Traffic information management device, traffic information management method, and traffic information management program

Abstract

To prevent incorrect boarding of a passenger in transportation.SOLUTION: An operation information management device is connected to an operation management database which stores information related to operation routes. The device comprises: a destination information acquisition section for acquiring destination information being information related to a destination from a passenger terminal; a vehicle image acquisition section for acquiring a vehicle image obtained by imaging a vehicle from the passenger terminal; an operation route extraction section for extracting the vehicle image or identification information of the vehicle, and extracting a specific operation route being an operation route of the vehicle from the operation management database based on the identification information; a determination section for determining whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information; and a notification control section for allowing a determination result by the determination section to be notified to the passenger terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation information management device, an operation information management method, and an operation information management program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technology that assists users (passengers) of public transportation such as buses in reaching their desired destinations (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a system in which, when a passenger registers the bus they wish to board, i.e., their "desired bus," communication is established between a transmitter at the bus stop and a mobile terminal, and if the bus parked at the bus stop is the desired bus, a message encouraging the passenger to board is displayed on the mobile terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-140718 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The system described in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that transmitters are installed at bus stops, and cannot check whether the desired bus is on a route where transmitters are not installed. As a result, it is necessary to search and check the website of the bus company that operates the route, or other services that are compatible with the route, which is cumbersome.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to prevent passengers from boarding the wrong public transportation vehicle using a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the operation information management device of the present invention is, for example, an operation information management device connected to an operation management database in which information regarding operation routes is stored, and is characterized by comprising: a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information regarding the destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle image acquisition unit that acquires a vehicle image photographed of the vehicle from the passenger terminal; an operation route extraction unit that extracts identification information of the vehicle from the vehicle image and extracts a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle, from the operation management database based on the identification information; a judgment unit that judges whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information; and an notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the judgment made by the judgment unit.

[0007] Another aspect of the operation information management method of the present invention is characterized by including, for example, a destination information acquisition step of acquiring destination information, which is information related to a destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle image acquisition step of acquiring a vehicle image of a vehicle photographed from the passenger terminal; an operation route extraction step of extracting identification information of the vehicle from the vehicle image and extracting a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle, from an operation management database in which information related to operation routes is stored based on the identification information; a determination step of determining whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information; and an alarm control step of notifying the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made by the determination step.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention provides an operation information management program that causes a computer to function as, for example, a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from at least a passenger terminal; a vehicle image acquisition unit that acquires a vehicle image of a vehicle photographed from the passenger terminal; an operation route extraction unit that extracts identification information of the vehicle from the vehicle image and extracts a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle, from an operation management database that stores information relating to operation routes based on the identification information; a judgment unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information; and a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the judgment made by the judgment unit.

[0009] According to any of the above aspects of the present invention, passengers can be prevented from boarding the wrong transportation means, and in particular, the operation route can be extracted based on the captured vehicle image, which is convenient.

[0010] Here, if the operation route extraction unit can extract a vehicle ID, which is an ID number assigned to a vehicle, from the identification information from the vehicle image, it may extract the specific operation route based on the vehicle ID, and if the vehicle ID cannot be read by analyzing the vehicle image, it may extract information other than the vehicle ID from the identification information from the vehicle image and extract the specific operation route based on the extracted information. In this way, by preferentially extracting information for which extraction accuracy can be guaranteed, highly accurate information extraction is possible.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is an operation information management device that is characterized by including, for example, a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information relating to the destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route and the destination information; and a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made by the determination unit.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention relates to an operation information management method, which is characterized by including, for example, a destination information acquisition step of acquiring destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle information acquisition step of acquiring a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle; a determination step of determining whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route and the destination information; and a notification control step of notifying the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made by the determination step.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is an operation information management program that causes a computer to function as, for example, a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from at least a passenger terminal; a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle; a judgment unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route and the destination information; and a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the judgment made by the judgment unit.

[0014] In any of the above aspects of the present invention, it is possible to prevent passengers from boarding the wrong transportation facility. Furthermore, since the determination is based on the specific operating route acquired from the vehicle, accurate determination is possible.

[0015] Here, the vehicle information acquisition unit may receive the specific travel route when communication between the passenger terminal and an in-vehicle device provided in the vehicle is triggered, thereby making it possible to accurately identify the vehicle to be checked.

[0016] Here, an operation information management device connected to an operation management database storing information about operation routes may include an operation route extraction unit that extracts the specific operation route from the operation management database, wherein the vehicle information acquisition unit acquires identification information of the vehicle, the operation route extraction unit extracts the specific operation route based on the identification information, and the determination unit determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route extracted by the operation route extraction unit and the destination information. This enables accurate determination because the determination is based on the identification information transmitted from the vehicle.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention provides an operation information management device that is connected to an operation management database that stores information about operation routes, and is characterized by including: a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information about the destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle ID acquisition unit that acquires a vehicle ID, which is an ID number assigned to the vehicle and is displayed on the vehicle, via the passenger terminal; an operation route extraction unit that extracts a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle, from the operation management database based on the vehicle ID; a determination unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information; and a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the determination by the determination unit.

