Vehicle allocation planning system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle dispatch planning system that creates an appropriate vehicle dispatch plan.SOLUTION: A vehicle dispatch planning system, which creates a vehicle dispatch plan for driving each of a plurality of vehicles in a vehicle dispatch service, includes: a variation index calculation unit that calculates a variation index that indicates the degree of variation in energy consumed by a vehicle; and a planning unit that creates, on the basis of the variation index, a vehicle dispatch plan. By allocating a vehicle with a large variation in energy consumption to a route with a short travel distance, the system creates an appropriate vehicle dispatch plan that reduces possibility that energy supply is required during provision of the dispatch service.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle dispatch planning system. [Background technology]

[0002] In a service in which multiple vehicles travel via predetermined routes, it is necessary to operate each vehicle as efficiently as possible while meeting user requests. Therefore, it has been proposed to prepare a vehicle allocation plan in advance, which is a plan for operating each of multiple vehicles, and to operate each vehicle according to the vehicle allocation plan. Patent Document 1 listed below describes a system that can create a vehicle allocation plan so as to reduce the total fuel consumption of each vehicle used in the route. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-28353 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the system described in Patent Document 1, vehicles with low fuel consumption rates are assigned to groups that require long distances to travel, and vehicles with high fuel consumption rates are assigned to groups that require short distances to travel, thereby reducing the total fuel consumption of each vehicle used in the patrol.

[0005] However, the fuel consumption rate of a vehicle is not always constant, but fluctuates depending on various factors such as the gradient of the road and whether or not there is traffic congestion. Furthermore, since there are various factors that can cause fluctuations, it is difficult to accurately predict the fuel consumption rate of a vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle dispatch planning method using the system described in Patent Document 1 may not be able to sufficiently reduce energy consumption, or may require refueling mid-trip, which may dissatisfy users.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a vehicle allocation plan creation system that can create an appropriate vehicle allocation plan. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle dispatch plan creation system according to the present disclosure is a vehicle dispatch plan creation system (10) that creates a vehicle dispatch plan, which is a plan for driving each of a plurality of vehicles (MV) in a vehicle dispatch service, and includes a fluctuation index calculation unit (12) that calculates a fluctuation index, which is an index that indicates the degree of fluctuation in energy consumed by the vehicle, and a plan creation unit (13) that creates a vehicle dispatch plan based on the fluctuation index.

[0008] The vehicle dispatch plan creation system configured as described above calculates a fluctuation index, which is an index that indicates the degree of fluctuation in the energy consumed by a vehicle, and creates a vehicle dispatch plan based on this fluctuation index. This makes it possible to create an appropriate vehicle dispatch plan, for example, by assigning a vehicle with large fluctuations in energy consumption to a route with a short driving distance, thereby reducing the possibility of needing to refuel during the provision of a vehicle dispatch service. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, a vehicle allocation plan creation system capable of creating an appropriate vehicle allocation plan is provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a vehicle dispatch service realized using a vehicle dispatch plan creation system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the vehicle allocation plan creation system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the fluctuation index. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the vehicle allocation plan creation system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a predicted change in speed when a vehicle is traveling. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the vehicle allocation plan creation system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the vehicle allocation plan creation system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same components in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0012] A vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 according to this embodiment is used for a vehicle dispatch service using a plurality of vehicles. Prior to describing the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10, an overview of the vehicle dispatch service will be described with reference to FIG.

[0013] This vehicle dispatch service transports goods according to the user's request by running multiple vehicles MV (not shown in FIG. 1, see FIG. 2) around predetermined stops. Note that the "goods" referred to here may be the users themselves (i.e., people) or non-human objects such as cargo. In the following, we will explain the case where the goods are people, and the goods will also be referred to as "passengers."

[0014] The vehicle MV may be a vehicle that runs on the driving force of an internal combustion engine, or may be a vehicle that runs on the driving force of a rotating electric machine. The vehicle MV may also be a hybrid vehicle equipped with both an internal combustion engine and a rotating electric machine. The multiple vehicles MV used in the vehicle dispatch service may include multiple types of vehicles.

[0015] 1 are the stops mentioned above, i.e., locations where a vehicle stops in a ride-hailing service and passengers can get on and off. Each stop will be referred to as "stop P0" or "stop P1" below.

[0016] In the example of Figure 1, all of the vehicles MV used in the ride-hailing service depart from stop P0 and head to stop P4, which is the final destination. Some of the vehicles MV travel along a route marked "R1", passing from stop P0 to stop P1 and then stop P4. Other vehicles MV travel along a route marked "R2", heading directly from stop P0 to stop P4. Other vehicles MV travel along a route marked "R3", passing from stop P0 to stop P2, stop P3, and stop P4 in that order. Users board the vehicles MV at any of the stops and disembark from the vehicles MV at any of the other stops.

[0017] In this way, in the example of Figure 1, all vehicles MV depart from stop P0, so stop P0 is labeled "Departure Point." Also, since users of the ride-hailing service get off vehicles MV at one of stops P1, P2, P3, or P4, stops P1, etc. are labeled with "Destination 1," "Destination 2," etc.

[0018] However, the above is merely an example, and the departure point, intermediate points, and final destination of a vehicle MV may be different for each of multiple vehicles MV used in a ride-hailing service. For example, a vehicle MV may depart from stop P2 first and travel to stop P0 as its final destination. Furthermore, if there are no users planning to get on or off at a particular stop, none of the vehicles MV may stop at that stop.

