the function of displaying the boarding location address 642, the travel time to the boarding location 600, or the vehicle 644 can be omitted, and may be provided as an optional function.

[0072] Furthermore, in step S502, when the setting button 643 of the interface 640 shown in FIG. 14 is selected, an interface 650 is provided for confirming consent to transmitting the boarding location 600 and information about the user terminal A to the calculation server 110, as shown in an example in FIG. 15. The interface 650 shown in FIG. 15 is a map displayed by a web view function. In the map shown in FIG. 15, a location information pin 652 is displayed at the boarding location 600 of the user terminal 200A. When the agree button 657 is selected by the user terminal 200A, the boarding location 600 is transmitted from the user terminal 200A to the calculation server 110.

[0073] 15 is provided with a user information confirmation field 653 that displays user information (such as name and telephone number) of the user terminal 200, a user registered credit card information field 654 that displays credit card information registered in the shared ride fare calculation system 10, a coupon code field 655 that displays information on coupons held by the user, a dispatch center information field 656 that displays information to be notified to the user terminal from the dispatch center, such as the pick-up fee, and a pick-up information field 658 that displays the estimated pick-up time, etc. Here, it is sufficient for the interface 650 to have at least the function of confirming consent, and other functions can be omitted or may be provided as optional functions.

[0074] As described above, when the user terminal 200A initiates an action to request operation by the shared ride fare calculation system 10, the user terminal 200A transmits an operation request signal 552 to the calculation server 110. Here, the operations of steps S501 and S502 may be executed by the user terminal 200B.

[0075] When the calculation server 110 receives the operation request signal 552 transmitted from the user terminal 200A, the calculation server 110 transmits an operation request application signal 554 to the dispatch server 120 (step S531). Here, the operation request application signal 554 transmitted from the calculation server 110 to the dispatch server 120 in step S531 may be transmitted to the dispatch server 120 after a predetermined period (delay period) has elapsed after the operation request is confirmed in step S502. Furthermore, during the delay period, the calculation server 110 may provide the user terminal 200A with an interface 660 for accepting cancellation of the operation request, as shown in FIG. 16, for example.

[0076] When the dispatch server 120 receives the operation request application signal 554, it transmits a pick-up instruction signal 556 to a vehicle 300 managed by the dispatch center (step S541). Here, in step S541, the dispatch server 120 acquires information including the location information of the vehicle 300 managed by the dispatch center and the actual vehicle status of the vehicle 300 (empty, out of service, pick-up, hire, etc.) via the second network 102 of the dispatch center. Then, based on this information, the dispatch server 120 specifies the vehicle 300 and transmits the pick-up instruction signal 556. If the vehicle 300 that received the pick-up instruction signal 556 is actually in an actual vehicle status where it can pick up a passenger, an acceptance signal 558 is sent back to the dispatch server 120 (step S521).

[0077] When the dispatch server 120 receives the acceptance signal 558 returned from the vehicle 300, the dispatch server 120 transmits an acceptance notification 560 to the calculation server 110 (step S542). When the calculation server 110 receives the acceptance notification 560, the calculation server 110 transmits an arrangement status notification 562 to the user terminal 200A (step S522). The arrangement status notification 562 includes information about the vehicle being picked up (such as the vehicle type, vehicle number, driver information, and actual vehicle status) and the current location of the vehicle 300. The arrangement status notification 562 may further include the estimated time of arrival at the location of the user terminal 200A aboard the vehicle 300, the estimated time of arrival at the location of the destination 400, traffic congestion information, and the like.

[0078] The calculation server 110 may provide the user terminal 200A that has received the dispatch status notification 562 sent in step S522 with an interface 670 for accepting an inquiry about the vehicle 300 currently being picked up, as shown in Fig. 17. When the user wishes to make an inquiry about the vehicle 300 currently being picked up, the user can use the interface 670 shown in Fig. 17 to talk to the driver of the vehicle 300. Then, when the vehicle 300 currently being picked up arrives at the location of the user terminal 200A, the calculation server 110 may provide an interface 680 for notifying the user that the vehicle 300 has arrived, as shown in Fig. 18.