[0018] Another aspect of the operation information management method of the present invention is characterized by including, for example, a destination information acquisition step of acquiring destination information, which is information regarding a destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle ID acquisition step of acquiring a vehicle ID, which is an ID number assigned to a vehicle and is displayed on a vehicle, via the passenger terminal; an operation route extraction step of extracting a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle, from an operation management database in which information regarding operation routes is stored based on the vehicle ID; a determination step of determining whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information; and a notification control step of notifying the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made in the determination step.

[0019] Another aspect of the operation information management program of the present invention is characterized in that it causes a computer to function as, for example, a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information related to a destination, from at least a passenger terminal; a vehicle ID acquisition unit that acquires a vehicle ID, which is an ID number assigned to a vehicle and is displayed on a vehicle, via the passenger terminal; an operation route extraction unit that extracts a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle, from an operation management database that stores information about operation routes based on the vehicle ID; a judgment unit that judges whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information; and a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the judgment made by the judgment unit.

[0020] According to any of the above aspects of the present invention, it is possible to prevent passengers from boarding the wrong transportation facility, and to make accurate determinations based on the vehicle ID displayed on the vehicle.

[0021] Here, the notification control unit may issue a warning via the passenger terminal when the determination result indicates that the destination is not included in the travel route, thereby allowing passengers to accurately understand the determination result and preventing them from boarding a wrong bus.

[0022] Here, the route extraction unit may extract the specific route by referring to the date and / or the day of the week, thereby preventing passengers from boarding the wrong transportation means even if the transportation means has different routes depending on the day.

[0023] Here, the notification control unit may issue a warning via the passenger terminal when the destination is not included in the travel route, thereby preventing passengers from boarding the wrong train.

[0024] Here, the notification control unit may cause the passenger terminal and / or the in-vehicle device to issue a notification when communication between the passenger terminal and the in-vehicle device is established or when information is exchanged between the passenger terminal and the in-vehicle device. This makes it clear to the passenger that a determination has been made as to whether or not they have boarded the vehicle by mistake, thereby providing the passenger with a sense of security.

[0025] The computer program can be provided by downloading it via a network such as the Internet, or by recording it on various computer-readable recording media such as a CD-ROM. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] According to the present invention, passengers can be prevented from boarding the wrong vehicle in a transportation facility. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 1 including an operation information management device 30 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an operation information management device 30. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram showing an outline of electrical functional blocks of an operation information control device 30. FIG. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of data stored in the operation management DB 60, where (A) is an example of the first table T1, (B) is an example of the second table T2, and (C) is an example of the third table T3. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in which the operation information management device 30 notifies the determination result. [Figure 6] 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 2 including an operation information management device 30A according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 3 is a diagram showing an outline of electrical functional blocks of an operation information control device 30A. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in which an operation information control device 30A notifies a determination result. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an outline of electrical functional blocks of an operation information management device 30B and an operation information management system 2A according to a modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 3 including an operation information management device 30C according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in which an operation information control device 30C notifies a determination result. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] An embodiment of the operation information management device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The operation information management device is a device for determining the destinations of passengers in a transportation facility that carries multiple passengers bound for different destinations and preventing passengers from boarding the wrong vehicle.

[0029] The transportation means is assumed to be a bus, a train, etc. In the following description, the housing in which passengers using the transportation means ride will be collectively referred to as a "vehicle." The destination is a location that is selectively set from a plurality of predetermined locations, such as a bus stop or a train station.

[0030] Vehicle identification information is displayed on the body (exterior surface) of the vehicle. The vehicle identification information is information relating to the specific route of the vehicle, such as a route number indicating the route, a destination, letters or symbols indicating the vehicle ID, the name, logo or emblem of the company that manages the operation (hereinafter referred to as the operation management company), etc. The identification information may be displayed as a string of characters, or as code information such as a two-dimensional barcode or a color pattern.

[0031] A vehicle ID is an ID number assigned to a vehicle, such as an ID number assigned to all public transportation (trains, buses, etc.) according to nationwide rules. A vehicle ID is a character string that can identify the company, route, and day of operation (or, in the case of a vehicle that operates only on a specific date and time, the specific date and time information).

[0032] First Embodiment 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 1 including an operation information management device 30 according to the first embodiment. The operation information management system 1 includes a passenger terminal 10, an operation information management device 30, and an operation management database (DB) 60. The passenger terminal 10 is configured to be able to communicate with the operation information management device 30 via a communication network such as a mobile communication network or wireless communication network.

[0033] The passenger terminal 10 is a device that is carried by a passenger of a vehicle and is capable of communication (e.g., mobile communication). The passenger terminal 10 is realized by a portable device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The passenger terminal 10 mainly includes an input unit 11, a memory unit 12, an imaging unit 13, a code reading unit 14, a communication processing unit 15, and a display unit 16.

