Operation support device, operation management system, operation support method, and operation support program

Abstract

To obtain an operation support device capable of efficiently operating a moving object.SOLUTION: An operation support device comprises: a user prediction unit 13 that predicts a user number for a bus using information about a passenger number for a train, which indicates a human flow in a first time zone at a boarding point where the bus is allocated; and an operation plan forming unit 14 that forms an operation plan for the bus using an advance operation plan, which is an operation plan for the bus formed using information acquired in a second time zone prior to the first time zone, and a prediction result by the user prediction unit 13. The boarding point includes a surrounding of a facility; the human flow information includes information about the number of people present in the facility; and the operation plan forming unit 14 forms an operation plan by making changes to an operation route, an operation interval, or arranging a moving object in the advance operation plan in accordance with a comparison result between a number of users assumed when forming the advance operation plan and a prediction result by the user prediction unit 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an operation support device, an operation management system, an operation support method, and an operation support program for managing the operation of transportation means. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, the departure times of route buses, community buses, etc. are determined in advance in timetables. Similarly, operation plans for taxis, rental bicycles, etc., are also determined in advance, such as the number of vehicles to be deployed at specific locations, such as in front of stations, for each time period.

[0003] For route buses that depart from stations, departure times are sometimes set to match the arrival times of trains in the timetable, taking into consideration the convenience of passengers who get off the trains. Even if the departure times of route buses are set taking into consideration the arrival times of trains, if the train is delayed, the route bus will depart at the scheduled departure time, and train passengers will have to wait until the next route bus departs.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned problem, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a station management center monitors the arrival of trains at a station and transmits delay information indicating the delay time from the train's scheduled time to a bus operation support center. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-331379 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the congestion and usage conditions in the surrounding area, and thus it is not possible to operate the mobile object efficiently.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide an operation support device that can efficiently operate a moving object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, an operations support device according to the present disclosure includes a user prediction unit that predicts the number of users of a mobile object using people flow information indicating the flow of people during a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed. The operations support device further includes an operation plan creation unit that creates an operation plan for the mobile object using a preliminary operation plan that is an operation plan for the mobile object created using information acquired during a second time period prior to the first time period, and the prediction result by the user prediction unit, wherein the deployment location includes the vicinity of a facility, the people flow information includes information about the number of people present at the facility, and the operation plan creation unit creates the operation plan by changing the operation route, operation interval, or mobile object to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan in accordance with a comparison result between the number of users assumed when creating the preliminary operation plan and the prediction result by the user prediction unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve an effect of efficiently operating a mobile body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an operation management system according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation support process procedure in the operation support device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for predicting the number of users in an operation support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of user ratio information of a mobile object according to the first embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of coefficient information indicating coefficients of each section in the first embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a preliminary operation plan and a final operation plan according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system that realizes an operation support device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of coefficient information indicating coefficients for each station according to the first embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an operation management system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation support process procedure in the operation support device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an operation management system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a bus stop that is a support target of an operation support device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation support process procedure of an operation support device according to a third embodiment when a preliminary operation plan is not used. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation support process procedure of an operation support device according to a third embodiment when a pre-operation plan is used. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an operation management system according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation support processing procedure in the operation support device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an operation management system according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 18] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation support processing procedure in the operation support device according to the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An operation support device, an operation management system, an operation support method, and an operation support program according to embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Embodiment 1 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an operation management system according to a first embodiment. The operation management system of the present embodiment includes an operation support device 1 that supports the operation of buses, which are an example of mobile objects, and a vehicle dispatch device 2 that manages the dispatch of buses.

[0013] The operation support device 1 of this embodiment supports the operation of buses that depart from bus stops provided in front of stations where trains stop. Note that the "in front of the station" here is only required to be within a certain distance from surrounding stations, and is not limited to being in front of the station.

