Vehicle management device and vehicle management method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle management device and a vehicle management method with which it is possible to suppress a decrease in the efficiency of services with respect to maintenance.SOLUTION: In a vehicle management system for dispatched vehicles, a vehicle management device 10 included in a server 1, manages maintenance timings of a plurality of dispatched vehicles 20 by: acquiring vehicle information that indicates each travel distance of each dispatched vehicle 20 from a plurality of dispatched vehicles 20; calculating one or more dispersions in a total of the travel distances and / or a total travel time among the plurality of dispatched vehicles 20; comparing the one or more calculated dispersion with one or more permissible dispersion values that have variance and correlation of timing at which maintenance of the dispatched vehicles 20 is carried out and define a permissible value of dispersion; determining whether or not magnitude of the dispersion deviates from the permissible value of dispersion; and adjusting a target travel distance and / or a target travel time of a dispatched vehicle 20 whose magnitude of the dispersion deviates from the permissible value of dispersion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle management device and a vehicle management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Schedule management systems that prevent vehicle operation efficiency from being significantly reduced due to vehicle maintenance are known (for example, Patent Document 1). The schedule management system described in Patent Document 1 includes a mobile object management unit that manages the schedule of a mobile object, a necessity determination unit that determines whether mobile object maintenance is necessary, and a work time estimation unit that estimates the work time for the mobile object maintenance. When it is determined that mobile object maintenance is necessary, the mobile object management unit has a workable period extraction unit that references a mobile object schedule storage unit that stores information indicating the schedule for the mobile object, and extracts a workable period in which the work time estimated by the work time estimation unit can be secured. The mobile object management unit stores information indicating that mobile object maintenance is scheduled within the workable period in the mobile object schedule storage unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-166760 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the schedule management system adjusts the maintenance schedule for each vehicle, not for multiple vehicles, resulting in a problem of reduced service efficiency when multiple vehicles require maintenance at the same time.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vehicle management device and a vehicle management method that can suppress a decrease in the efficiency of maintenance services. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by acquiring vehicle information from a plurality of dispatched vehicles, calculating the variation in total travel distance and / or total travel time among the plurality of dispatched vehicles, comparing the calculated variation with an allowable variation value that is correlated with the variance in the timing of maintenance of the dispatched vehicles and that defines an allowable value of variation, determining whether the magnitude of the variation deviates from the allowable variation value, and adjusting the target travel distance and / or target travel time of dispatched vehicles whose magnitude of variation deviates from the allowable variation value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress a decrease in service efficiency during maintenance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a vehicle management system for dispatched vehicles in this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the vehicle control device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control flow of the maintenance cycle setting unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(a) is a graph showing the relationship between the service period and the total distance traveled, and FIG. 4(b) is a graph showing the relationship between the service period and the purpose of use. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] First Embodiment An embodiment of a vehicle management system for managing maintenance of dispatched vehicles according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the vehicle management system according to this embodiment. Dispatched vehicles managed by the vehicle management system according to this embodiment have a maintenance cycle set according to their total mileage or total driving time. Maintenance is performed when the vehicle's operating mileage (total mileage) or operating time (service period, total driving time) reaches the maintenance cycle. If the length of the maintenance cycle were constant for each vehicle, maintenance would be concentrated, potentially resulting in multiple vehicles undergoing maintenance at the same time and reducing the efficiency of maintenance services. Therefore, the vehicle management system distributes the timing of maintenance by limiting the operating mileage or driving time until maintenance for each vehicle. In other words, the vehicle management system calculates the variation in total mileage and / or total driving time among multiple dispatched vehicles, and if the magnitude of the variation deviates from the allowable variation value, it adjusts the target mileage and / or target driving time for dispatched vehicles with large variations to prevent bias in the distribution of the variation. The vehicle management system also sets the use of the dispatched vehicle in order to adjust the travel distance or travel time of the dispatched vehicle according to the target travel distance or target travel time.

[0010] The vehicle management system according to this embodiment is a system used by taxi companies, rental car companies, car sharing businesses, etc., and is a system for managing vehicles used by an unspecified number of users. As shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle management system according to this embodiment includes a server 1 and multiple dispatched vehicles 20. The server 1 includes a vehicle management device 10 and a communication device 19. The vehicle management device 10 is a controller that manages the multiple dispatched vehicles 20 and includes a read-only memory (ROM) storing programs, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes the programs to perform various functions, and a random access memory (RAM). The vehicle management device 10 has various functions for managing the dispatched vehicles 20 so as to distribute the timing of maintenance for the multiple dispatched vehicles 20. The vehicle management device 10 includes functional blocks for executing the various functions, such as an information acquisition unit 11, a calculation unit 12, a determination unit 13, a maintenance management unit 14, a usage setting unit 15, a maintenance cycle setting unit 16, and a dispatch processing unit 17. The vehicle control device 10 is not limited to the functions of the information acquisition unit 11 and the like, and may have other functions.

[0011] The information acquisition unit 11 acquires vehicle information from multiple dispatch vehicles 20 via the communication device 19. The vehicle information includes information indicating the mileage and / or driving time of the dispatch vehicles 20. The vehicle information includes information regarding the maintenance cycle, maintenance history information, etc. The maintenance cycle is a period set appropriately by the administrator of the vehicle management system, such as three months or six months, or a period set to correspond to the statutory maintenance period. When the timing indicated by the maintenance cycle arrives, the administrator of the dispatch vehicles 20 performs maintenance. The maintenance history is indicated by the date on which the maintenance was performed.