[0034] The input unit 11 accepts input from passengers, for example. The input unit 11 accepts input of information relating to the passenger's destination (hereinafter referred to as destination information), for example. The destination information is information about the destination, for example, a boarding and disembarking point for a means of transportation. The boarding and disembarking point may be the name of a bus stop or a train station. The destination information may also be information about an address or a point identified by an appropriate method. The input unit 11 may accept registration by passengers for use of the operation information management system 1. In this case, for example, the input unit 11 accepts input of the passenger's name, contact information, etc.

[0035] The storage unit 12 stores, for example, identification information of passengers who have the passenger terminal 10 and information about destinations.

[0036] The imaging unit 13 captures and acquires images of the exterior of the vehicle, such as destination displays provided on the front or sides of the vehicle, the name or logo of the transportation facility, a two-dimensional barcode, or a color pattern. The imaging unit 13 is, for example, configured with a visible light camera.

[0037] The code reading unit 14 is a functional unit that extracts code information such as a two-dimensional barcode or a color pattern from the image captured by the imaging unit 13 and reads the extracted code information. Various well-known methods can be used to read the code information. Note that the code reading unit 14 is not essential.

[0038] The communication processing unit 15 communicates with, for example, the traffic information management device 30. The communication processing unit 15 transmits image data captured by the imaging unit 13 to the traffic information management device 30. The communication processing unit 15 may also transmit the result of reading the code information by the code reading unit 14 to the traffic information management device 30. The communication processing unit 15 also receives from the traffic information management device 30 a determination result as to whether or not the vehicle will reach the destination indicated by the destination information.

[0039] The communication mode between the communication processing unit 15 and the passenger terminal 10 is arbitrary, and in addition to mobile communication, an appropriate short-range communication technology can be adopted. Furthermore, the communication mode between the passenger terminal 10 and the operation information control device 30 by the communication processing unit 15 is also arbitrary.

[0040] The display unit 16 displays, for example, the determination result transmitted from the operation information control device 30. The input unit 11 and the display unit 16 are configured as, for example, a touch panel including a touch sensor that performs an input function and a display that performs a display function.

[0041] The operation management DB 60 is a database that stores information about the operation routes of transportation facilities. The operation management DB 60 stores vehicle identification information and information about the operation routes (including information about stops (bus stops, stations, etc.) and destinations) in association with each other.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in the operation management DB 60, where (A) is an example of the first table T1, (B) is an example of the second table T2, and (C) is an example of the third table T3. The first table T1 is a table containing vehicle IDs, and correlates the vehicle IDs with operating companies, route numbers, and schedule conditions (here, operating days) on which the vehicles with those route numbers operate. The operating company column stores the name of the operating company, and the route number column stores a character string (numbers, symbols, etc.) indicating the route number. Schedule conditions are conditions that stipulate that the vehicle will operate on specific days such as days of the week, holidays, and the New Year holidays, and the operating days are one of the schedule conditions. Note that in the first table T1, the schedule conditions are not limited to operating days of the week, and schedule conditions are not essential.

[0043] The second table T2 is a table that shows the route and operating days for each operating company and route number. In the second table T2, the operating company, route number, route, operating day of the week, and first departure time are associated. The route is an item used to associate with the third table T3, and an ID assigned to each route is stored. If there are multiple combinations of operating days and first departure times for one route, all of these are stored in the second table T2. For example, if the times differ for each operating day, multiple days are stored, such as operating day 1, operating day 2, etc. Also, for example, if there are multiple operations on the same day of the week, multiple first departure times are stored after operating day 1.

[0044] The third table T3 is a table showing location information for each operating route. In the third table T3, an operating route is associated with location information for the operating route. Location information for the operating route is location information for the starting point, the ending point, and intermediate points (waypoints). Location information includes names and addresses of bus stops and stations. Typically, multiple intermediate points are stored for one operating route.

[0045] Furthermore, the third table T3 stores the required time to reach the destination point and the required time to reach the intermediate point, each associated with the destination point and each intermediate point. The required time is the time required to reach the destination point or each intermediate point from the starting point, and is calculated based on the transportation timetable. The transportation timetable may be stored in the transportation management DB 60. Note that the required time information is not required in the third table T3.

[0046] The operation information management device 30 is a device that refers to the destination information held by the passenger terminal 10 and the information stored in the operation management DB 60, and determines whether the operation route of the vehicle that the passenger holding the passenger terminal 10 is about to board includes the passenger's destination.

[0047] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the operation information management device 30. The operation information management device 30 includes a control device 50, a communication device 52, and a storage device 54. The control device 50 mainly includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 56 and a memory 58.

[0048] The control device 50 functions as various functional units, which will be described later, by the CPU executing predetermined programs stored in the storage device 54, memory 58, or the like.