[0014] The vehicle dispatch device 2 is a device that manages bus operations, and as shown in FIG. 1, includes a pre-operation plan creation unit 21, a pre-operation plan transmission unit 22, and an operation plan receiving unit 23. The pre-operation plan creation unit 21 creates in advance an operation plan (also called an operation plan) including the time and operation route of buses departing from bus stops that are the subject of operational support by the operation support device 1. The pre-operation plan transmission unit 22 transmits the pre-operation plan to the operation support device 1. The pre-operation plan creation unit 21, the pre-operation plan transmission unit 22, and the operation plan receiving unit 23 are examples of a pre-operation plan creation unit, a pre-operation plan transmission unit, and an operation plan receiving unit, respectively.

[0015] The operations support device 1 predicts the number of bus users using information regarding the number of train passengers received from the integrated train management device 3 mounted on the train via the ground device 5, creates an operation plan by modifying the advance operation plan using the prediction result, and transmits the created operation plan to the vehicle dispatch device 2 as a confirmed operation plan. The operation plan receiving unit 23 of the vehicle dispatch device 2 receives the confirmed operation plan received from the operations support device 1. The vehicle dispatch device 2 dispatches buses based on the confirmed operation plan. Note that, although an example in which the vehicle dispatch device 2 creates the advance operation plan has been shown here, an advance operation planning device that creates an advance operation plan may be provided separately from the vehicle dispatch device 2. In this case, the vehicle dispatch device 2 receives the advance operation plan from the advance operation planning device and transmits it to the operations support device 1. The operations support device 1 may also include an advance operation plan creation unit 21 that creates the advance operation plan. In this case, the vehicle dispatch device 2 does not need to include the advance operation plan transmission unit 22.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the train integrated management device 3 mounted on a train includes a status information acquisition unit 32 that acquires status information corresponding to various devices 4 mounted on the train from the devices 4, and a status information transmission unit 31 that transmits information related to the number of passengers on the train, among the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit 32, to the trackside device 5. The status information includes information indicating the status of the devices 4 and information detected or measured by the devices 4. The information related to the number of passengers on the train is, for example, at least one of information indicating the air spring pressure of the bogies, images captured by an in-car monitoring camera, the number of people passing through the boarding / alighting doors, and information related to radio waves transmitted from mobile devices. The information related to radio waves transmitted from mobile devices may be the number of Bluetooth (registered trademark) devices such as smartphones, or the number of devices connected to an access point such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) installed on the train. Therefore, the devices 4 include at least one of a device that acquires information related to the air spring pressure of the bogies, an in-car monitoring camera, a sensor (e.g., a laser sensor or an infrared sensor) that counts the number of people passing through the boarding / alighting doors, and a receiving device capable of receiving radio waves from mobile devices. The information about the radio waves transmitted from the mobile terminal may be, for example, the number of radio waves, i.e., radio signals, received within a certain period of time by a receiving device on the train, or the received power of the receiving device. While other devices 4 are generally mounted on trains, here we will describe devices 4 related to the operation of the operational support of this embodiment, and will omit a description of devices 4 not related to the operation of the operational support of this embodiment. The ground equipment 5 is an example of a device in a train system, and the operation support device 1 of this embodiment only needs to acquire information about the number of train passengers transmitted from the train integrated management device 3 mounted on the train, and the communication path is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1 .

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1 , the operation support device 1 includes a people flow information receiving unit 11, a preliminary operation plan receiving unit 12, a user prediction unit 13, an operation plan creation unit 14, and an operation plan transmitting unit 15. The people flow information receiving unit 11 receives information on the number of train passengers, which is an example of people flow information, from the integrated train management device 3 via the ground device 5 and outputs the information to the user prediction unit 13. The preliminary operation plan receiving unit 12 receives a preliminary operation plan from the vehicle dispatching device 2 and outputs the plan to the operation plan creation unit 14. The user prediction unit 13 predicts the number of bus passengers using information on the number of train passengers and outputs the prediction result to the operation plan creation unit 14. The operation plan creation unit 14 creates an operation plan by modifying the preliminary operation plan using the prediction result from the user prediction unit 13, and outputs the created operation plan to the operation plan transmitting unit 15 as a final operation plan. The operation plan transmitting unit 15 transmits the final operation plan to the vehicle dispatching device 2. The operation plan creation unit 14 may use the prediction result by the user prediction unit 13 to determine not to modify the advance operation plan, and create an operation plan.