[0019] The route along which each of the multiple vehicles MV should travel is set each time according to the requests of users of the vehicle dispatch service. The vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 is a system for creating a vehicle dispatch plan, which is a plan for traveling each of the multiple vehicles MV, in advance of providing the vehicle dispatch service. The created vehicle dispatch plan includes a plan indicating which stops each of the multiple vehicles MV should pass through. The vehicle dispatch plan also includes a plan indicating how many passengers should get on and off at each stop. In other words, the vehicle dispatch plan also includes the range of the route each vehicle MV should travel with the transported goods on board.

[0020] It should be noted that when the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 creates a vehicle dispatch plan, the locations and number of stops P1 and the like are assumed to be fixed in advance. Furthermore, when an arbitrary pair of stops is selected, the roads that the vehicle MV should travel from one of the stops to the other are also assumed to be fixed in advance. Instead of this configuration, a configuration may be adopted in which multiple candidate roads that the vehicle MV should travel from one stop to the other are present in advance. In this case, the driver of the vehicle MV may be able to freely select which roads the vehicle MV should travel between the stops. In other words, the vehicle dispatch plan may specify only the stops that are the departure point, intermediate points, and destination for each vehicle MV, but may not specify the roads that should be taken between the stops.

[0021] In the following description, the term "route" will be used to refer to something specified by a combination of a departure point, a stopover point, and a destination.

[0022] The vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 according to this embodiment creates a vehicle dispatch plan based on reservation information input in advance by users so as to meet the requests of all users. Furthermore, the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 creates a vehicle dispatch plan so as to minimize the number of times and duration of refueling of each vehicle MV while providing a vehicle dispatch service.

[0023] The configuration of the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 is a computer system including a CPU, RAM, etc. (not shown), and is configured, for example, as a cloud server installed at a location separate from the vehicle dispatch service provider. Therefore, the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 according to this embodiment can create and provide vehicle dispatch plans individually for each of a plurality of vehicle dispatch service providers. Alternatively, the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 may be configured as a dedicated server used by a specific vehicle dispatch service provider.

[0024] The vehicle allocation planning system 10 includes a consumption energy calculation unit 11, a fluctuation index calculation unit 12, a plan creation unit 13, and a storage unit 14. These units each represent a schematic representation of the functions of the vehicle allocation planning system 10, and are shown as individual blocks in Fig. 2. However, at least some of the functions represented separately in each block may be realized by a common component (e.g., a CPU) in the vehicle allocation planning system 10.

[0025] The energy consumption calculation unit 11 is a part that performs processing to calculate the amount of energy consumed by the vehicle MV when providing a vehicle dispatch service (hereinafter also referred to as "energy consumption"). A specific method for calculating the energy consumption will be described later.

[0026] The fluctuation index calculation unit 12 is a part that performs processing to create a fluctuation index. The "fluctuation index" is an index that indicates the degree of fluctuation (or "variation") in the energy consumed by the vehicle MV when providing a vehicle dispatch service.

[0027] When a vehicle MV travels a specific route, the energy consumed by the vehicle MV is not always constant even if the route is the same, but fluctuates according to a probability distribution. FIG. 3 shows an example of such a probability distribution. The horizontal axis of FIG. 3 represents the amount of energy consumed by the vehicle MV, and the vertical axis represents the probability that the amount of energy consumed by the vehicle MV will be each value on the horizontal axis. For example, if the energy (electricity or fuel amount) stored in the vehicle MV is "E," the area of ​​the hatched region in FIG. 3 represents the possibility that the vehicle MV will run out of energy (i.e., will need to replenish energy) during the provision of a ride-hailing service.

[0028] In Figure 3, the minimum value in the fluctuation range of energy consumption is shown as "E1," and the maximum value in the fluctuation range is shown as "E2." The value obtained by subtracting E1 from E2, i.e., the fluctuation range of energy consumption, is shown as "W" in Figure 3.

[0029] For example, a vehicle MV with a shape that is susceptible to air resistance will have its energy consumption fluctuate more easily depending on the presence or absence of wind than a vehicle MV with a shape that is less susceptible to air resistance. As a result, the fluctuation range W shown in Figure 3 will be larger.

[0030] The fluctuation index calculation unit 12 of this embodiment calculates the magnitude of the fluctuation range W of the energy consumed by each vehicle MV used in the vehicle dispatch service, for example, by performing a simulation. In the above simulation, under the assumption that a specific factor among the fluctuation factors of the energy consumed by the vehicle MV varies within a predetermined range, the probability distribution shown in FIG. 3 is calculated to calculate the fluctuation range W. The fluctuation index calculation unit 12 calculates the value of the fluctuation range W obtained in this way as the "fluctuation index."

[0031] The "specific factor" may be one or more selected from a variety of factors. For example, specific factors include the route on which the vehicle MV travels, the running resistance experienced by the vehicle MV while traveling, the total weight of the vehicle MV while traveling, the temperature around the vehicle MV, the vehicle speed of the vehicle MV, and the energy consumed by auxiliary equipment (e.g., air conditioning equipment) installed on the vehicle MV. Note that the "route on which the vehicle MV travels" in the above context refers to changes in the road on which the vehicle MV travels between specific stops and changes in the road surface conditions of the road.