[0049] The communication device 52 is configured with a communication interface for communicating with an external device, etc. The communication device 52 transmits and receives various information between the passenger terminal 10 and the operation management DB 60, for example.

[0050] The storage device 54 is configured by a hard disk, etc. The storage device 54 stores various programs and various information required for executing the processes in the control device 50, as well as information on the results of the processes.

[0051] The traffic information management device 30 can be realized using an information processing device such as a dedicated or general-purpose server computer. The traffic information management device 30 may be configured with a single information processing device or multiple information processing devices distributed over a communication network. Fig. 2 shows only a portion of the main hardware configuration of the traffic information management device 30, and the traffic information management device 30 may also have other components that are generally included in a server device.

[0052] Each traffic information management device 30 may manage the traffic information of one vehicle, or may be configured to manage the traffic information of multiple vehicles. The traffic information management device 30 is preferably installed as a server device in a location separate from the vehicles.

[0053] 3 is a diagram showing an outline of electrical functional blocks of an operation information management device 30 according to an embodiment. The operation information management device 30 mainly includes a destination information acquisition unit 31, a vehicle image acquisition unit 32, a route extraction unit 33, a determination unit 34, and a notification control unit 35.

[0054] The destination information acquisition unit 31 is a functional unit that acquires destination information from the passenger terminal 10. When information on a boarding or disembarking point of a transportation facility is acquired as the destination information, the destination information acquisition unit 31 sets the boarding or disembarking point as the destination. When information on an address or a point identified by an appropriate method is acquired as the destination information, the destination information acquisition unit 31 extracts the boarding or disembarking point nearest to the point and sets it as the destination.

[0055] The vehicle image acquisition unit 32 is a functional unit that acquires an image of the vehicle acquired by the passenger terminal 10 (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle image).

[0056] The travel route extraction unit 33 is a functional unit that performs image processing on the vehicle image and extracts a specific travel route, which is the travel route of the vehicle included in the vehicle image (shown in the vehicle image), from the travel management DB 60. The travel route extraction unit 33 is connected to the travel management DB 60. The travel route includes information on points where the vehicle can stop and information on the destination of the vehicle, i.e., the end point.

[0057] The travel route extraction unit 33 extracts identification information of vehicles reflected in the vehicle image using an appropriate image analysis method. Alternatively, the travel route extraction unit 33 may extract code information such as a two-dimensional barcode or color pattern included in the vehicle image and read the extracted code information to extract the vehicle identification information. Various known methods can be used to read the code information. The code information includes the vehicle identification information. Note that if the passenger terminal 10 has a code reading unit 14, the travel route extraction unit 33 does not need to have the function of reading the code information.

[0058] When performing image processing on a vehicle image, the route extraction unit 33 may extract vehicle identification information in stages. The priority order for extracting vehicle identification information is, for example, vehicle ID, route number, destination, and bus / railway company mark. If the route extraction unit 33 can read the vehicle ID from the vehicle image, it extracts a specific route based on the vehicle ID. In this case, it does not extract any identification information other than the vehicle ID. Furthermore, if the vehicle ID cannot be read by analyzing the vehicle image, it extracts information other than the vehicle ID from the vehicle image and extracts a specific route based on the extracted information. Furthermore, when extracting information other than the vehicle ID from a vehicle image, the route extraction unit 33 attempts to extract route numbers, destination character strings, and indications (text or images) related to the operation management company in stages, and terminates the extraction process when the information is successfully extracted. In this way, prioritizing identification information with a high extraction accuracy for a specific route increases the accuracy of determining whether a vehicle included in a captured image will arrive at its destination. Furthermore, prioritizing the extraction of identification information reduces unnecessary extraction processes and reduces the processing load.

[0059] The operation route extraction unit 33 extracts a specific operation route based on the vehicle identification information from the operation management DB 60. Specifically, the operation route extraction unit 33 refers to the operation management DB 60, acquires a operation route associated with the extracted vehicle identification information from the operation management DB 60, and sets this as the specific operation route.

[0060] If the vehicle ID is extracted, the operation route extraction unit 33 obtains the route number from the first table T1 (see FIG. 4), and obtains the operation route associated with the route number from the second table T2 (see FIG. 4).

[0061] Furthermore, if the operation route extraction unit 33 is unable to extract a vehicle ID, it acquires the operation route associated with the extracted identification information from the second table T2. For example, if the operation route extraction unit 33 is able to extract a route number, it acquires the operation route associated with the route number. For example, if the operation route differs depending on the day of the week even if the route number is the same, the operation route extraction unit 33 acquires the operation route corresponding to the current day of the week based on the column for the operation day of the week in the second table T2.

[0062] Furthermore, for example, when the route extraction unit 33 is able to extract a destination display, it acquires from the third table T3 a route whose destination is the destination written on the destination display. Furthermore, for example, when the route extraction unit 33 is able to extract a fleet management company, it acquires from the second table T2 a route associated with the fleet management company. In these cases, if multiple routes can be acquired, for example, the route extraction unit 33 may acquire location information from the passenger terminal 10 and acquire a route whose location is included in the midpoint of the third table T3, or acquire a route whose date and time (day of the week) when the vehicle image was captured is included in the operation day column of the second table T2.