[0012] The calculation unit 12 calculates the variation in total traveling distance and / or total traveling time among the plurality of dispatch vehicles 20 based on the traveling distance and / or traveling time of the dispatch vehicles 20. The calculation unit 12 calculates the difference in total traveling distance of the dispatch vehicles 20 as the variation in total traveling distance. The calculation unit 12 calculates the total traveling distance of the plurality of dispatch vehicles 20 based on the traveling distance included in the vehicle information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11. Note that the calculation unit 12 may calculate the total traveling time of the plurality of dispatch vehicles 20 based on the traveling time included in the vehicle information, and when the vehicle information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 includes the total traveling distance or total traveling time of the dispatch vehicles 20, the calculation unit 12 may calculate the total traveling distance or total traveling time of each vehicle from the vehicle information.

[0013] The travel distance and / or travel time of each dispatch vehicle 20 varies. Because maintenance of the dispatch vehicles 20 is performed according to the total travel distance and / or total travel time of the dispatch vehicles 20, the variation in the total travel distance and / or total travel time correlates with the variation in the timing of maintenance. That is, in this embodiment, the total travel distance and / or total travel distance of each vehicle is managed to determine when maintenance will occur, and the total travel distance and / or the variation in the total travel distance are calculated to further distribute the timing of maintenance. Note that, although the following description will discuss a control function or control method for dispersing the timing of maintenance, the control function or control method for dispersing the timing of maintenance is not limited to travel distance, and may also use travel time. That is, the control function or control method for dispersing the timing of maintenance according to travel time can be achieved by replacing the travel distance and total travel distance in the following description with travel time and total travel time.

[0014] The determination unit 13 compares the allowable variation value with the variation calculated by the calculation unit 12 and determines whether the magnitude of the variation deviates from the allowable variation value. The allowable variation value is correlated with the variance of the timing of maintenance of the dispatched vehicle 20 and is a threshold that defines an allowable value of the variation. In other words, the allowable variation value corresponds to a standard normal distribution of the variation of the total traveling distance and / or the total traveling time in order to diversify the timing of maintenance of the dispatched vehicle 20 performed according to the total traveling distance and / or the total traveling time. Note that the allowable variation value does not necessarily have to be a standard normal distribution of the variation of the total traveling distance, and may have a predetermined width relative to the standard normal distribution. Furthermore, the allowable variation value does not necessarily have to be a value, but may be specified as a range.

[0015] The maintenance management unit 14 manages the timing of maintenance of multiple dispatch vehicles 20 by adjusting the target traveling distance and / or the target traveling time of the dispatch vehicles 20 whose variation deviates from the allowable variation value. The target traveling distance and / or the target traveling time are target values ​​for the dispatch vehicles 20 to travel during the maintenance cycle, and are expressed as either the traveling distance or the traveling time. The maintenance management unit 14 calculates the target traveling distance and / or the target traveling time of the dispatch vehicles 20 so that the deviation of the variation from the allowable variation value is reduced. In other words, the maintenance management unit 14 adjusts the target traveling distance and / or the target traveling time of the dispatch vehicles 20 so that the difference value of the total traveling distance of the dispatch vehicles 20 approaches or coincides with the allowable difference value corresponding to the allowable variation value. The dispatch vehicles 20 travel in accordance with the adjusted target traveling distance and / or target traveling time. Then, maintenance of the dispatched vehicle 20 is performed at the timing indicated by the maintenance cycle. The maintenance cycle is set by the maintenance cycle setting unit 16, which will be described later, according to the total traveling distance of the dispatched vehicle 20. In other words, adjusting the target traveling distance and / or the target traveling time corresponds to controlling the timing of maintenance.

[0016] The maintenance management unit 14 notifies the dispatched vehicle 20 that it is time for maintenance, in accordance with the maintenance cycle set for each dispatched vehicle 20. The maintenance management unit 14 notifies the dispatched vehicle 20 that is the maintenance target and the manager who manages the dispatched vehicle 20 that maintenance is required.

[0017] The usage purpose setting unit 15 sets the usage purpose of the dispatch vehicle 20 according to the target driving distance and / or target driving time of the dispatch vehicle 20 adjusted by the maintenance management unit 14. The usage purpose is determined based on the driving mode of the dispatch vehicle so that the stop time per predetermined period differs depending on the usage purpose. For example, if the business using the vehicle management system is a taxi, the usage purpose is categorized into "standby operation," "normal operation," and "driving operation." "Standby operation" is a business form in which the vehicle waits at a designated taxi stand, such as a rotary in front of a station, and waits for customers. "Driving operation" is a business form in which the vehicle does not spend much time waiting for customers, as in "standby operation," but instead drives around looking for customers who want to board. "Normal operation" is a business form that combines both "standby operation" and "driving operation." "Standby operation" is a driving mode in which the vehicle stops for a long time, resulting in the shortest driving distance and driving time, while "driving operation" is a driving mode in which the vehicle stops for a short time, resulting in the longest driving distance and driving time. In this way, the distance and time traveled per given hour will vary depending on the purpose of use. Note that the purpose of use may be categorized based on the size of the vehicle's travel area, business hours, the length of the travel route, etc.