[0032] The fluctuation index calculation unit 12 may calculate the fluctuation index using the variance in the distribution of consumed energy as shown in Fig. 3, instead of the above fluctuation range W. In this case, too, the fluctuation index calculation unit 12 may calculate the probability distribution of consumed energy as shown in Fig. 3 under the assumption that the specific factor varies within a predetermined range, and calculate the value of the variance in the distribution as the fluctuation index. The value of the variance multiplied by a predetermined coefficient may be calculated as the fluctuation index.

[0033] As described above, the fluctuation index calculation unit 12 calculates a fluctuation index for each of a plurality of vehicles MV used in the vehicle dispatch service. In this case, the fluctuation index can be calculated as an index unique to each vehicle MV, and can be compared between vehicles MV without specifying a specific route.

[0034] Returning to Figure 2, the explanation will continue. The plan creation unit 13 is a part that performs processing to create a vehicle allocation plan based on the fluctuation index. As will be described later, the plan creation unit 13 of this embodiment creates a vehicle allocation plan so that vehicles MV whose fluctuation index is calculated to be a large value travel along routes that require less energy to travel, and vehicles MV whose fluctuation index is calculated to be a small value travel along routes that require more energy to travel.

[0035] In other words, if the routes included in the vehicle allocation plan include a first route and a second route that requires more energy to travel than the first route, the plan creation unit 13 creates a vehicle allocation plan so that the vehicle MV whose variation index is calculated to be a large value travels on the first route, and the vehicle MV whose variation index is calculated to be a small value travels on the second route.

[0036] The storage unit 14 is a non-volatile storage device, such as an HDD or SSD, included in the vehicle allocation plan creation system 10. The storage unit 14 stores, as a database, information required for the variation index calculation unit 12 to calculate the variation index of each vehicle MV, information required for the plan creation unit 13 to create a vehicle allocation plan, and the like.

[0037] The information stored in the memory unit 14 includes a correspondence between routes that may be included in the candidates for the vehicle dispatch plan (for example, routes that the vehicle MV may travel from stop P0 to stop P1 in FIG. 1) and the value (predicted value) of energy consumed when the vehicle MV travels along the route. The correspondence also includes the fluctuation range and variance of the energy consumption predicted under the assumption that the vehicle MV will travel along each route, that is, the value of the fluctuation index corresponding to each route.

[0038] The above-mentioned correspondence relationships are calculated in advance for each combination of any two stops and stored in the memory unit 14. A plurality of the above-mentioned correspondence relationships corresponding to each route are stored for each type of vehicle MV, and further, a plurality of correspondence relationships are stored for each weight of transported goods (occupants in this embodiment) in the vehicle MV. By calculating such correspondence relationships in advance and storing them in the memory unit 14, it becomes possible to create a vehicle dispatch plan in a relatively short time before starting to use the vehicle dispatch service. Note that, as will be explained later, some of the correspondence relationships stored in the memory unit 14 are updated each time based on traffic congestion information, etc.

[0039] FIG. 2 illustrates a mobile communication terminal 20, a business operator terminal 30, and an in-vehicle system 40 as devices capable of communicating with the vehicle allocation plan creation system 10.

[0040] The mobile communication terminal 20 is a communication terminal carried by a user of the vehicle dispatch service. The user operates the mobile communication terminal 20 to transmit reservation information for the vehicle dispatch service to the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10. The transmitted reservation information includes the number of passengers in the vehicle MV, the departure point, and the destination. Before the provision of the vehicle dispatch service begins, multiple pieces of reservation information are transmitted to the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10. The reservation information is stored in, for example, the memory unit 14. Note that if the transported item transported by the vehicle dispatch service is cargo rather than people, the reservation information also includes the weight of the cargo.

[0041] The business operator terminal 30 is a communication terminal owned by a business operator that provides a vehicle dispatch service. The business operator operates the business operator terminal 30 to have the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 create a vehicle dispatch plan and receive the vehicle dispatch plan. The business operator drives each vehicle MV according to the received vehicle dispatch plan, thereby providing a vehicle dispatch service.

[0042] The in-vehicle system 40 is a communication terminal mounted on each vehicle MV. The in-vehicle system 40 has a display screen (not shown). Specific instructions for driving the vehicle MV according to the vehicle dispatch plan are displayed on the display screen. The vehicle dispatch plan may be transmitted to the in-vehicle system 40 from the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 or from the business operator terminal 30.

[0043] A specific flow of processing performed by the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 to create a vehicle dispatch plan will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The series of processing shown in Fig. 4 is executed in advance by the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 at a point in time before the provision of the vehicle dispatch service is started. The series of processing shown in Fig. 4 may be executed only once during a period before the provision of the vehicle dispatch service is started, or may be executed repeatedly at predetermined intervals during that period.

[0044] In the first step S01, a process is performed to acquire route information for each route that may be included in the candidate routes for the vehicle allocation plan. Here, "route that may be included in the candidate routes for the vehicle allocation plan" refers to the route that connects any two stops (other stops may be included as intermediate stops). "Route information" refers to information that indicates the gradient and curvature at each point on the route. The route information may include only either the gradient or the curvature at each point. The route information including the gradient and curvature may also include the latitude, longitude, and altitude at each point along the route. The route information can be acquired, for example, by communication from an external server that provides map information.