[0079] 18 may include an inquiry button 681 that connects the user terminal 200A to the mobile phone of the driver of the vehicle 300 so that a call can be made between the user terminal 200A and the mobile phone of the driver of the vehicle 300 when the user who is planning to board the vehicle cannot find the vehicle 300 (taxi). Pressing the inquiry button 681 can automatically cause a call to be made from the user terminal 200A to the mobile phone of the driver of the vehicle 300. Alternatively, pressing the inquiry button 681 may automatically cause a call to be made from the mobile phone of the driver of the vehicle 300 to the user terminal 200A. The interface 680 may also include an estimated time of arrival 682 at the destination 400, a confirmation number 683 indicating that the user terminal 200 is the terminal that requested the operation, and a driver evaluation 684.

[0080] As described above, the user terminal 200A gets into the vehicle 300 (step S503). In step S503, when the user terminal 200A gets into the vehicle 300, first riding position information 564 indicating the riding position of the user terminal 200A in the vehicle 300 is generated and transmitted to the calculation server 110 (step S504). Here, the first riding position information 564 may be generated by the user terminal 200A based on the relative positional relationship between the user terminal 200A and the vehicle 300, or may be generated by the calculation server 110 based on the relative positional relationship between the user terminal 200A and the vehicle 300. When the calculation server 110 receives the first riding position information 564 generated in step S504, the calculation server 110 acquires the first riding position information 564 (step S532). Here, the first riding position information 564 includes user identification information for identifying the user terminal 200A and the user terminal 200B. Here, the first riding position information 564 includes the user ID of the user terminal 200A as the user identification information.

[0081] The vehicle 300, which has allowed the user terminal 200A to board, moves to the boarding position of the user terminal 200B and allows the user terminal 200B to board (step S511). When the user terminal 200B boards the vehicle 300 in step S511, second boarding position information 566 indicating the boarding position of the user terminal 200B in the vehicle 300 is generated and transmitted to the calculation server 110 (step S512). Here, the second boarding position information 566 may be generated by the user terminal 200B based on the relative positional relationship between the user terminal 200B and the vehicle 300, or the relative positional relationship between the user terminal 200B and the user terminal 200A boarding the vehicle 300. Alternatively, the second boarding position information 566 may be generated by the calculation server 110 based on the relative positional relationship between the user terminal 200B and the vehicle 300, or the relative positional relationship between the user terminal 200B and the user terminal 200A boarding the vehicle 300. The calculation server 110 receives the second riding position information 566 generated in step S512, and thereby acquires the second riding position information 566 (step S533). Here, the second riding position information 566 includes user identification information for identifying the user terminal 200A and the user terminal 200B. Here, the second riding position information 566 includes the user ID of the user terminal 200B as the user identification information.

[0082] When the user terminals 200A and 200B and the vehicle 300 arrive at the destination (step S505), the user terminals 200A and 200B get off the vehicle 300 (steps S506 and S513). When the user terminal 200A gets off the vehicle 300 in step S506, first get-off position information 568 indicating the get-off position of the user terminal 200A from the vehicle 300 is generated and transmitted to the calculation server 110 (step S507). Also, when the user terminal 200B gets off the vehicle 300 in step S513, second get-off position information 570 indicating the get-off position of the user terminal 200B from the vehicle 300 is generated and transmitted to the calculation server 110 (step S514).

[0083] Here, the first drop-off position information 568 may be generated by the user terminal 200A based on the relative positional relationship between the user terminal 200A and the vehicle 300, or may be generated by the calculation server 110 based on the relative positional relationship between the user terminal 200A and the vehicle 300. Furthermore, the second drop-off position information 570 may be generated by the user terminal 200B based on the relative positional relationship between the user terminal 200B and the vehicle 300, or may be generated by the calculation server 110 based on the relative positional relationship between the user terminal 200B and the vehicle 300.