[0018] When the target driving distance and / or the target driving time per predetermined period are longer than a predetermined value, the usage purpose setting unit 15 sets the usage purpose of the dispatch vehicle 20 so that the stopping time per predetermined period is shortened. Furthermore, when the target driving distance and / or the target driving time per predetermined period are shorter than a predetermined value, the usage purpose setting unit 15 sets the usage purpose of the dispatch vehicle 20 so that the stopping time per predetermined period is lengthened. For example, assume that the usage purposes are categorized into "standby operation" and "driving operation." When the target driving distance and / or the target driving time per predetermined period are longer than a predetermined value, the usage purpose setting unit 15 sets the usage purpose to "driving operation" so that the driving distance per predetermined time is lengthened. Furthermore, when the target driving distance and / or the target driving time per predetermined period are shorter than a predetermined value, the usage purpose setting unit 15 sets the usage purpose to "standby operation" so that the driving distance per predetermined time is shortened. This allows the driving distance of the dispatch vehicle 20 to approach the target driving distance by selecting the usage purpose. The predetermined value to be compared with the target travel distance and / or the target travel time may have a plurality of values ​​according to the number of categories of use.

[0019] The usage purpose setting unit 15 also sets a usage purpose change cycle for changing the usage purpose, and if the magnitude of the variation deviates from the allowable variation value, corrects the usage purpose change cycle so that the cycle becomes shorter. The usage purpose change cycle is a cycle that determines the timing for changing to personal use. The usage purpose setting unit 15 adjusts the mileage of the dispatch vehicle 20 based on the selection of the usage purpose so that the mileage of the dispatch vehicle 20 approaches the target mileage, and correcting the usage purpose change cycle advances the timing for adjusting the mileage based on the selection of the usage purpose.

[0020] Furthermore, the usage purpose setting unit 15 adjusts the usage purpose change cycle according to the length of the maintenance cycle to set the timing for changing the usage purpose. If the total travel distance of the dispatched vehicle 20 is long, the maintenance cycle will be short. The usage purpose setting unit 15 shortens the usage purpose change cycle to match the short maintenance cycle, thereby hastening the timing at which the usage purpose can be changed.

[0021] The maintenance cycle setting unit 16 sets the maintenance cycle of the dispatched vehicle 20 according to the total mileage or total driving time of the dispatched vehicle 20. In other words, a dispatched vehicle 20 with a long total mileage generally has a higher probability of malfunctioning due to aging or the like, and therefore shortens the maintenance cycle to maintain quality. Furthermore, when a new vehicle to be managed is introduced, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 acquires the maintenance history and sets the maintenance cycle based on the maintenance history. The maintenance history information is acquired from the vehicle to be managed. Furthermore, the maintenance history may be input to the server 1 by the administrator.

[0022] The maintenance cycle setting unit 16 selects a maintenance cycle from a plurality of maintenance cycles according to the total travel distance of the dispatch vehicle 20. The maintenance cycle includes a first maintenance cycle that is a short cycle and a second maintenance cycle that is a long cycle. If the total travel distance at the time of maintenance is less than a predetermined distance threshold, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 sets the maintenance cycle to the first maintenance cycle when the travel distance of the dispatch vehicle 20 is long, and sets the maintenance cycle to the second maintenance cycle when the travel distance of the dispatch vehicle 20 is short.

[0023] The vehicle allocation processing unit 17 acquires a vehicle allocation reservation from a user and allocates a vehicle 20 to the user so as to fulfill the vehicle allocation reservation. The vehicle allocation processing unit 17 transmits guidance information and the like of the allocated vehicle 20 to the vehicle 20 or the terminal possessed by the user. The guidance information includes the travel route and arrival time of the vehicle 20. The vehicle allocation processing unit 17 allocates a vehicle so that the vehicle is used for the purpose of use set by the purpose of use setting unit 15.

[0024] The database 18 stores vehicle information of the dispatch vehicle 20. The vehicle information stored in the database 18 includes identification information of the dispatch vehicle 20, total travel distance or total travel time, intended use of the dispatch vehicle 20, maintenance history, etc. The communication device 19 is connected to the telecommunications network NW to transmit and receive signals to and from the dispatch vehicle 20.

[0025] The dispatched vehicle 20 is a vehicle dispatched to a user under the management of the server 1, and may be an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a vehicle powered only by an engine. The dispatched vehicle 20 may be a vehicle driven by a driver, a vehicle with an autonomous driving function, or the like. A vehicle with an autonomous driving function may be a vehicle capable of autonomous driving without driver intervention, such as an unmanned taxi, or a manned taxi. The controller included in the dispatched vehicle 20 has a mileage measurement unit 21 as a functional block. The mileage measurement unit 21 measures the mileage of the dispatched vehicle 20 based on the number of wheel rotations, etc. The dispatched vehicle 20 has a communication device 22 capable of communicating with the server 1. The dispatched vehicle 20 communicates with the server 1 at the timing of switching the main switch, at a predetermined interval, or at an arbitrary timing, and transmits vehicle information of the dispatched vehicle 20 to the server 1. The vehicle information may include mileage / driving time, maintenance history, etc.