[0045] In step S02 following step S01, a process is performed to acquire vehicle speed limit information for each route that may be included in the candidate vehicle dispatch plan. "Vehicle speed limit information" refers to information indicating the legal speed limit at each point on the route. The speed limit may change depending on the time of day, for example. The vehicle speed limit information can be acquired, for example, via communication from an external server that provides traffic information. The vehicle speed limit information may be acquired as predicted information indicating the speed limit when the vehicle dispatch service is provided (i.e., in the future), or may be acquired as information indicating the current speed limit.

[0046] In step S03 following step S02, a process is performed to acquire congestion information for each route that may be included in the candidate vehicle dispatch plan. "Congestion information" refers to information indicating the presence or absence and degree of congestion at each point along the route. The congestion information, together with the above-mentioned vehicle speed limit information, can be acquired, for example, via communication from an external server that provides traffic information. Alternatively, the congestion information may be acquired by predicting it from past history. The congestion information may be acquired as predicted information indicating the congestion situation at the time the vehicle dispatch service is provided (i.e., in the future), or may be acquired as information indicating the congestion situation at the current time.

[0047] In step S04 following step S03, a process is performed to predict the change in vehicle speed when the vehicle MV travels on each of the routes that may be included in the candidate routes for the vehicle dispatch plan. Here, a predicted value of the speed of the vehicle MV at each point along the route is calculated. The obtained series of data is stored in the memory unit 14 as a predicted change in speed on the route.

[0048] An example of the speed change prediction created in step S04 is shown in Figure 5. The horizontal axis of the figure represents the distance traveled by the vehicle MV along the road, i.e., the position of each point along the road. The vertical axis of the figure represents the speed of the vehicle MV at each point (i.e., vehicle speed).

[0049] The dotted line UL in FIG. 5 represents the vehicle speed limit information acquired in step S03. Furthermore, "D1," "D2," and "D3" written along the horizontal axis represent the locations of traffic lights. The speed change prediction in step S04 is basically performed under the condition that the vehicle MV travels at a speed as close as possible to the speed limit at each location and stops at the traffic light location with a predetermined probability. The above probability may be set based on the cycle information of each traffic light, or may be set as a uniform fixed value. The stopping time when the vehicle MV stops at the traffic light location may be set as a predicted value based on past history, or may be set as a uniform fixed value. The deceleration when the vehicle MV stops, the acceleration when transmitting, and the like may be set using predetermined fixed values.

[0050] Alternatively, in step S04, a traffic flow simulation may be performed on an external server, and a speed change prediction may be created based on the results of the simulation.

[0051] Returning to Figure 4, the explanation will continue. After the process of predicting a change in vehicle speed is performed in step S04, the process proceeds to step S05. In step S05, a process of acquiring various parameters of each vehicle MV used in the vehicle dispatch service is performed. The parameters acquired here include the weight of the vehicle MV, the power consumption of various accessories (e.g., air conditioning equipment) installed in the vehicle MV, the energy utilization efficiency of the vehicle MV, the body shape of the vehicle MV, the energy installed in the vehicle MV (specifically, the amount of fuel in the fuel tank and the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery), etc.

[0052] If the vehicle MV has an internal combustion engine, the above-mentioned "energy utilization efficiency" includes the engine's operating efficiency and power transmission efficiency. Also, if the vehicle MV has a rotating electric machine, the above-mentioned "energy utilization efficiency" includes the rotating electric machine's operating efficiency and power transmission efficiency. The power consumption of the power consuming devices installed in the vehicle MV can be calculated, for example, based on past history.

[0053] In step S06 following step S05, the energy consumption calculation unit 11 calculates the energy consumption when the vehicle MV travels along each of the routes that may be included in the candidate routes for the vehicle dispatch plan. The specific calculation method will be described below. The following equation (1) is the equation of motion for the vehicle MV.

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[0054] "F" on the left side of equation (1) drv "v(t)" represents the magnitude of the driving force to be generated by the internal combustion engine or rotating electric machine of the vehicle MV as a function of time (t). "m" in the first term on the right side of equation (1) is the weight of the vehicle MV including the load being carried. Also, v(t) in the same term represents the speed of the vehicle MV as a function of time (t), and the predicted change in speed created in step S04 of Figure 4 is used as v(t).

[0055] The second term on the right side of equation (1) is "F r (v(t))" is the external force that the vehicle MV experiences when traveling, specifically the sum of rolling resistance and air resistance, expressed as a function of the speed v(t). r (v(t)) can be calculated using an equation previously obtained through experiments, for example. r In calculating (v(t)), the parameters of the vehicle MV (for example, the vehicle body shape, etc.) acquired in step S05 of FIG. 4 can be used.

[0056] The "g" in the third term on the right-hand side of equation (1) represents the acceleration due to gravity. Also, θ(t) in the same term represents the angle of the vehicle MV with respect to the horizontal plane as a function of time (t). θ(t) is positive when the vehicle MV is traveling uphill and negative when traveling downhill. This third term on the right-hand side corresponds to the component of gravity acting along the direction of travel of the vehicle MV, depending on the gradient of the route the vehicle MV is traveling.