[0084] The first drop-off location information 568 and the second drop-off location information 570 transmitted from the user terminals 200A and 200B are received (acquired) by the calculation server 110 (step S534). Here, the first drop-off location information 568 and the second drop-off location information 570 include user identification information for identifying the user terminal 200A and the user terminal 200B. Here, as the user identification information, the user ID held by the user terminal 200A is included in the first drop-off location information 568, and the user ID held by the user terminal 200B is included in the second drop-off location information 570.

[0085] Furthermore, when the vehicle 300 arrives at the destination in step S505, the vehicle 300 generates operation information 572 including operation identification information and operation fare, and reports this to the dispatch server 120 (step S523).

[0086] When the operation information 572 reported from the vehicle 300 is received by the dispatch server 120, the dispatch server 120 notifies the calculation server 110 of operation information 574 including the operation identification information and the operation fare (step S543).

[0087] When the calculation server 110 receives the operation information 574 notified from the dispatch server 120, the calculation server 110 acquires the operation identification information and the operation fare included in the operation information 574 (step S535). Next, based on the operation identification information and the operation fare acquired in step S535, the burden rate and the burden amount of the operation fare that each of the user terminal A and the user terminal B should bear are calculated (step S536). Then, the calculation result 576 in step S536 (one or both of the calculated burden rate and burden amount) is notified to the user terminals 200A and 200B (step S537).

[0088] When the calculation result 576 notified from the calculation server 110 is received by the user terminals 200A and 200B, confirmation of the calculation result 576 is performed in each of the user terminals 200A and 200B (steps S508 and S515). If a selection to confirm the calculation result is made in steps S508 and S515 ("Yes" in steps S508 and S515), confirmation information 578 is transmitted from the user terminals 200A and 200B to the calculation server 110. On the other hand, if a selection to reject the calculation result is made ("No" in steps S508 and S515), the operation flow ends, and the program is terminated, or the user is taken to the top screen.

[0089] When the calculation server 110 receives the confirmation information 578 transmitted from the user terminals 200A and 200B, the calculation server 110 issues a bill 580 to the user terminals 200A and 200B (step S538). Then, the user terminals 200A and 200B make payments for the bill in step S538 (steps S509 and S516).

[0090] Here, if the calculation result is rejected in steps S508 and S515, the calculation server 110 may charge the full amount of the travel fare to the user terminal 200A that requested the travel.

[0091] In this manner, the shared ride section can be calculated without increasing the burden on the user terminals 200A, 200B and the vehicle 300, and the share of the usage fee that is borne by the user terminals 200A, 200B using the shared ride can be calculated according to the travel distance.

[0092] [Calculation method for the percentage calculation part] The calculation method of the proportion calculation unit 176 of the calculation server 110 shown in Fig. 6 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 19. An example will be described in which the proportion calculation unit 176 in the shared fare calculation system 10 according to the first embodiment calculates the share of the user terminals 200A and 200B from the boarding proportions of the user terminals 200A and 200B on a route to the destination 400, in which the user terminal 200A, which is relatively far from the destination 400, boards first and then the user terminal 200B boards together.

[0093] The ratio calculation unit 176 acquires first boarding position information, second boarding position information, first disembarking position information, and second disembarking position information in steps S532 to S534 in the operation flow of the shared fare calculation system 10 shown in Fig. 9. Then, based on the acquired position information, it calculates the distance Da between the boarding position of the user terminal 200A and the boarding position of the user terminal 200B, and the distance Db between the boarding position of the user terminal 200B and the destination 400. Here, the first movement distance of the first journey in which the user terminal 200A boards the vehicle 300 is Da+Db, and the second movement distance of the second journey in which the user terminal 200B boards together with the user terminal A is Db.

[0094] In the example of FIG. 19 , the percentage calculation unit 176 calculates the percentage of the second travel distance (Db) relative to the first travel distance (Da+Db) as the riding percentage. Here, a method of calculating the riding percentage based on the travel distances in the first and second steps has been exemplified, but the method is not limited to this. For example, the riding percentage may be calculated based on a second travel time required for travel in the second step relative to a first travel time required for travel in the first step. In other words, the percentage calculation unit 176 calculates the share of the burden that each of the multiple users should bear for the operation of the vehicle 300 based on the actual travel distances traveled by each of the multiple users using the vehicle 300 or the actual travel time required for the travel distance.