[0026] Next, the control flow of the vehicle management device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the vehicle management device 10.

[0027] In step S1, the information acquisition unit 11 acquires vehicle information including mileage information from multiple dispatched vehicles 20 for each predetermined period. The predetermined period is a period during which multiple reservations for dispatched vehicles 20 are expected from users, such as several days or several weeks. In step S2, the calculation unit 12 calculates a difference value in the total mileage of each dispatched vehicle 20. The difference value corresponds to the variation in the total mileage. Note that in the processing following step S2, the difference value in the total mileage is used as the variation in the processing flow, but an absolute distance may be used instead of the difference value.

[0028] In step S3, the usage setting unit 15 determines whether the usage change cycle has elapsed. The initial usage change cycle is preset to a predetermined length. If the usage change cycle has not elapsed, the control flow returns to step S1, and the control processes of steps S1 and S2 are repeatedly executed until the usage change cycle has elapsed.

[0029] If the usage change cycle has elapsed, in step S4, the determination unit 13 acquires an allowable difference value. The allowable difference value corresponds to an allowable variation value. In step S5, the determination unit 13 determines whether the difference value calculated by the calculation unit 12 deviates from the allowable difference value.

[0030] Here, the control flow of steps S3 to S5 will be described. The difference value calculated in the control process of step S2 is the difference between the total travel distance of the dispatched vehicle 20 and a reference value. The reference value is the average value of the total travel distance or the median value when the total travel distances are sorted in order. The allowable difference value calculated in the control process of step S4 is a value determined according to the distribution of the total travel distance of the dispatched vehicle 20, and varies depending on the magnitude of the difference value. For example, data on the difference values ​​of the total travel distance are sorted in ascending or descending order, and then divided into classes separated by predetermined distances (for example, tens to hundreds of kilometers). The allowable difference value is then set for each class according to the shape of the distribution of the difference values ​​of the travel distance.

[0031] For example, when a distribution table of difference values ​​of total mileage is viewed, if a large number of data having a specific difference value are concentrated, the total mileage of many of the dispatched vehicles 20 is close. In order to distribute the timing of maintenance, it is necessary to adjust the mileage of dispatched vehicles having similar total mileages to distribute the total mileage of each vehicle. Specifically, in a class where the distribution of difference values ​​is biased, an allowable variation value is set so that most of the data belonging to that class are subject to mileage correction. Then, data having a difference value larger than the allowable variation value is subject to correction. In other words, a state in which the difference value is larger than the allowable variation value is a state in which the magnitude of the variation deviates from the allowable variation value. Furthermore, since the timing of maintenance of dispatched vehicles 20 is correlated with the magnitude of the total mileage of the dispatched vehicles 20, the allowable variation value is correlated with the dispersion of the timing of maintenance.

[0032] The database 18 stores a table of allowable variation values ​​that are set according to the distribution of the total mileage or the difference value of the total mileage. The determination unit 13 refers to the table and acquires the allowable variation value according to the distribution of the variation of the total mileage calculated by the calculation unit 12 (corresponding to the control flow of step S4). The determination unit 13 then compares the acquired allowable variation value with the calculated difference value, and if the difference value is greater than the allowable variation value, determines that the magnitude of the variation deviates from the allowable variation value (corresponding to the control flow of step S5). Then, the dispatched vehicles 29 having difference values ​​greater than the allowable variation value are determined to be vehicles to be corrected.

[0033] If the difference value is greater than the allowable variation value, in step S6, the usage setting unit 15 corrects the next usage change cycle. In a step described below, the vehicle to be corrected becomes the subject of a determination as to whether or not to change the usage. When a dispatched vehicle 20 that is the subject of usage determination appears, it means that variation in total mileage occurs, and there is a possibility that variation in mileage may also occur between the dispatched vehicle 20 and vehicles that are not the subject of usage determination. Therefore, the usage change cycle from the next time onwards is shortened, and the timing for adjusting the target mileage is advanced.

[0034] In step S7, the maintenance management unit 14 calculates a target difference value. The target difference value corresponds to a correction value for correcting a difference value that is larger than the allowable variation value. The target difference value is calculated for each dispatched vehicle 20. The target difference value for a dispatched vehicle 20 that is not subject to correction is set to zero. On the other hand, the target difference value for a dispatched vehicle 20 that is subject to correction is set according to the deviation width of the difference value from the allowable variation value. The larger the deviation width, the larger the target difference value.

[0035] In step S8, the maintenance management unit 14 calculates the target mileage for each dispatch vehicle 20 by adding the target difference value to the reference value for the target mileage. The reference value for the target mileage is a value that is set in advance depending on the length of the usage change cycle and the usage. The longer the usage change cycle, the longer the reference value for the target mileage. Furthermore, among the usages "floating business," "normal business," and "standby business," the reference value for the target mileage for "floating business" is the longest, and the reference value for the target mileage for "standby business" is the shortest.

[0036] In step S9, the usage purpose setting unit 15 compares the target mileage of each dispatch vehicle 20 with the first determination threshold. The first determination threshold and the second determination threshold are values ​​set according to the usage purpose. For example, the first determination threshold is set to the average value of the mileage of dispatch vehicles 20 belonging to "floating business," and the second determination threshold is set to the average value of the mileage of dispatch vehicles 20 belonging to "normal business." The mileage used to calculate the average value is the mileage per usage purpose change cycle.