[0063] Then, the operation route extraction unit 33 acquires point information associated with the acquired operation route from the third table T3 and extracts this point information as a specific operation route. For example, when the operation route of "ROUTE-ID2" is acquired, the operation route extraction unit 33 extracts, from the third table T3, the starting point "POINT2-1", the ending point "POINT2-2", the intermediate point "POINT2-3", etc. associated with "ROUTE-ID2" as a specific operation route.

[0064] The determination unit 34 is a functional unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information. For example, if the destination indicated by the destination information is "A", the determination unit 34 determines whether "A" is included in the specific operation route.

[0065] The notification control unit 35 is a functional unit that outputs the determination result as to whether or not the vehicle included in the captured image will arrive at the destination to the passenger terminal 10, and causes the passenger terminal 10 to notify the passenger. The notification in the passenger terminal 10 can be made in various ways. For example, the notification control unit 35 may display the determination result on the display unit 16 of the passenger terminal 10. The notification control unit 35 may also make the passenger terminal 10 issue a notification by voice. The notification control unit 35 may also vibrate the passenger terminal 10 or blink a light.

[0066] If the determination result shows that the destination is not included in the specific operating route, the notification control unit 35 issues a warning via the passenger terminal 10. The notification may be in any manner that can be confirmed by at least the passenger who boarded the vehicle by mistake, and may include, for example, a voice message, a display on an appropriate display unit inside the vehicle, blinking lights, or other appropriate manner. The notification may also include information that the passenger is about to board the wrong vehicle.

[0067] Furthermore, if the destination is not included in the specific operation route, the notification control unit 35 may also notify the characteristics of the vehicle that will arrive at the destination (for example, the route name, route number, destination, external characteristics of the vehicle, etc.). In this case, the operation route extraction unit 33 acquires an operation route that includes the destination from the operation management DB 60, and the notification control unit 35 notifies this. The notification control unit 35 may also display a map including the position of the passenger terminal 10 on the passenger terminal 10, and provide information on the stop positions (station platform number, stop name) of the vehicle that will arrive at the destination.

[0068] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow in which the traffic information management device 30 notifies the determination result. In Fig. 5, the process flow is explained using an example in which the owner of the passenger terminal 10 is waiting for a bus at a bus stop. Note that in the following explanation, the order of steps can be changed as appropriate.

[0069] (Step SP11) The destination information acquisition unit 31 acquires the destination information from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP12.

[0070] (Step SP12) The vehicle image acquisition unit 32 acquires vehicle images from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP13.

[0071] (Step SP13) The travel route extraction unit 33 analyzes the vehicle image. The process of analyzing the vehicle image (step SP13) includes a plurality of steps (steps SP14 to SP17).

[0072] (Step SP14) The travel route extraction unit 33 attempts to extract a vehicle ID from the vehicle image. If a vehicle ID is extracted from the vehicle image (Yes in step SP14), the process proceeds to step SP18. If a vehicle ID is not extracted from the vehicle image (No in step SP14), the process proceeds to step SP15.

[0073] (Step SP15) The travel route extraction unit 33 attempts to extract the route number displayed on the vehicle from the vehicle image. If the route number is extracted from the vehicle image (Yes in step SP15), the process proceeds to step SP18. If the route number is not extracted from the vehicle image (No in step SP15), the process proceeds to step SP16.

[0074] (Step SP16) The travel route extraction unit 33 attempts to extract a destination display displayed on the vehicle from the vehicle image. If a destination display is extracted from the vehicle image (Yes in step SP16), the process proceeds to step SP18. If a destination display is not extracted from the vehicle image (No in step SP16), the process proceeds to step SP17.

[0075] (Step SP17) The operation route extraction unit 33 attempts to extract an image (mark) or text of the vehicle's operation management company from the vehicle image. If an operation management company is extracted from the vehicle image (Yes in step SP17), the process proceeds to step SP18. If an operation management company is not extracted from the vehicle image (No in step SP17), the process ends. At this time, the operation information management device 30 may issue an error notification via the notification control unit 35 and the passenger terminal 10 to the effect that processing cannot be performed (the vehicle's operation route cannot be extracted).

[0076] (Step SP18) The driving route extraction unit 33 extracts a specific driving route from the driving management DB 60 based on the information extracted from the vehicle image in any of steps SP14 to SP17.

[0077] (Step SP19) The determination unit 34 determines whether the destination is included in the specific travel route, and the process then proceeds to step SP20.

[0078] (Step SP20) The notification control unit 35 notifies the passenger terminal 10 of the determination result in step SP19.