[0095] Here, distances Da and Db are distances on a road map. For example, distance Da is the distance of the route on the road map from the boarding position of user terminal 200A to the boarding position of user terminal 200B. Note that the distance on the road map is not the straight-line distance between two points, but the distance when traveling based on the road map. However, distances Da and Db are not limited to the distance on the road map, and may be the straight-line distance connecting each piece of location information.

[0096] 19 illustrates a case in which the percentage calculation unit 176 calculates the sharing percentage for a route in which the user terminals 200A and 200B get on the vehicle 300 at different locations and get off the vehicle 300 at the same destination 400, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the percentage calculation unit 176 may calculate the sharing percentage for a route in which the user terminals 200A and 200B get on the vehicle 300 at the same location and get off the vehicle 300 at different destinations. Alternatively, the percentage calculation unit 176 may calculate the sharing percentage for a route in which the user terminals 200A and 200B get on the vehicle 300 at different locations and get off the vehicle 300 at different destinations. For example, the percentage calculation unit 176 may calculate the sharing percentage for a route in which the user terminal 200A gets on the vehicle 300 together with the user terminal 200B, and the user terminal 200A gets off the vehicle 300 first.

[0097] [Method of obtaining user boarding and alighting location information] Here, a method for the location information identification unit 172 to acquire user boarding location information and disembarking location information will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 20. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining whether a user is getting on or off in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 20, the vehicle 300 has a short-range wireless communication unit 320 that generates a signal when the distance between the user terminal 200B and the vehicle 300 becomes equal to or less than a first distance D1. When the vehicle 300 has the short-range wireless communication unit 320, the short-range wireless communication unit 320 may be provided in a Point-Of-Sale terminal (POS) provided in the vehicle 300 or in a communication terminal carried by the driver.

[0098] When the distance between the user terminal 200B and the vehicle 300 becomes equal to or shorter than the first distance D1, the short-range wireless communication unit 320 transmits an information signal unique to the short-range wireless communication unit 320 to the user terminal 200B. That is, when the distance between the user terminal 200B and the vehicle 300 becomes equal to or shorter than the first distance D1, the user terminal 200B receives the information signal unique to the short-range wireless communication unit 320 from the short-range wireless communication unit 320. When the user terminal 200B receives the information signal unique to the short-range wireless communication unit 320, the user terminal 200B transmits to the calculation server 110 a notification that the unique information signal has been received. Then, the location information identification unit 172 of the calculation server 110 determines, based on the unique information signal, that the user terminal 200B has boarded the vehicle 300 or that the user terminal 200B has disembarked from the vehicle 300.

[0099] As described above, the position information identification unit 172 acquires the position information when the user terminal 200B gets into the vehicle 300, thereby acquiring second boarding position information indicating the boarding position of the user terminal 200B into the vehicle 300. In the example of Fig. 20, the user terminal 200B gets into the vehicle 300 that the user terminal 200A is in, and therefore the second boarding position information corresponds to the start position of the ride-sharing between the user terminals 200A and 200B.

[0100] As described above, the ride-sharing fare calculation system 10 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention can provide a calculation server that calculates the ride-sharing section without increasing the burden on the user and the vehicle driver, and calculates the share of the usage fee that the user who uses the ride-sharing service bears based on the distance traveled, and a communication terminal that communicates with the calculation server.

[0101] First Modification of First Embodiment A modified example of one embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figure 21. Figure 21 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining whether a user is getting on or off in a shared ride fare calculation system according to a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention. The shared ride fare calculation system 11 according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 1 differs from the shared ride fare calculation system 10 in that the user terminal 200B has a short-range wireless communication unit 215 that generates a signal when the distance between the user terminal 200B and the vehicle 300 becomes equal to or shorter than a first distance D1.