[0018] The information on the number of train passengers received by the operations support device 1 of this embodiment is information obtained after the information on the number of train passengers that was used to create the advance operation plan, and is information before the train arrives at the station. Because the operations support device 1 of this embodiment modifies the advance operation plan using information obtained before the train arrives at the station in this way, it is not necessary for the bus to wait at the bus stop at the scheduled time specified in the advance operation plan, and buses can be operated more efficiently than when information obtained after the train arrives is used. Furthermore, because the operations support device 1 of this embodiment creates an operation plan using information obtained after the information on which the advance operation plan was created is obtained, it can create an operation plan that is more appropriate for actual conditions than when operating based solely on the advance operation plan.

[0019] In the present embodiment, a route bus or a community bus is used as an example of a mobile object. However, the mobile object is not limited to a bus and may be a water bus, a taxi with a designated boarding area, a PMV (Personal Mobility Vehicle), a rental bicycle, a rental electric scooter, or the like. Although timetables are not established for taxis, PMVs, rental bicycles, rental electric scooters, and the like, an operation plan is established in advance to determine the number of mobile objects to be deployed at each boarding area for each time period. The boarding area indicates the location where travel using each mobile object begins. For rental bicycles, rental electric scooters, and the like, the boarding area refers to the location where the vehicle is located, and for buses, the boarding area refers to a bus stop or the like. For mobile objects other than buses, the vehicle dispatch device 2 creates a preliminary operation plan, which is a preliminary operation plan for the mobile object, and transmits it to the operation support device 1. Similarly to the bus operation plan, the operation support device 1 of the present embodiment can modify the preliminary operation plan using the number of users predicted using information on the number of train passengers, and transmit the modified operation plan to the vehicle dispatch device 2 as a final operation plan.

[0020] In this way, the bus operation plan is an example of an operation plan, and the operation plan is not limited to a bus operation plan. The advance operation plan receiving unit 12, the operation plan creating unit 14, and the operation plan transmitting unit 15 are examples of an advance operation plan receiving unit, an operation plan creating unit, and an operation plan transmitting unit, respectively. Also, a bus stop in front of a station is an example of a deployment location where a mobile object is deployed.

[0021] Next, details of the operation of the operation support device 1 of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation support processing procedure in the operation support device 1 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the advance operation plan receiving unit 12 receives an advance operation plan from the vehicle dispatching device 2 (step S1). As described above, the advance operation plan receiving unit 12 outputs the advance operation plan to the operation plan creating unit 14. There are no particular restrictions on the timing at which the vehicle dispatching device 2 transmits the advance operation plan. For example, the vehicle dispatching device 2 may transmit a one-week advance operation plan once a week. Furthermore, if timetables are defined for weekdays and holidays, for example, the vehicle dispatching device 2 may transmit an advance operation plan including the defined timetable, and thereafter transmit an advance operation plan whenever the timetable changes.

[0022] The advance operation plan creation unit 21 of the vehicle dispatching device 2 creates an advance operation plan based on, for example, past demand records. The past demand records are, for example, the result of counting the number of bus passengers for each time period in the past. The vehicle dispatching device 2 may collect the above-mentioned demand records in association with event data, weather information, etc., and learn the association between the event data, weather information, etc. and the demand records to create a prediction model for predicting demand, and then create an advance operation plan using the prediction model. Event data may include, for example, the date, start time, end time, venue, venue capacity, and event content of various events. Weather forecast values ​​may include, for example, weather, temperature, humidity, rainfall, and wind speed. The method for creating an advance operation plan is not limited to the above example, and any method may be used. The advance operation plan creation unit 21 creates an advance operation plan by estimating the number of bus passengers for each time period based on, for example, past demand records, as described above. In this embodiment, the number of bus passengers for each time period assumed in the advance operation plan is also referred to as an advance scenario. The vehicle dispatching device 2 includes the advance scenario in the advance operation plan and transmits it to the operation support device 1.