[0057] The fourth term on the right side of equation (1) is "F c F (t) represents the increase in rolling resistance applied to the vehicle MV as a function of time (t) when the vehicle MV travels along a curved path. c The value of (t) varies depending on the speed and the curvature of the path, and can be calculated using, for example, a known formula. c (t) may be calculated using an equation previously determined by, for example, an experiment.

[0058] The power that the internal combustion engine of the vehicle MV should output at each time (the work that should be output per unit time) is defined as "P drv (t)」, then P drv (t) can be calculated using the following formula (2).

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[0059] The second term on the right side of equation (2) is "P aux" represents the power required to operate various auxiliary devices (e.g., air conditioners) installed in the vehicle MV. Therefore, P drv (t) is the sum of the power required to run the vehicle MV at a speed of v(t) and the power required to operate various auxiliary devices.

[0060] In this way, P drv (t) can be calculated using the road information (road gradient and curvature) acquired in step S01 of Fig. 4, the predicted change in speed (v(t)) calculated in step S04 of Fig. 3, and the parameters of the vehicle MV (weight m, power consumption of auxiliary equipment, etc.) acquired in step S05 of Fig. 4. Note that if the road information does not include either the road gradient or curvature, and some of the terms on the right side of equation (1) cannot be calculated, the relevant term is set to 0, and F drv (t) may be calculated, and the missing value of the slope and curvature may be set to a predetermined fixed value. drv (t) may be calculated.

[0061] If the vehicle MV is a vehicle that runs on the driving force of an internal combustion engine, the fuel energy consumed per unit time, "P fuel " can be calculated using the following formula (3).

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[0062] The numerator on the right side of equation (3) is "P drv " is calculated using equation (2) drv (t). η in the denominator on the right side of equation (3) eng (P eng ) represents the operating efficiency of the internal combustion engine and is set to a value smaller than 1. eng (P eng ) is the output power of the internal combustion engine, P eng It can be expressed as a function of , or it can be a constant value. mec represents the power transmission efficiency between the internal combustion engine and the wheels, and ηeng (P eng ), a value less than 1 is set.

[0063] Equation (3) applies when the vehicle MV is equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and power is transmitted with maximum efficiency. In a vehicle in which the gear ratio of the vehicle MV can be changed stepwise, η mec Using an equation that expresses how P changes depending on specific parameters, fuel In any case, η in Eq. (3) can be calculated. eng yaη mec A value or formula previously determined by an experiment or the like can be used as the value.

[0064] P calculated by equation (3) fuel represents the energy consumed per unit time when the vehicle MV travels along the road. fuel The energy consumption of the vehicle MV can be calculated by integrating the above equation over the time it takes for the vehicle MV to travel along the road.

[0065] When the vehicle MV is a vehicle that runs using the driving force of a rotating electric machine, the energy consumed per unit time, "P ecl " can be calculated using the following formula (4).

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[0066] P drv When P is a negative value, the vehicle MV performs so-called "regenerative braking." At this time, when the electric power generated by the rotating electric machine is stored in the storage battery, P ecl In consideration of this possibility, in equation (4), P drv is 0 or more (upper row) and other cases (lower row), and P ecl The formula is shown.

[0067] The right side of equation (4) is "η mot (N mot,T mot ) is the operating efficiency of a rotating electrical machine, expressed as the rotation speed of the rotating electrical machine, N mot and the torque of the rotating electrical machine, T mot and is expressed as a function of η mot (N mot ,T mot ) is set to a value smaller than 1. Similarly, η mec represents the power transmission efficiency between the rotating electric machine and the wheels, and η mot (N mot ,T mot ), it is set to a value smaller than 1. mot (N mot ,T mot ) and η mec A value or formula previously determined by an experiment or the like can be used as the value.

[0068] Also, P on the right side of equation (4) btl is the loss when power is input / output to / from the storage battery installed in the vehicle MV. P btl can be calculated using the following equation (5) according to Ohm's law.

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[0069] The right side of equation (5) is "R bat " is the internal resistance of the battery. "V bat " is the terminal voltage of the battery. "P bat " is the output power from the storage battery, that is, the value of the electrical energy input / output from the storage battery per unit time. P bat can be calculated using the following equation (6).

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[0070] The right side of equation (6) is "η mot " is the previously mentioned η mot (N mot ,T mot) on the right side. drv " is calculated using equation (2) drv (t)

[0071] P calculated by equation (4) ecl represents the energy consumed per unit time when the vehicle MV travels along the road. ecl The energy consumption of the vehicle MV can be calculated by integrating the above equation over the time it takes for the vehicle MV to travel along the road.

[0072] 4, by appropriately using the above formulas (1) to (6), the value of the energy consumption when the vehicle MV travels on each of the routes that may be included in the candidate vehicle dispatch plan is calculated. The correspondence between each route and the energy consumption is stored in the storage unit 14 as described above.

[0073] The correspondence between each route and the evaluation index differs depending on the vehicle MV. Therefore, the consumed energy calculation unit 11 of this embodiment calculates multiple correspondence relationships between each route and consumed energy for each type of vehicle MV and stores them in the storage unit 14.

[0074] Furthermore, the weight (m) of the vehicle MV differs depending on the vehicle MV, but also differs depending on the weight of the goods being transported by the vehicle MV. For this reason, the energy consumption calculation unit 11 of this embodiment sets multiple weights for one vehicle MV, calculates multiple correspondence relationships for each weight, and stores these in the memory unit 14.