[0037] If the target mileage of the dispatch vehicle 20 is greater than the first judgment threshold, the usage purpose setting unit 15 sets the usage purpose of the dispatch vehicle 20 to "floating business" in step S10. If the target mileage of the dispatch vehicle 20 is equal to or less than the first judgment threshold, the usage purpose setting unit 15 compares the target mileage of each dispatch vehicle 20 with a second judgment threshold in step S11. If the target mileage of the dispatch vehicle 20 is greater than the second judgment threshold, the usage purpose setting unit 15 sets the usage purpose of the dispatch vehicle 20 to "normal business" in step S12. If the target mileage of the dispatch vehicle 20 is equal to or less than the second judgment threshold, the usage purpose setting unit 15 sets the usage purpose of the dispatch vehicle 20 to "standby business" in step S13. Then, the vehicle management device 10 ends the control flow shown in FIG. 2.

[0038] Note that in the control processing of steps S9 to S13, similar processing may be performed by replacing the target mileage with business hours. The business hours are calculated based on the target mileage. Specifically, the maintenance management unit 14 calculates the target mileage per day by dividing the target mileage calculated in the control processing of step S8 by the number of days in the usage change cycle. The maintenance management unit 14 converts the target mileage per day into target business hours per day. The target business hours per day correspond to the business hours required to travel the target mileage without changing the usage of the dispatch vehicle 20 from its current usage. If the target business hours per day are longer than the first determination threshold, the usage is set to "floating business." If the target business hours per day are equal to or shorter than the first determination threshold and longer than the second determination threshold, the usage is set to "normal business." If the target business hours per day are equal to or shorter than the second determination threshold, the usage is set to "standby business."

[0039] Next, a control flow for setting a maintenance cycle when a new dispatch vehicle 20 is introduced will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the maintenance cycle setting unit 16. The maintenance cycle setting unit 16 executes the following control flow when a new dispatch vehicle 20 to be managed by the vehicle management device 10 is added.

[0040] In step S21, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 identifies the maintenance history from the vehicle information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11. The maintenance history includes information on the time of the previous maintenance, information on the remaining time until maintenance indicated by the maintenance cycle, information on whether or not a maintenance cycle exists, etc. In step S22, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 determines whether or not a maintenance cycle has been set. If a maintenance cycle has already been set, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 ends the control flow.

[0041] In step S24, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 calculates the number of days that have passed since the last maintenance date. If the allocated vehicle 20 has never undergone maintenance, for example, the date of shipment of the allocated vehicle 20 from the factory may be set as the last maintenance date. Then, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 compares the number of days that have passed since the last maintenance date with the first maintenance cycle, and determines whether the number of days that have passed is shorter than the first maintenance cycle. If the number of days that have passed is shorter than the first maintenance cycle (if the number of days that have passed is less than the first maintenance cycle), the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 sets the first maintenance cycle as the maintenance cycle (step S25). Then, maintenance of the allocated vehicle 20 is performed at the timing indicated by the first maintenance cycle.

[0042] If the number of days that have passed is longer than the first maintenance cycle (if the number of days that have passed is equal to or greater than the first maintenance cycle), it is determined that the number of days that have passed is past the time when maintenance is necessary, and in step S26, the maintenance management unit 14 notifies that maintenance is necessary.

[0043] In step S27, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 identifies the total traveling distance of the dispatched vehicle 20 from the vehicle information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11. In step S28, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 compares the total traveling distance with a distance threshold, and determines whether the total traveling distance is greater than the distance threshold. If the total traveling distance is greater than the distance threshold, in step S29, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 sets the first maintenance cycle, which has a shorter maintenance cycle, as the next maintenance cycle. If the total traveling distance is equal to or less than the distance threshold, in step S30, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 sets the second maintenance cycle, which has a longer maintenance cycle, as the next maintenance cycle. Then, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 ends the control flow.

[0044] With reference to FIG. 4, the relationship between the service period and total mileage of the dispatch vehicle 20, and the relationship between the service period and intended use of the dispatch vehicle 20 will be described. In FIG. 4, (a) is a graph showing the relationship between the service period and total mileage, and (b) is a graph showing the relationship between the service period and intended use. In the following description, there are three dispatch vehicles 20, A to C. The intended use of the dispatch vehicles 20 (A to C) is initially set to "normal business," and the total mileage of each vehicle starts from 0 km. The dispatch vehicles 20 are assumed to be taxis used for business purposes.

[0045] As shown in Figure 4, even if the use of the three dispatch vehicles 20 is "normal business," the total mileage of each vehicle differs due to differences in service areas, etc. At the time of this use change cycle, the total mileage of vehicle C is the longest and the total mileage of vehicle A is the shortest.

[0046] At the time when the first usage change cycle has elapsed (time t1), the vehicle management device 10 executes the control flow shown in FIG. 2. At time t1, variations have occurred in the total mileage of vehicles A to C, and it is determined that the magnitude of the variations deviates from the allowable variation value. The target mileages of vehicles A to C are adjusted. Then, in order to suppress the rate of increase in the total mileage of vehicle C, the usage purpose of vehicle C is changed to "standby operation." Meanwhile, in order to make the rate of increase in the total mileage of vehicle A faster than the rate of increase in the total mileage of vehicles B and C, the usage purpose of vehicle A is changed to "standby operation." The usage purpose of vehicle B remains unchanged from "normal operation." Furthermore, if, at time t1, the difference value corresponding to the variations in vehicles A to C is greater than the allowable difference value, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 shortens the next usage change cycle. As a result, the variation in the total mileage of vehicles A to C is suppressed during the period of the next usage change cycle. Furthermore, the next usage change cycle can be made shorter than the current usage change cycle.