[0023] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 2, the pedestrian flow information receiving unit 11 receives information about the number of train passengers from the ground equipment 5 (step S2). As described above, the pedestrian flow information receiving unit 11 outputs the received information about the number of train passengers to the user prediction unit 13. The train integrated management device 3 mounted on the train transmits information about the number of train passengers, for example, periodically, and this information is received by the pedestrian flow information receiving unit 11 via the ground equipment 5. The transmission cycle of the information about the number of train passengers is a cycle that allows the pedestrian flow information receiving unit 11 to receive information about the number of train passengers at least once between two adjacent stations while the train is running, and may be, for example, on the order of a few seconds or a few minutes, but is not limited thereto. The transmission cycle of the information about the number of train passengers may also be, for example, when the train departs from a station.

[0024] Next, the user prediction unit 13 predicts the number of bus users using the information on the number of train passengers (step S3). Here, an example of a method for predicting the number of bus users using the information on the number of train passengers will be described.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method for predicting the number of users in the operations support device 1 of this embodiment. Station A shown in FIG. 3 is a station where trains stop, and a bus stop 6 is provided in front of Station A. The operations support device 1 of this embodiment is assumed to support the operation of buses departing from this stop 6. Bus 51 is a schematic illustration of an example of a bus that is dispatched to stop 6 based on a confirmed operation plan, which is an operation plan created by the operations support device 1. Note that stop 6 is, for example, a starting stop, and dispatch to stop 6 can be performed at any timing. For example, if there is a possibility of increasing the number of buses in a revision of the advance operation plan described below, it is assumed that there is a spare bus waiting at a waiting area (not shown), and the vehicle dispatch device 2 can use this bus to dispatch to stop 6 when the number of buses is increased.

[0026] In the example shown in Fig. 3, the direction from station B to station A is the up direction, and train 50-1, which is an up train, is traveling from station B to station A, and train 50-2, which is a down train, is traveling to station A. In this embodiment, for example, as shown in Fig. 3, before trains 50-1 and 50-2 arrive at station A, the operations support device 1 receives information on the number of passengers on the trains from the integrated train management devices 3 mounted on trains 50-1 and 50-2 via the ground device 5.

[0027] For example, when the information regarding the number of train passengers is information indicating the air spring pressure of the bogies, the user prediction unit 13 stores in advance correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the information regarding the number of train passengers and the number of train passengers for each train formation information indicating the type of train cars and the number of cars in the train formation.The user prediction unit 13 then uses the correspondence information to calculate the number of passengers corresponding to the received information regarding the number of train passengers.Note that when all trains arriving at Station A have the same car body weight and the same number of cars in one formation, it is sufficient to store one type of correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the information regarding the number of train passengers and the number of train passengers.This correspondence information may be a table or a calculation formula.

[0028] Furthermore, when the information regarding the number of train passengers is an image acquired by an in-car surveillance camera, the user prediction unit 13 detects people in the image by image processing and counts the number of detected people. The user prediction unit 13 then stores in advance correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the number of people detected from the image and the number of train passengers for each train formation information indicating the type of train car and the number of cars in the train formation, and the user prediction unit 13 uses the correspondence information to calculate the number of passengers corresponding to the received information regarding the number of train passengers. Note that, as in the above example, if the positions of the in-car surveillance cameras on trains arriving at Station A are the same regardless of the type of car and the number of cars in each formation is also the same, it is sufficient to store one type of correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the number of people detected from the image and the number of train passengers.

[0029] Furthermore, when the information regarding the number of train passengers is the number of wireless signals received within a certain period of time, the user prediction unit 13 stores correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the number of wireless signals received within a certain period of time and the number of train passengers, and calculates the number of train passengers using the correspondence information and the information regarding the number of train passengers. When the information regarding the number of train passengers is the received power of a single frequency, the user prediction unit 13 stores correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the received power and the corresponding number of mobile devices, and calculates the number of train passengers using the correspondence information and the information regarding the number of train passengers. When the information regarding the number of train passengers is the received power for each frequency, the user prediction unit 13 stores the correspondence between the received power and the number of mobile devices for each frequency as first correspondence information, and estimates the number of mobile devices for each frequency using the first correspondence information and the information regarding the number of train passengers. Furthermore, the user prediction unit 13 stores second correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the number of mobile devices and the number of train passengers, and calculates the number of train passengers using the estimated number of mobile devices and the second correspondence information.