[0079] According to this embodiment, passengers can be prevented from boarding the wrong vehicle in a public transport facility. Furthermore, if the route extraction unit 33 extracts the route based on the vehicle ID when the vehicle ID can be read, and if the vehicle ID cannot be extracted, extracts the route based on the vehicle identification information, highly accurate information extraction can be achieved by prioritizing extraction of information that can ensure extraction accuracy. Furthermore, if the extraction process of the vehicle identification information is performed in stages and the extraction process is terminated when the route is extracted, the processing load can be reduced.

[0080] In the present embodiment, the case where the starting point and the ending point are different (no circular route) has been described as an example. However, the vehicle may also travel on a circular route. If the third table T3 contains multiple operating routes that include both boarding and disembarking points, these routes can be determined as circular routes. When the vehicle travels on a circular route, the operating route extraction unit 33 calculates the required time from the current location to the destination for each of the multiple operating routes, and determines the route with the shortest required time as the specific operating route. The required time can be calculated by extracting from the third table T3 the required time associated with the intermediate point where the destination is stored and the required time associated with the intermediate point where the current location is stored, and then calculating the difference between these. When the vehicle travels on a circular route, the operating route extraction unit 33 may calculate the arrival time for each of the multiple operating routes from the acquired starting time extracted from the second table T2 and the required time to the destination (the intermediate point where the destination is stored) extracted from the third table T3, and determine the route with the earliest arrival time as the specific operating route.

[0081] <Second embodiment> Next, an operation information management system 2 including an operation information management device according to a second embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same elements and structures as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0082] 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 2 including an operation information management device 30A according to the second embodiment. The operation information management system 2 includes a passenger terminal 10, an in-vehicle device 20, and the operation information management device 30A.

[0083] The traffic information management device 30A differs from the traffic information management device 30 in that the traffic information management device 30A acquires a specific traffic route based on data transmitted from a vehicle. The passenger terminal 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 are configured to be able to communicate with the traffic information management device 30A via a communication network such as a mobile communication network or wireless communication. The traffic information management device 30A may be installed in a location different from the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device 20 is installed, or some of its functions may be installed in the vehicle together with the in-vehicle device 20. Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 20 and the traffic information management device 30A may be realized by a single hardware configuration.

[0084] The in-vehicle device 20 is a device that is installed in a transportation vehicle and is capable of performing communication (for example, mobile communication). The in-vehicle device 20 mainly includes a vehicle information transmission unit 21 and a notification unit 23.

[0085] The vehicle information transmission unit 21 is a functional unit that communicates with the passenger terminal 10 and / or the operation information management device 30A and transmits and receives information. When the passenger terminal 10 approaches or contacts the contact area, the vehicle information transmission unit 21 transmits information about the vehicle's operation route (specific operation route) to the operation information management device 30A.

[0086] The vehicle information transmission unit 21 and the passenger terminal 10 may communicate with each other using wireless communication, for example, an appropriate short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or RFID technology.

[0087] The vehicle information transmission unit 21 may be housed in a housing having a contact area to which the passenger terminal 10 is brought close to or in contact with. The contact area of ​​the vehicle information transmission unit 21 is provided, for example, near the door of the vehicle (on the exterior wall or inside the vehicle). Note that a vehicle ID for passenger confirmation may be displayed near the contact area of ​​the vehicle information transmission unit 21.

[0088] The notification unit 23 is, for example, a device that issues an alarm inside the vehicle. The notification unit 23 notifies passengers whether or not the specific route includes their destination. The notification unit 23 includes, for example, a speaker or a display, and notifies passengers by voice, text, or video.

[0089] 7 is a diagram showing an outline of the electrical functional blocks of the traffic information control device 30A. The traffic information control device 30A mainly includes a destination information acquisition unit 31, a vehicle information acquisition unit 36, a determination unit 34, and a notification control unit 35A.

[0090] The vehicle information acquisition unit 36 ​​is a functional unit that acquires the specific operating route from the in-vehicle device 20 when communication between the passenger terminal 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 installed in the vehicle is triggered. When communication with the passenger terminal 10 is established or information is exchanged, the vehicle information transmission unit 21 transmits the specific operating route to the vehicle information acquisition unit 36, and the vehicle information acquisition unit 36 ​​receives it.

[0091] The vehicle information transmission unit 21 may transmit passenger destination information acquired through communication with the passenger terminal 10 together with the specified operating route to the vehicle information acquisition unit 36, and the destination information acquisition unit 31 may receive the destination information, and the vehicle information acquisition unit 36 ​​may receive the specified operating route. Even with this configuration, the operation information management device 30A can acquire the destination information and vehicle identification information to be checked in association with each other.

[0092] Similar to the notification control unit 35, the notification control unit 35A is a functional unit that outputs the determination result of whether or not a vehicle included in a captured image will arrive at the destination to the passenger terminal 10, and causes the passenger terminal 10 to notify the passenger terminal 10. Furthermore, the notification control unit 35A causes the passenger terminal 10 to issue a warning when it is estimated that a passenger holding the passenger terminal 10 has boarded a vehicle that will not reach the destination. Note that the notification control unit 35A may issue a warning not only via the passenger terminal 10, but also via the notification unit 23 of the in-vehicle device 20.