[0047] As described above, the vehicle management device 10 and vehicle management method according to this embodiment acquire vehicle information indicating the mileage of the dispatched vehicles 20 from a plurality of dispatched vehicles 20, calculate the variation in the total mileage and / or total mileage time among the plurality of dispatched vehicles 20, compare the calculated variation with an allowable variance value that is correlated with the variance in the timing of maintenance of the dispatched vehicles 20 and defines an allowable value for the variance, determine whether the magnitude of the variance deviates from the allowable variance value, and adjust the target mileage and / or target mileage time of the dispatched vehicles 20 whose variance deviates from the allowable variance value, thereby managing the timing of maintenance of the plurality of dispatched vehicles 20. This prevents a situation in which maintenance is concentrated on a plurality of vehicles at the same time, and suppresses a decrease in service efficiency for maintenance.

[0048] Since maintenance of dispatch vehicles 20 is performed according to the total mileage, the timing of maintenance corresponds to the total mileage, and dispersion of the timing of maintenance can be achieved by dispersing the total mileage of the vehicles to be managed. However, the mileage of a vehicle varies depending on various factors, such as traffic conditions and the manner in which the vehicle is used. Furthermore, since the introduction dates of the vehicles to be managed also differ, vehicles with various total mileages will be generated.

[0049] For example, suppose that at a certain point in time, there is a dispatched vehicle 20 whose total mileage is greater than the median of the total mileage of all dispatched vehicles 20 and whose difference in mileage is also greater. If there are many such dispatched vehicles 20, many vehicles will undergo maintenance at the same time, and maintenance work will be concentrated. On the other hand, if the target mileage is reduced for vehicles that are close to the timing of maintenance so that the total mileage does not increase uniformly, the timing of concentrated maintenance will simply be delayed, and the maintenance will not be dispersed.

[0050] Therefore, in this embodiment, a tolerance for the variation in total mileage is set, and it is determined whether the variation in mileage among the dispatched vehicles 20 deviates from the tolerance value. If the variation in total mileage does not deviate from the tolerance value, even if a dispatched vehicle with a large total mileage is driven according to the target mileage and maintenance is due, concentration of maintenance work can be avoided. On the other hand, if the variation in total mileage significantly deviates from the tolerance value and the dispatched vehicle with a large total mileage drives without adjusting the target mileage, maintenance will be required for many dispatched vehicles 20, resulting in concentration of maintenance work. Therefore, in this embodiment, the target mileage is adjusted for dispatched vehicles 20 whose total mileage varies so much that it deviates from the tolerance value. When adjusting the target mileage, the target mileage is reduced for dispatched vehicles 20 with a large total mileage, and the target mileage is increased for dispatched vehicles 20 with a small total mileage. This prevents concentration of maintenance work.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the usage setting unit 15 sets the usage of the dispatched vehicle 20 in accordance with the target traveling distance and / or target traveling time adjusted by the maintenance management unit 14. As a result, by changing the usage of the dispatched vehicle 20, the total traveling distance and / or total traveling time of the multiple dispatched vehicles 20 can be adjusted, and the timing of maintenance of each vehicle can be dispersed.

[0052] In this embodiment, the use of the vehicle is changed to adjust the actual mileage. For example, if the dispatch vehicle 20 is a vehicle that runs automatically based on the control command of the server 1, such as a driverless taxi, which is capable of completely autonomous driving, the total mileage can be directly adjusted by the control of the server 1. However, for vehicles that run freely at the discretion of the driver, such as a manned taxi, the total mileage cannot be directly adjusted. Therefore, in this embodiment, the use of the dispatch vehicle 20 is set to adjust the mileage of the dispatch vehicle 20. This makes it possible to avoid concentration of maintenance timing even when managing dispatch vehicles 20 such as manned taxis.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the maintenance management unit 14 calculates the target travel distance and / or target travel time of the dispatch vehicle 20 so that the deviation of the magnitude of the variation from the allowable variation value is small. This prevents a situation in which maintenance is concentrated on multiple vehicles at the same time, and suppresses a decrease in service efficiency for maintenance.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the target traveling distance and / or target traveling time per predetermined period is shorter than a predetermined value, the usage purpose setting unit 15 sets the usage purpose of the dispatched vehicle so that the stopping time per predetermined period is longer. Furthermore, if the target traveling distance and / or target traveling time per predetermined period is longer than a predetermined value, the usage purpose setting unit 15 sets the usage purpose of the dispatched vehicle so that the stopping time per predetermined period is shorter. In this way, by changing the usage purpose of the dispatched vehicle 20, the total traveling distance and / or total traveling time of the multiple dispatched vehicles 20 can be adjusted, and the timing of maintenance for each vehicle can be dispersed.