[0075] As a result, the memory unit 14 stores multiple values ​​of energy consumption corresponding to each road for each type of vehicle MV, and also stores multiple values ​​for each weight of the vehicle MV including the transported goods (in this embodiment, the occupants).

[0076] The value of the consumed energy calculated in step S06 may be calculated as the minimum value, the maximum value, the intermediate value, or the average value within a range of possible values. The value of the consumed energy to be calculated can be appropriately set depending on the values ​​of the parameters input for the calculation.

[0077] In step S07 following step S06, the fluctuation index calculation unit 12 performs a process of calculating a fluctuation index. As described above, the fluctuation index calculation unit 12 performs a simulation under the assumption that fluctuation factors of consumed energy change, calculates a probability distribution of consumed energy as shown in FIG. 3, and calculates the fluctuation width W and variance values ​​as "fluctuation indexes." In calculating the fluctuation index, for example, θ(t) and F in equation (1) are used. c The fluctuation range and variance, i.e., fluctuation index, may be calculated by calculating the energy consumption using equations (3) and (4) while changing the value of (t) as a fluctuation factor. The fluctuation index may be calculated not as the fluctuation range or variance as described above, but as, for example, a fluctuation rate from the average energy consumption. The fluctuation index calculated for each vehicle MV is stored in the memory unit 14.

[0078] The calculation of the fluctuation index in step S07 may be performed simultaneously with the calculation of the consumed energy in step S06. For example, when calculating the consumed energy, the fluctuation index may be calculated simultaneously with the consumed energy by using multiple levels of various parameters (within the range of possible fluctuations).

[0079] As described above, the series of processes shown in Fig. 4 is executed before the start of provision of the vehicle dispatch service. As a result, the information required to create a vehicle dispatch plan is calculated in advance and stored in the storage unit 14.

[0080] It is preferable that the information always reflects the latest status as much as possible. Therefore, the series of processes shown in Fig. 4 may be repeatedly executed every time a certain time elapses. This allows the information such as the correspondence stored in the storage unit 14 to be updated each time based on the latest congestion information, speed limit information, etc.

[0081] The vehicle allocation plan is created by the plan creation unit 13 immediately before the scheduled time when the vehicle allocation service is to be executed, based on the information stored in the storage unit 14. The specific flow of processing performed by the plan creation unit 13 to create the vehicle allocation plan will be described with reference to FIG.

[0082] In the first step S11, a process is performed to read the correspondences stored in the database of the storage unit 14. Here, the correspondences between the routes that may be included in the candidates for the vehicle dispatch plan and the energy consumption when the vehicle MV travels on the routes are read from the storage unit 14.

[0083] In step S12 following step S11, all reservation information that has been input by users up to that point is read from the storage unit 14. This reads information such as the number of people, departure point, and destination when each user uses the vehicle dispatch service.

[0084] In step S13 following step S12, a process of reading vehicle information is performed. "Vehicle information" is information that identifies vehicles MV that are available at the time the vehicle dispatch service is provided. For example, vehicles MV that are undergoing maintenance or vehicles MV whose storage batteries are being charged cannot be used to provide the vehicle dispatch service, and are therefore excluded from the available vehicles MV.

[0085] In step S14 following step S13, a process of reading constraint conditions is performed. "Constraint conditions" are conditions that are applied when the plan creation unit 13 creates a vehicle dispatch plan. For example, if a part of a route is impassable due to construction or the like, a constraint condition is set that the route is not to be taken. Also, if a part of a route is one-way during a specific time period, a constraint condition is set that the route is not to be reversed. Note that the condition that all users should be able to reach their desired destinations from their respective departure points is also naturally set as a constraint condition.

[0086] In addition, the final stop of each vehicle MV may be set as an additional constraint, in order to prevent a large number of vehicles MV from gathering at a certain stop when the provision of the ride-hailing service is completed. Also, for example, if geofencing is applied to a certain area and only electric vehicles are permitted to travel in that area, a constraint may be set that only permitted vehicles MV travel in that area.

[0087] In step S15 following step S14, routes corresponding to all of the reservation information input in step S12, i.e., multiple routes along which the vehicle MV should travel, are set. Then, the energy required to run the vehicle MV for each route is calculated. The "vehicle MV" used in this calculation may be, for example, one of multiple vehicles MV used in a ride-hailing service, or may be a virtual vehicle MV that does not actually exist. In either case, in step S12, the value of the energy required for the vehicle MV to travel along each set route is calculated individually using a common vehicle MV. As a result, the energy required for travel is set for each set route, making it possible to compare the required energy between different routes.

[0088] In step S16 following step S15, a process is performed in which vehicles MV to be driven are assigned to each route set in step S15. Here, vehicles MV are assigned to each route so that vehicles MV calculated with a large fluctuation index travel on routes requiring less energy to drive, and vehicles MV calculated with a small fluctuation index travel on routes requiring more energy to drive. The vehicle allocation plan determined in this manner is the vehicle allocation plan created by vehicle allocation plan creation system 10, i.e., the vehicle allocation plan actually used for the vehicle allocation service.