[0102] When the distance between the user terminal 200B and the vehicle 300 becomes equal to or shorter than the first distance D1, the short-range wireless communication unit 215 transmits an information signal unique to the short-range wireless communication unit 215 to the vehicle 300. In other words, when the distance between the user terminal 200B and the vehicle 300 becomes equal to or shorter than the first distance D1, the vehicle 300 receives the information signal unique to the short-range wireless communication unit 215 from the short-range wireless communication unit 215. When the vehicle 300 receives the information signal unique to the short-range wireless communication unit 215, it transmits to the dispatch server 120 a notification that the unique information signal has been received. Then, when the unique information signal is transmitted from the dispatch server 120 to the calculation server 110, the location information identification unit 172 of the calculation server 110 acquires, based on the unique information signal, second boarding position information indicating the boarding position of the user terminal 200B in the vehicle 300 that has boarded the user terminal 200A. As in Figure 20, in the example of Figure 21, the user terminal 200B rides in the vehicle 300 in which the user terminal 200A is riding, so the second riding position information corresponds to the starting position of the ride-share between the user terminals 200A and 200B.

[0103] <Modification 2 of Embodiment 1> A modified example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 22 to 24. Figure 22 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining whether a user has boarded or disembarked in a shared fare calculation system according to a modified example of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 22, the location information identification unit 172 of the shared fare calculation system 12 according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 1 determines that the user terminal 200B has boarded the vehicle 300 when the distance between the location information of the user terminal 200B and the location information of the vehicle 300 is equal to or less than a second distance D2. Then, based on the location information of the user terminal 200B or the vehicle 300 when it is determined that the user terminal 200B has boarded the vehicle 300, second boarding location information indicating the location where the user terminal 200B boarded the vehicle 300 is obtained.

[0104] On the other hand, when the distance between the position information of the user terminal 200B and the position information of the vehicle 300 becomes greater than the second distance D2, the position information identification unit 172 determines that the user terminal 200B has dismounted from the vehicle 300. Then, based on the position information of the user terminal 200B or the vehicle 300 when it is determined that the user terminal 200B has dismounted from the vehicle 300, second dismounting position information indicating the position where the user terminal 200B has dismounted from the vehicle 300 is acquired.

[0105] 22, when the vehicle 300 enters within a radius of the second distance D2 from the user terminal 200B, it is determined that the user terminal 200B has boarded the vehicle 300. Also, when the vehicle 300 moves out of the radius of the second distance D2 from the user terminal 200B, it is determined that the user terminal 200B has disembarked from the vehicle 300, as in the case of the disembarking determination 720.

[0106] Next, a function for further improving the accuracy of boarding and alighting determination will be described. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining whether a user has boarded or alighted in a shared fare calculation system according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 23, the position information identification unit 172 may determine that the user terminal 200B is aboard the vehicle 300 when the distance between the position information of the user terminal 200B and the position information of the vehicle 300 is equal to or less than the second distance D2 and further when the position information of the user terminal 200B and the position information of the vehicle 300 indicate movement in the same direction. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 24, the position information identification unit 172 may determine that the user terminal 200A has alighted from the vehicle 300 when the position information of the vehicle 300 indicates movement in a different direction from the position information of the user terminal 200B.

[0107] <Modification 3 of Embodiment 1> A modified example of one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 25 to 27. Figure 25 is a diagram showing an overview of a calculation method of a calculation server used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0108] [Calculation method for the percentage calculation part] 25, the percentage calculation unit 176 calculates the burden percentage based on a first estimated distance Ea from the first boarding position 410 of the user terminal 200A (first user) who boarded first to the destination 400, and a second estimated distance Eb from the second boarding position 420 to the destination 400 of the user terminal 200B (second user) who boarded with the user terminal 200A after the user terminal 200A. In other words, the first estimated distance Ea is the distance assumed when the user terminal 200A travels from the first boarding position 410 to the destination 400 without sharing a ride, and the second estimated distance Eb corresponds to the distance assumed when the user terminal 200B travels from the second boarding position 420 to the destination 400 without sharing a ride. In other words, the percentage calculation unit 176 calculates the burden percentage for each of the multiple user terminals 200A and 200B based on the distance when each of the multiple user terminals 200A and 200B travels independently from the boarding position to the disembarking position using the vehicle 300. Here, the first estimated distance Ea and the second estimated distance Eb are distances on a road map. However, the first estimated distance Ea and the second estimated distance Eb are not limited to distances on a road map and may be straight-line distances connecting the respective pieces of position information.