[0055] In this embodiment, when the variation in mileage among the dispatched vehicles 20 deviates from the allowable variation value, the usage setting unit 15 corrects the usage change cycle to advance the timing to change the usage. Since the usage is determined according to the target mileage of the dispatched vehicle, advancing the timing to change the usage can advance the timing to adjust the rate of increase in the total mileage.

[0056] In this embodiment, the maintenance cycle setting unit 16 sets the maintenance cycle of the dispatch vehicle 20 in accordance with the total travel distance or total travel time of the dispatch vehicle 20. This allows the timing of maintenance to be advanced for a dispatch vehicle 20 with a long total travel distance or total travel time.

[0057] In this embodiment, the total mileage and / or total mileage of the multiple dispatch vehicles 20 is adjusted by changing the intended use. However, the target mileage and / or target mileage of the dispatch vehicles 20 may be directly adjusted without changing the intended use. For example, the maintenance management unit 14 may change the mileage route to be guided to the dispatch vehicles 20 according to the target mileage of the dispatch vehicles 20. For example, when setting a route for the dispatch vehicles 20 to pick up passengers, the maintenance management unit 14 may guide a route with a long mileage to pick up passengers for a vehicle with a long target mileage, and guide a route with a short mileage to pick up passengers for a vehicle with a short target mileage. Alternatively, even if the intended use is the same, the intended use setting unit 15 may shorten the business hours for a vehicle with a short target mileage and extend the business hours for a vehicle with a long target mileage. The maintenance management unit 14 may narrow the drivable area or the available business area for a vehicle with a short target mileage and widen the drivable area or the available business area for a vehicle with a long target mileage.

[0058] As a modification of this embodiment, the use purpose setting unit 15 may set the use purpose change cycle according to the length of the maintenance cycle. Specifically, when the maintenance cycle of the allocated vehicle 20 is set to the second maintenance cycle, which is a long cycle, the use purpose setting unit 15 sets the use purpose change cycle to the first use purpose change cycle, which is a short cycle. Furthermore, when the maintenance cycle of the allocated vehicle 20 is set to the second maintenance cycle, which is a short cycle, the use purpose setting unit 15 sets the use purpose change cycle to the second use purpose change cycle, which is a long cycle. When the maintenance cycle is long, the actual mileage per cycle is likely to deviate from the target mileage. When the maintenance cycle is long, the use purpose change cycle is shortened, thereby advancing the timing for determining whether or not a change in use purpose is necessary. As a result, when variations occur in the difference in the total mileage of the allocated vehicles 20 during the maintenance cycle and the magnitude of the variation deviates from the allowable variation value, the use purpose of the allocated vehicles 20 can be changed, and the total mileage and / or total mileage of the multiple allocated vehicles 20 can be adjusted. This allows for the timing of maintenance for each vehicle to be spread out.

[0059] As a modification of this embodiment, the vehicle management device 10 may calculate a target mileage and / or a target mileage time per predetermined period for the remaining time from the present until a predetermined cycle has elapsed, and set the use of the dispatched vehicle according to the calculated target mileage and / or target mileage time. The predetermined cycle may be a use change cycle or a maintenance cycle. For example, the maintenance management unit 14 calculates the elapsed time from the previous cycle to the present and the remaining time from the present until the current cycle for the dispatched vehicle 20 to be determined. The maintenance management unit 14 identifies the mileage up to the present during the current cycle from the vehicle information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11. The maintenance management unit 14 calculates the actual value of the mileage per day from the elapsed time from the previous cycle to the present and the mileage up to the present during the current cycle. The maintenance management unit 14 multiplies the calculated actual value of the mileage per day by the remaining time from the present until the current cycle has elapsed to calculate an estimated value of the mileage during the remaining period. The estimated value of the travel distance may be the travel distance during the current cycle period.

[0060] The usage setting unit 15 sets the estimated mileage calculated by the maintenance management unit 14 as the target mileage, and then executes the control flow of steps S9 to S13 shown in Fig. 2. The judgment threshold used in the control flow of steps S9 and S10 may be set appropriately depending on the length of the period for which the target mileage is to be calculated. This allows the total mileage and / or total mileage time of multiple dispatched vehicles 20 to be adjusted and the maintenance timing of each vehicle to be dispersed by changing the usage of the dispatched vehicles 20 before the maintenance cycle or usage length change cycle has elapsed. In particular, if the actual mileage during the maintenance cycle or usage change cycle becomes a value that is significantly different from the target mileage, it becomes possible to reconfigure the usage before the cycle period has elapsed.

[0061] In a modification of the present embodiment, the target mileage may be a mileage per day, or the target mileage may be replaced with business hours and similar processing may be performed.

[0062] As a modification of this embodiment, the maintenance management unit 14 may group a plurality of dispatched vehicles 20 having similar variations in total mileage, and adjust the mileage and / or mileage time of the dispatched vehicles 20 on a group-by-group basis. Specifically, in step S2 of the control flow shown in FIG. 2, after the calculation unit 12 calculates the difference in total mileage of each dispatched vehicle 20, the maintenance management unit 14 groups vehicles having similar difference in total mileage based on the calculation results of the calculation unit 12. For example, the maintenance management unit 14 sorts the vehicles in ascending order of difference value and groups them into a predetermined number of groups. Then, the vehicle management device 10 executes the control flow from step S3 onward on a group-by-group basis. This allows the timing of maintenance for each vehicle to be distributed on a group-by-group basis.