[0089] In step S17 following step S16, the vehicle allocation plan determined in step S16 is transmitted to each of the business operator terminal 30 and the in-vehicle system 40. Thereafter, a vehicle allocation service is provided in accordance with the vehicle allocation plan.

[0090] A vehicle MV with a relatively large fluctuation index has a large fluctuation range W in Fig. 3. Therefore, if the energy E stored in the vehicle MV is constant, the area of ​​the hatched region in Fig. 3, i.e., the possibility that the vehicle MV will run out of energy (i.e., require energy replenishment), becomes large.

[0091] Therefore, the vehicle allocation plan creation system 10 according to this embodiment allocates vehicles MV with relatively large fluctuation indexes to routes that require less energy for travel. This shifts the probability distribution shown in Fig. 3 to the left, thereby reducing the possibility that the vehicles MV will run out of energy.

[0092] In this way, the vehicle allocation plan creation system 10 according to this embodiment is capable of creating an appropriate vehicle allocation plan so as to reduce the possibility of the vehicles MV running out of energy.

[0093] The above describes an example in which some of the calculations required to create a vehicle dispatch plan are performed in advance, and the obtained correspondences and the like are stored in the storage unit 14. However, if the vehicle dispatch plan creation system 10 has a sufficient processing speed, all of the processes shown in Figures 4 and 5 may be performed immediately before the start of a vehicle dispatch service. In this case, the process performed in step S08 in Figure 4 is unnecessary.

[0094] In the above, various parameters of the vehicle MV (η eng An example has been described in which energy consumption and the like are calculated by specific calculations based on conditions such as the road gradient and the like. However, calculation of energy consumption and the like may be performed by a different method. For example, machine learning such as a neural network may be used to calculate the energy consumption and fluctuation indexes of each vehicle MV, and an appropriate vehicle dispatch plan may be determined based on these.

[0095] The second embodiment will be described below. Differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described below, and descriptions of commonalities with the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0096] This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the content of the processing performed by the plan creation unit 13. The series of processing shown in Fig. 7 is executed by the plan creation unit 13 of this embodiment instead of the series of processing shown in Fig. 6.

[0097] Of this processing, the processing from step S11 to step S14 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 6. After the processing of reading the constraint conditions in step S14, the process proceeds to step S25 in this embodiment.

[0098] In step S25, the plan creation unit 13 creates multiple vehicle allocation plan candidates based on the various information and constraint conditions read in the previous steps. The plan creation unit 13 may create all vehicle allocation plans that can be realized under the constraint conditions as candidates, or may create only a certain number of vehicle allocation plans that satisfy the constraint conditions as candidates.

[0099] In step S26 following step S25, the plan creation unit 13 calculates a service index for each of the vehicle dispatch plans created in step S25. The "service index" is an index that indicates the degree of satisfaction of users of the vehicle dispatch service. In this embodiment, the service index is calculated as the probability that all vehicles MV can provide the vehicle dispatch service without needing to be refueled along the way.

[0100] For example, for each vehicle MV, the probability distribution of energy consumption as shown in Fig. 3 is calculated, and then the probability that the vehicle MV will reach its destination without being refueled with energy (the probability corresponding to the area excluding the hatched part in Fig. 3) is calculated based on the amount of energy E loaded on the vehicle MV. Based on the probability thus obtained, the probability that all vehicles MV can provide a ride-hailing service without being refueled with energy along the way can be calculated as the above-mentioned service index.

[0101] In step S27 following step S26, it is determined whether or not there is any dispatch plan among the plurality of dispatch plans created in step S25 whose calculated service index value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (for example, 90%). If such a dispatch plan exists, the process proceeds to step S28.

[0102] In step S28, one vehicle dispatch plan is selected based on the selection index from among the plurality of vehicle dispatch plans whose service index values ​​are equal to or greater than the threshold. This vehicle dispatch plan is determined as the final vehicle dispatch plan. In this embodiment, the total amount of energy consumed by all vehicles MV in providing the vehicle dispatch service is used as the "selection index." In other words, among the plurality of vehicle dispatch plans whose service index values ​​are equal to or greater than the threshold, the vehicle dispatch plan that minimizes the total amount of energy consumed is selected and determined as the final vehicle dispatch plan.

[0103] In this manner, the plan creation unit 13 of the present embodiment determines a final vehicle dispatch plan from among multiple vehicle dispatch plan candidates whose service index values ​​are calculated to be higher than a predetermined value. At this time, if there are multiple candidates whose service index values ​​are calculated to be higher than the predetermined value, the plan creation unit 13 determines a final vehicle dispatch plan from among the candidates based on a selection index other than the service index. As the selection index, the total amount of energy consumed by all vehicles MV in providing the vehicle dispatch service is used, but a different index may also be used. For example, the amount of CO2 emitted from all vehicles MV in providing the vehicle dispatch service, fuel costs, etc. may also be used as the selection index. In either case, the plan creation unit 13 determines the candidate with the smallest selection index as the final vehicle dispatch plan.

[0104] In step S27, if there is no dispatch plan in which the value of the service index is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S29. In step S29, the dispatch plan with the highest calculated service index value among all the dispatch plans created in step S25 is determined to be the final dispatch plan.