[0109] [Method of obtaining user boarding and alighting location information] Next, a method for acquiring first boarding position information at first boarding position 410 and second boarding position information at second boarding position 420 will be described with reference to Figures 26 and 27. Here, a case will be described in which vehicle 300 has a short-range wireless communication unit 320. Figures 26 and 27 are diagrams showing an example of a method for determining whether a user is getting on or off in a shared ride fare calculation system according to a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0110] 26, when the distance between the user terminal 200A and the vehicle 300 becomes equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance, the user terminal 200A receives an information signal unique to the short-range wireless communication unit 320 from the short-range wireless communication unit 320. When the user terminal 200A receives the unique information signal, the user terminal 200A transmits to the calculation server 110 a notification that the unique information signal has been received. Then, the calculation server 110 determines, based on the unique information signal, that the user terminal 200A has boarded the vehicle 300. Then, the position information identification unit 172 acquires first boarding position information indicating the boarding position of the user terminal 200A into the vehicle 300.

[0111] 27, when the distance between the user terminal 200B and the vehicle 300 becomes equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance, the user terminal 200B receives an information signal unique to the short-range wireless communication unit 320 from the short-range wireless communication unit 320. When the user terminal 200B receives the unique information signal, the user terminal 200B transmits to the calculation server 110 a notification that the unique information signal has been received. Then, the calculation server 110 determines that the user terminal 200B has boarded the vehicle 300 based on the unique information signal. Then, the position information identification unit 172 acquires second boarding position information indicating the boarding position of the user terminal 200B in the vehicle 300.

[0112] Then, when the user terminals 200A, 200B and the vehicle 300 arrive at the destination 400, the user terminals 200A, 200B get off the vehicle 300, and the user terminals 200A, 200B are no longer able to receive from the short-range wireless communication unit 320 an information signal specific to the short-range wireless communication unit 320, it is determined that the user terminals 200A, 200B have got off the vehicle 300. Then, the position information identification unit 172 acquires first get-off position information and second get-off position information indicating the get-off positions of the user terminals 200A, 200B from the vehicle 300.

[0113] 25 to 27, there is no difference in the travel distance for user terminal 200B between when the user uses the ride-sharing service and when the user does not use the ride-sharing service, but there is a difference in the travel distance for user terminal 200A between when the user uses the ride-sharing service and when the user does not use the ride-sharing service. In other words, the travel distance for user terminal 200A becomes longer than necessary in order to allow user terminal 200B to board. According to the ride-sharing fare calculation system 13 according to the third modification of the first embodiment, even in such a case, it is possible to calculate a fair share of the fare.

[0114] As described above, the ride-sharing fare calculation system 13 according to the third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention can provide a calculation server and a communication terminal that communicates with the calculation server that calculates the ride-sharing section without increasing the burden on the user and the vehicle driver and calculates the share of the usage fee according to the travel distance of the user using the ride-sharing service, as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, even if the travel distance is longer than necessary when traveling to a destination using a ride-sharing service compared to traveling to the destination without using a ride-sharing service, a fair share of the usage fee can be calculated.

[0115] Second Embodiment A shared ride fare calculation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 28 and 29. The overview of the shared ride fare calculation system, the hardware configuration of the calculation server, the hardware configuration of the user terminal, and the hardware configuration of the vehicle are the same as those of the shared ride fare calculation system 10 according to the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here. In the second embodiment, the user terminal 200 receives the fare from the vehicle 300 by communicating with the fare meter of the vehicle 300. Compared with the first embodiment and its variations, the second embodiment differs in the function of the communication terminal. Therefore, the functional configuration of the communication terminal of the second embodiment will be described here, and the description of the other configurations will be omitted. The user terminal 200 may communicate directly with the fare meter of the vehicle 300, or the user terminal 200 may communicate with the fare meter of the vehicle 300 via one or both of the dispatch server 120 and the calculation server 110.