[0063] In addition, in the above-mentioned modified example, the maintenance management unit 14 may group multiple dispatch vehicles 20 having similar amounts of variation in total traveling distance, calculate a normal distribution of the variation for each group, and adjust the traveling distance and / or traveling time of the dispatch vehicles 20 according to the normal distribution.

[0064] Specifically, in the above-described modified example, the maintenance management unit 14 groups vehicles with similar difference values ​​in total mileage and then calculates a normal distribution of the difference values ​​in total mileage for each group. The judgment threshold used in the judgment process of the judgment unit 13 may be represented by a standard normal distribution corresponding to the allowable variation value and set for each group. The judgment unit 13 then compares the normal distribution of variation with the standard normal distribution corresponding to the allowable variation value, and determines that portions of the normal distribution within the group that deviate significantly from the allowable variation value as having a deviation in magnitude from the allowable variation value. The judgment unit 13 performs similar judgments for other groups. The vehicle management device 10 then executes the control flow from step S6 onward shown in FIG. 2 for each group, depending on the judgment result of the judgment unit 13. The maintenance timing for each vehicle can be distributed for each group. Note that the vehicle management device 10 and vehicle management method according to the above-described modified example do not necessarily have to be performed for each group.

[0065] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments have been described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above-described embodiments is intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 server 10 Vehicle management device 11 Information acquisition department 12 Calculation section 13 Judgment section 14 Maintenance Management Department 15 Usage setting section 16 Maintenance cycle setting section 17 Vehicle Dispatch Processing Unit 19. Communications equipment 20 dispatch vehicles 21 Odometer measurement unit 22 Communication equipment

Claims

1. A vehicle management device for managing maintenance of a plurality of dispatch vehicles, an information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information indicating a travel distance and / or a travel time of the vehicle from the plurality of vehicles; a calculation unit that calculates a variation in total travel distance and / or total travel time among the plurality of dispatched vehicles based on the travel distance and / or the travel time; a determination unit that compares the variation calculated by the calculation unit with an allowable variation value that is correlated with the variance of the timing of maintenance of the dispatched vehicles and that defines an allowable value of the variation, and determines whether the magnitude of the variation deviates from the allowable variation value; A vehicle management device comprising: a maintenance management unit that manages the timing of maintenance of the multiple dispatched vehicles by adjusting the target driving distance and / or target driving time of the dispatched vehicles whose magnitude of variation deviates from the allowable variation value.

2. 2. The vehicle management device according to claim 1, A vehicle management device including a usage purpose setting unit that sets the usage purpose of the dispatch vehicle in accordance with the target traveling distance and / or the target traveling time adjusted by the maintenance management unit.

3. 3. The vehicle management device according to claim 2, The maintenance management unit calculates a target travel distance and / or a target travel time of the dispatch vehicle so that the deviation of the magnitude of the variation from the allowable variation value is small.

4. 4. The vehicle management device according to claim 3, The intended use is determined based on differences in the travel mode of the dispatched vehicle so that the stop time per predetermined period differs for each intended use, The usage setting unit A vehicle management device that sets the usage purpose of the dispatched vehicle so that the stop time per specified period is shortened if the target traveling distance and / or the target traveling time per specified period is longer than a specified value.

5. 5. The vehicle management device according to claim 4, The intended use is determined based on differences in the travel mode of the dispatched vehicle so that the stop time per predetermined period differs for each intended use, The usage setting unit A vehicle management device that sets the usage purpose of the dispatched vehicle so that the stop time per specified period is longer when the target traveling distance and / or the target traveling time per specified period is shorter than a specified value.

6. The vehicle management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A vehicle management device comprising a maintenance cycle setting unit that sets a maintenance cycle for the dispatched vehicle in accordance with the total travel distance or the total travel time.

7. The vehicle management device according to claim 2, a maintenance cycle setting unit that sets a maintenance cycle for the dispatched vehicle in accordance with the total travel distance or the total travel time; The vehicle management device, wherein the usage setting unit sets a usage change cycle that changes the usage according to the length of the maintenance cycle.

8. The vehicle management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The maintenance management unit is a vehicle management device that groups the plurality of dispatched vehicles having similar magnitudes of variation and adjusts the travel distance and / or travel time of the dispatched vehicles on a group-by-group basis.

9. 9. The vehicle management device according to claim 8, The maintenance management unit calculates a normal distribution of the variation for each group, and adjusts the travel distance and / or travel time of the dispatched vehicles in accordance with the normal distribution.

10. A vehicle management method executed by a processor to manage maintenance of a plurality of dispatch vehicles, comprising: The processor: Acquire vehicle information indicating the travel distance of the vehicle from the plurality of vehicles; Calculating a variation in total travel distance among the plurality of dispatched vehicles based on the travel distance; comparing the calculated variation with an allowable variation value that is correlated with the variance of the timing of maintenance of the dispatched vehicles and defines an allowable value of the variation, and determining whether or not the magnitude of the variation deviates from the allowable variation value; A vehicle management method for managing the timing of maintenance of the plurality of dispatched vehicles by adjusting the target travel distance and / or target travel time of the dispatched vehicle whose magnitude of variation deviates from the allowable variation value.

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