[0105] When the final vehicle dispatch plan is determined in step S28 or step S29, the process proceeds to step S17. Here, as in the first embodiment, the process transmits the finally determined vehicle dispatch plan to each of the business operator terminal 30 and the in-vehicle system 40. In this way, the plan creation unit 13 of this embodiment determines the final vehicle dispatch plan from among multiple candidates based on the service index, which is an index indicating the degree of satisfaction of users of the vehicle dispatch service. This makes it possible to prevent situations in which users of the vehicle dispatch service are dissatisfied.

[0106] After step S26, the vehicle allocation plan may always be determined by the processing of step S29 without going through step S27. In this case, the plan creation unit 13 determines the vehicle allocation plan with the highest calculated service index value among multiple vehicle allocation plan candidates as the final vehicle allocation plan.

[0107] An index other than that of this embodiment may be used as the service index. For example, an index (e.g., the reciprocal of the total time) that decreases as the total time obtained by adding up the time for which the vehicles MV receive energy refueling along the way for all the vehicles MV increases may be used as the service index. Also, an index that decreases when energy refueling is required for a large vehicle (which takes time and effort) may be used as the service index compared to when energy refueling is required for a small vehicle.

[0108] The present embodiment has been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific examples. Design modifications to these specific examples made by a person skilled in the art as appropriate are also included within the scope of the present disclosure as long as they comprise the features of the present disclosure. The elements of the above-described specific examples, as well as their arrangement, conditions, shape, etc., are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. The elements of the above-described specific examples can be combined in various ways as appropriate, as long as no technical contradictions arise.

[0109] The control device and control method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. The control device and control method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor including one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. The control device and control method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions with a processor including one or more hardware logic circuits. The computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium. The dedicated hardware logic circuit and the hardware logic circuit may be implemented by a digital circuit including multiple logic circuits or an analog circuit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] MV: Vehicle 10: Vehicle dispatch planning system 12: Fluctuation index calculation section 13: Planning Department

Claims

1. A vehicle dispatch plan creation system (10) that creates a vehicle dispatch plan, which is a plan for driving each of a plurality of vehicles (MVs) in a vehicle dispatch service, comprising: a fluctuation index calculation unit (12) that calculates a fluctuation index, which is an index that indicates the degree of fluctuation in energy consumed by the vehicle; a plan creation unit (13) that creates the vehicle allocation plan based on the fluctuation index, The fluctuation index calculation unit The fluctuation index is calculated as a fluctuation range of the energy consumed by the vehicle or a variance in the distribution of the energy when a specific factor among fluctuation factors of the energy consumed by the vehicle changes, The specific factors are: A vehicle dispatch plan creation system including at least one of the route on which the vehicle travels, the running resistance experienced by the vehicle while traveling, the total weight of the vehicle while traveling, the temperature around the vehicle, the vehicle speed, and the energy consumed by auxiliary equipment installed in the vehicle.

2. A vehicle dispatch plan creation system (10) that creates a vehicle dispatch plan, which is a plan for driving each of a plurality of vehicles (MVs) in a vehicle dispatch service, comprising: a fluctuation index calculation unit (12) that calculates a fluctuation index, which is an index that indicates the degree of fluctuation in energy consumed by the vehicle; a plan creation unit (13) that creates the vehicle allocation plan based on the fluctuation index, the fluctuation index calculation unit calculates the fluctuation index for each of the plurality of vehicles; The plan creation unit the vehicle for which the fluctuation index is calculated as a large value travels along a first route; A vehicle allocation plan creation system that creates the vehicle allocation plan so that the vehicle whose fluctuation index is calculated to be a small value travels on a second route that requires more energy to travel than the first route.

3. the fluctuation index calculation unit calculates the fluctuation index for each of the plurality of vehicles; The plan creation unit the vehicle for which the fluctuation index is calculated as a large value travels along a first route; 2. The vehicle allocation plan creation system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle allocation plan is created so that the vehicle for which the fluctuation index is calculated as a small value travels on a second route that requires more energy to travel than the first route.

4. The plan creation unit Creating a plurality of candidates for the vehicle dispatch plan; 2. The vehicle allocation plan creation system according to claim 1, wherein the final vehicle allocation plan is determined from among the plurality of candidates based on a service index, which is an index indicating a degree of satisfaction of users of the vehicle allocation service.

5. The vehicle dispatch plan creation system according to claim 4 , wherein the service index is calculated as a probability that all of the vehicles can provide the vehicle dispatch service without needing to refuel along the way.

6. The plan creation unit The vehicle allocation plan creation system according to claim 5 , wherein the vehicle allocation plan candidate with the highest calculated service index value is determined as the final vehicle allocation plan.

7. The plan creation unit The vehicle allocation plan creation system according to claim 5, wherein the final vehicle allocation plan is determined from among the plurality of vehicle allocation plan candidates for which the service index value is calculated to be higher than a predetermined value.

8. If there are a plurality of candidates whose service index values ​​are calculated to be higher than the predetermined value, The vehicle allocation plan creation system according to claim 7 , wherein the plan creation unit determines the final vehicle allocation plan from among the candidates based on a selection index different from the service index.

9. The selection index is a total amount of energy consumed by all of the vehicles when providing the vehicle dispatch service, The vehicle allocation plan creation system according to claim 8 , wherein the plan creation unit determines the candidate for which the selection index is calculated to be the smallest as the final vehicle allocation plan.

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