[0116] [Functional configuration of the communication terminal that requests operation] The following describes a communication terminal that requests operation and is used in the shared fare calculation system 20 according to the second embodiment. The functional configuration of the user terminal 200A used in the shared fare calculation system 20 is similar to that of the user terminal 200A used in the shared fare calculation system 10 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 7 . However, it differs from the user terminal 200A used in the shared fare calculation system 10 in that it includes a fare information receiving unit 278 that receives fare information, including the fare, from the fare meter of the vehicle 300, and a fare information transmitting unit 280 that transmits the fare information received by the fare information receiving unit 278 to the calculation server 110. Here, the fare information receiving unit 278 does not need to communicate directly with the vehicle 300 or the fare meter of the vehicle 300; for example, the fare information receiving unit 278 may communicate with the vehicle 300 or the fare meter of the vehicle 300 via one or both of the dispatch server 120 and the calculation server 110.

[0117] [Functional configuration of passenger communication devices] Fig. 29 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a communication terminal used in a shared ride fare calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 29 provides a more detailed explanation of the functional blocks of user terminal 200B, one of the user terminals 200 in Fig. 2, which is a passenger in vehicle 300 operating in response to an operation request from user terminal 200A. According to Fig. 29, the passenger user terminal 200B is similar in functional block to the user terminal 200A of user A who makes the operation request, but differs from user terminal 200A in that user terminal 200B does not have an operation request signal transmission unit 270.

[0118] Because the user terminal 200B does not need to issue an operation request, it does not need to have the operation request signal transmission unit 270 as described above. However, this does not mean that the user terminal 200B does not need to have the operation request signal transmission unit 270. Of course, the user terminal 200B may have the operation request signal transmission unit 270.

[0119] As described above, the shared ride fare calculation system 20 according to the second embodiment of the present invention can provide a calculation server that calculates the shared ride section without increasing the burden on the user and the vehicle driver, and calculates the share of the usage fee according to the distance traveled by the user using the shared ride, and a communication terminal that communicates with the calculation server. Furthermore, by enabling communication between the fare meter of the vehicle 300 and the user terminal 200, data can be exchanged more efficiently.

[0120] The calculation server and the communication terminal described in the above embodiment can be realized by a program or an application that operates the computer included in the calculation server and the communication terminal. The program or application can be downloaded and installed in the calculation server and the communication terminal via the Internet. Also, the program or application can be installed in the calculation server and the communication terminal via a computer-readable recording medium.

[0121] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 10, 11, 12, 20: Shared ride fare calculation system, 101: First network, 102: Second network, 110: Calculation server, 111: Control unit, 112: Hard disk, 113: Communication unit, 115, 125, 135: Database, 120: Dispatch server, 130: SNS server, 170: Identification information acquisition unit, 172: Location information determination unit, 174: Storage unit, 176: Percentage calculation unit, 178: Fare calculation unit, 180: Notification unit, 200: User terminal, 205: Memory, 210: Control unit, 215, 320: Short-range wireless communication unit, 220: Communication module, 230: Display, 240: Operation button, 250: Speaker, 260: Microphone, 270: Operation request signal transmission unit, 272: Identification information receiving unit, 274: Location information specifying unit, 276: Fare information receiving unit, 278: Operation fare information receiving unit, 280: Operation fare information transmitting unit, 300: Vehicle, 310: Vehicle body, 400: Destination, 410: First boarding position, 420: Second boarding position, 552: Operation request signal, 554: Operation request application signal, 556: Pick-up instruction signal, 558: Acceptance signal, 560: Acceptance notification, 562: Arrangement status notification, 564: First boarding position information, 566: Second boarding position information, 568: First drop-off position information, 570: Second drop-off position information, 572, 574: Operation information, 576: Calculation result, 578: Confirmation information, 580: Request, 600: Boarding position, 610, 620, 630, 640, 650, 660, 670, 680: Interface, 611: Vehicle icon, 612: Friend list tab, 613: Chat tab, 614: Timeline tab, 615: Other tabs, 621: Request button, 641: Destination pin, 642: Destination address, 643: Settings button, 651: First location information, 652: First location information pin, 653: User information confirmation field, 654: User registered credit card information field, 655: Coupon code field, 656: Dispatch center information field, 657: Agree button, 658: Pick-up information field, 681: Inquiry button, 682: Estimated arrival time, 683: Confirmation number, 684: Driver evaluation, 710: When deciding whether to board, 720: When deciding whether to disembark