[0093] Furthermore, the notification control unit 35A may cause the passenger terminal 10 and / or the in-vehicle device 20 to issue a notification when communication between the passenger terminal 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 is established or when information is exchanged. The notification at this time is, for example, a notification indicating that communication between the passenger terminal 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 has been established. With this configuration, it becomes clear to the passengers that the in-vehicle device 20 of the vehicle is compatible with the operation information management system 2 and that it has been determined whether or not they have boarded the vehicle by mistake, which gives the passengers a sense of security. Furthermore, the owner of the passenger terminal 10 can tell from the absence of a notification that the operation information management system 2 is not compatible.

[0094] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow in which the traffic information control device 30A notifies the determination result. In Fig. 8, the process flow is explained using an example in which the owner of the passenger terminal 10 is waiting for a bus at a bus stop. Note that in the following explanation, the order of steps can be changed as appropriate.

[0095] (Step SP21) When the passenger terminal 10 and the vehicle information transmission unit 21 communicate with each other, the destination information acquisition unit 31 acquires the destination information from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP22.

[0096] (Step SP22) The vehicle information acquisition unit 36 ​​acquires the specific operating route from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP23.

[0097] (Step SP23) The notification control unit 35A notifies the passenger terminal 10 that communication between the passenger terminal 10 and the vehicle-mounted device 20 has been established or that information has been exchanged, via the vehicle-mounted device 20. This notification may be made via the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP24.

[0098] (Step SP24) The determination unit 34 determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route acquired from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to steps SP25 and SP26.

[0099] (Step SP25) The notification control unit 35A notifies the passenger terminal 10 of the determination result.

[0100] (Step SP26) The notification control unit 35A causes the notification unit 23 of the in-vehicle device 20 to notify the determination result.

[0101] According to this embodiment, passengers can be prevented from boarding the wrong vehicle in public transport. In particular, it is convenient for passengers because the operation information management device 30A can determine whether it is appropriate to board the vehicle simply by having the passenger terminal 10 communicate with the in-vehicle device 20. In addition, because the operation information management device 30A receives the specific operation route from the in-vehicle device 20, there is no risk of matching with the wrong vehicle.

[0102] In the present embodiment, the operation information management device 30A receives the specific operation route from the in-vehicle device 20, but the information that the operation information management device 30A receives from the in-vehicle device 20 is not limited to the specific operation route. For example, the operation information management device 30A may receive vehicle identification information from the in-vehicle device 20.

[0103] 9 is a diagram illustrating an outline of electrical functional blocks of an operation information management device 30B according to a modified example of the second embodiment and an operation information management system 2A including the operation information management device 30B. The operation information management system 2A includes a passenger terminal 10, an in-vehicle device 20, the operation information management device 30B, and an operation management DB 60.

[0104] Similar to the operation information management device 30A, the operation information management device 30B acquires a specific operation route based on data transmitted from a vehicle. The operation information management device 30B mainly includes a destination information acquisition unit 31, a vehicle information acquisition unit 36A, an operation route extraction unit 33A, a determination unit 34, and a notification control unit 35A.

[0105] The vehicle information acquisition unit 36A is a functional unit that, upon communication between the passenger terminal 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 mounted on the vehicle, acquires vehicle identification information or a travel route from the in-vehicle device 20. Upon establishment of communication with the passenger terminal 10 or exchange of information, the vehicle information transmission unit 21 transmits the vehicle identification information or the travel route to the vehicle information acquisition unit 36A, and the vehicle information acquisition unit 36A receives it.

[0106] When the vehicle information acquisition unit 36A acquires the vehicle identification information from the in-vehicle device 20, the vehicle information acquisition unit 36A outputs the vehicle identification information to the travel route extraction unit 33A.

[0107] The travel route extraction unit 33A extracts a specific travel route from the travel management DB 60 based on the vehicle identification information acquired from the vehicle information acquisition unit 36A. The process by which the travel route extraction unit 33A extracts a specific travel route from the travel management DB 60 is similar to that of the travel route extraction unit 33.

[0108] The processing flow of the operation information management device 30B is the same as that of the operation information management device 30A (see Fig. 8). In the case of the operation information management device 30B, in step SP24 of Fig. 8, the operation route extraction unit 33A extracts a specific operation route from the operation management DB 60, and the determination unit 34 determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route extracted from the operation management DB 60.

[0109] According to this modification, the operation information control device 30B can determine whether or not boarding is appropriate simply by having the passenger terminal 10 communicate with the in-vehicle device 20, so passengers can be easily prevented from boarding the wrong transportation means.

[0110] <Third embodiment> Next, an operation information management system 3 including an operation information management device according to a third embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same elements and structures as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0111] 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 3 including an operation information management device 30C according to the third embodiment. The operation information management system 3 includes a passenger terminal 10, an operation information management device 30C, and an operation management DB 60.