Claims

1. A program executed by a first terminal of a first user riding in a vehicle and a second terminal of a second user riding in the vehicle, transmitting the vehicle dispatch instruction and user information of the first user to an information processing server that communicates with a communication unit provided in the vehicle, based on the vehicle dispatch instruction being received by the first terminal of the first terminal and the second terminal; Acquiring first boarding position information where the first user boards the vehicle and first disembarking position information where the first user disembarks from the vehicle by the first terminal, and transmitting the information to the information processing server; Acquiring second boarding position information where the second user associated with the first user boards the vehicle and second disembarking position information where the second user disembarks from the vehicle by the second terminal, and transmitting the information to the information processing server; acquiring, by the first terminal, a first fare to be paid by the first user out of the fare for the vehicle, the first fare being calculated by the information processing server based at least on the first boarding position information, the first disembarking position information, the second boarding position information, and the second disembarking position information; and acquiring, by the second terminal, a second fare to be paid by the second user out of the fare for the vehicle, the second fare being calculated by the information processing server based at least on the first boarding position information, the first disembarking position information, the second boarding position information, and the second disembarking position information; The dispatch instruction is received by the first terminal via an interface of a service that enables communication between the first user and the second user; A program for displaying identification information to be communicated to a driver of the vehicle on the first terminal that has received the dispatch instruction, out of the first terminal and the second terminal.

2. 2. The program according to claim 1, the first riding position information is transmitted from the first terminal based on wireless communication between an electronic device of the vehicle and the first terminal; The second riding position information is transmitted from the second terminal based on wireless communication between the electronic device of the vehicle and the second terminal.

3. 3. The program according to claim 1 or 2, The first fare and the second fare are based on a distance based on the first boarding position information and the first disembarking position information, and a distance based on the second boarding position information and the second disembarking position information.

4. 2. The program according to claim 1, After the dispatch instruction is received by the first terminal, an object for contacting the driver of the vehicle from the first terminal is displayed on the first terminal.

5. 2. The program according to claim 1, When the vehicle arrives at the location of the first user, an object based on the user information for communication between the first terminal and a communication unit provided in the vehicle is displayed on the first terminal.

6. 2. The program according to claim 1, When the vehicle arrives at the first user's location, a confirmation number is displayed on the first terminal.

7. 7. A program according to claim 1, The first terminal of the first user and the second terminal of the second user are terminals that do not form an approved exchange relationship with each other outside of the service.

8. An information processing method executed by a first terminal of a first user riding in a vehicle and a second terminal of a second user riding in the vehicle, comprising: transmitting the vehicle dispatch instruction and user information of the first user to an information processing server that communicates with a communication unit provided in the vehicle, based on the vehicle dispatch instruction being received by the first terminal of the first terminal and the second terminal; Acquiring first boarding position information where the first user boards the vehicle and first disembarking position information where the first user disembarks from the vehicle by the first terminal, and transmitting the information to the information processing server; Acquiring second boarding position information where the second user associated with the first user boards the vehicle and second disembarking position information where the second user disembarks from the vehicle by the second terminal, and transmitting the information to the information processing server; acquiring, by the first terminal, a first fare to be paid by the first user out of the fare for the vehicle, the first fare being calculated by the information processing server based at least on the first boarding position information, the first disembarking position information, the second boarding position information, and the second disembarking position information; and acquiring, by the second terminal, a second fare to be paid by the second user out of the fare for the vehicle, the second fare being calculated by the information processing server based at least on the first boarding position information, the first disembarking position information, the second boarding position information, and the second disembarking position information; The dispatch instruction is received by the first terminal via an interface of a service that enables communication between the first user and the second user; An information processing method in which identification information to be communicated to a driver of the vehicle is displayed on the first terminal that has received the dispatch instruction, out of the first terminal and the second terminal.

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