[0112] The operation information management device 30C differs from the operation information management device 30 according to the first embodiment in that it receives input of a vehicle ID from the passenger terminal 10 and extracts a route based on the vehicle ID. The operation information management device 30C mainly includes a destination information acquisition unit 31, a vehicle ID acquisition unit 37, a route extraction unit 33B, a determination unit 34, and a notification control unit 35A.

[0113] The vehicle ID acquisition unit 37 is a functional unit that receives input from the passenger terminal 10. A passenger inputs a vehicle ID that identifies a vehicle or a travel route into the passenger terminal 10. The vehicle ID is displayed in a manner that is visible to passengers, for example, on the outer surface of the vehicle or near the boarding / alighting door. In this embodiment, the vehicle ID is displayed as a character string. The vehicle ID acquisition unit 37 outputs the input vehicle ID to the travel route extraction unit 33.

[0114] The travel route extraction unit 33B extracts a specific travel route from the travel management DB 60 based on the vehicle ID acquired from the vehicle ID acquisition unit 37. The process by which the travel route extraction unit 33B extracts a specific travel route from the travel management DB 60 is similar to that of the travel route extraction unit 33.

[0115] Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow in which the traffic information control device 30C notifies the determination result. In Fig. 11, the process flow is explained using an example in which the owner of the passenger terminal 10 is waiting for a bus at a bus stop. In the following explanation, the order of steps can be changed as appropriate.

[0116] (Step SP31) The destination information acquisition unit 31 acquires the destination information from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP32.

[0117] (Step SP32) The vehicle ID acquisition unit 37 acquires the vehicle ID from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP33.

[0118] (Step SP33) The operation route extraction unit 33 extracts a specific operation route from the operation management DB 60 based on the vehicle ID. Then, the process proceeds to step SP34.

[0119] (Step SP34) The determination unit 34 determines whether the destination is included in the specific travel route, and the process then proceeds to step SP35.

[0120] (Step SP35) The notification control unit 35 notifies the passenger terminal 10 of the determination result in step SP34.

[0121] According to this embodiment, the vehicle's travel route can be accurately extracted based on the identification information displayed on the vehicle, thereby preventing passengers from boarding the wrong vehicle.

[0122] The above describes an embodiment of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are also included within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 1, 2, 2A, 3: Traffic information management system 10: Passenger terminal 11: Input section 12: Storage section 13: Imaging unit 14: Code reader 15: Communication processing unit 16: Display section 20: In-vehicle device 21: Vehicle information transmission unit 23: Information Department 30, 30A, 30B, 30C: Operation information management device 31: Destination information acquisition section 32: Vehicle image acquisition unit 33, 33A, 33B: Route extraction unit 34: Judgment section 35, 35A: Notification control unit 36, 36A: Vehicle information acquisition unit 37: Vehicle ID acquisition unit 50: Control device 52: Communication equipment 54: Storage device 58: Memory 60:Operation management DB

Claims

1. a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from the passenger terminal; a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires a specific driving route that is a driving route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route and the destination information; a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of a result of the determination made by the determination unit; Equipped with The vehicle information acquisition unit receives the specific travel route in response to communication between the passenger terminal and an in-vehicle device provided in the vehicle. An operation information management device characterized by:

2. 2. The operation information management device according to claim 1, which is connected to an operation management database in which information about operation routes is stored, a route extraction unit that extracts the specific route from the operation management database; the vehicle information acquisition unit acquires identification information of the vehicle; The operation route extraction unit extracts the specific operation route based on the identification information, The determination unit determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route extracted by the operation route extraction unit and the destination information. An operation information management device characterized by:

3. 3. The operation information management device according to claim 2, The operation route extraction unit extracts the specific operation route by referring to a date and / or a day of the week. An operation information management device characterized by:

4. 4. The operation information management device according to claim 1, When the destination is not included in the travel route, the notification control unit Issue a warning via the terminal An operation information management device characterized by:

5. 2. The operation information management device according to claim 1, The notification control unit controls the passenger terminal and / or the in-vehicle device to issue a notification when communication between the passenger terminal and the in-vehicle device is established or when information is exchanged between the passenger terminal and the in-vehicle device. An operation information management device characterized by:

6. a destination information acquisition step of acquiring destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle information acquisition step of acquiring a specific driving route, which is a driving route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle; a determining step of determining whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route and the destination information; a notification control step of notifying the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made in the determination step; Including, The vehicle information acquisition step receives the specific travel route in response to communication between the passenger terminal and an in-vehicle device provided in the vehicle. A method for managing operation information.

7. Computer, at least a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from the passenger terminal; a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires a specific driving route, which is a driving route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route and the destination information; a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the determination by the determination unit; It functions as The vehicle information acquisition unit receives the specific travel route in response to communication between the passenger terminal and an in-vehicle device provided in the vehicle. An operation information management program characterized by:

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