[0030] After calculating the number of train passengers, the user prediction unit 13 uses the calculated number of train passengers to predict the number of bus passengers departing from the platform 6. The user prediction unit 13 holds user ratio information that indicates the ratio of bus passengers departing from the platform 6 to the number of train passengers. The user ratio information is generated based on, for example, the results of past surveys.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of user ratio information for a mobile body according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 shows an example of user ratio information for a case in which both inbound and outbound trains stop at Station A, as shown in FIG. 3. The user ratio information shown in FIG. 4 includes, among users using buses from platform 6, the ratio of passengers on inbound trains who use buses departing from platform 6 (referred to as inbound trains in FIG. 4) and the ratio of passengers on outbound trains who use buses departing from platform 6 (referred to as outbound trains in FIG. 4). In the example shown in FIG. 4, these ratios are shown as percentages, but are not limited to this and may be shown as ratios where the total is 1. In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 4, these ratios are set for each time period, but fixed ratios may be used without dividing them by time period. In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 4, ratios for each two-hour time period are shown, but the length of each time period when a ratio is set for each time period is not limited to two hours. Such user ratio information may also be set separately for weekdays and holidays.

[0032] For example, the user prediction unit 13 calculates the number of passengers on each of the trains 50-1 and 50-2 shown in Fig. 3 based on the information on the number of passengers on the trains transmitted from the trains 50-1 and 50-2 as described above. If the calculated number of passengers on the trains 50-1 and 50-2 are N1 and N2, respectively, and the ratio (%) of passengers on the inbound trains and the ratio (%) of passengers on the outbound trains in the user ratio information are R1 and R2, respectively, the user prediction unit 13 calculates the predicted value N of bus users. E is calculated, for example, by the following formula (1). O For example, the time period should be determined based on the results of past surveys. N E =(R1 / 100)×N1+(R2 / 100)×N2+N O ···(1)

[0033] In the above example, it is assumed that only trains 50-1 and 50-2 arrive during the time period for which the number of passengers is predicted. However, if trains arrive sequentially, the bus passenger numbers can be predicted using the sum of the number of passengers on trains scheduled to arrive for each time period for which the number of passengers is predicted, regardless of whether they are going up or down. The information on the number of passengers on each train transmitted from the integrated train management device 3 is assumed to include information indicating the train's location, and the passenger prediction unit 13 predicts the train's arrival time based on the information indicating the train's location. The passenger prediction unit 13 then calculates the number of passengers on trains, regardless of whether they are going up or down, using information on the number of passengers on the train for trains whose estimated arrival time falls within the time period for which the number of passengers is predicted.

[0034] For example, suppose the user prediction unit 13 predicts the number of users in 10-minute increments, and the time period targeted for the time-slot prediction for the predicted number of users is from 7:40 to 7:50. Furthermore, suppose the number of trains expected to arrive between 7:40 and 7:50 is three inbound trains and two outbound trains. In this case, the user prediction unit 13 can calculate the predicted number of users using the above formula (1) by using the sum of the number of passengers on the three inbound trains and the sum of the number of passengers on the two outbound trains as the above N1 and N2, respectively. The time unit for making the prediction is not limited to 10 minutes, and may be set appropriately depending on the number of trains, the average number of bus users, etc.

[0035] Furthermore, since train passengers board and disembark at each station, in the example shown in FIG. 3, passengers on a bus departing from platform 6 in front of Station A, if the bus is an upbound train, are likely to be affected by the number of passengers on the train between Station A and Station B, which is the station immediately preceding Station A in the upbound direction. On the other hand, there are cases where it is desirable to make an earlier prediction, or where the distance between stations is short. In such cases, for example, the number of passengers on a train running between Station B and Station C, which is the station immediately preceding Station B in the upbound direction, can also be taken into consideration. As shown in FIG. 3, the section between Station A and Station B is designated as Section #1, and the section between Station B and Station C is designated as Section #2. Furthermore, the section between Station A and the next station in the upbound direction (not shown) is designated as Section #3. For example, for each of Sections #1 to #3, the correlation between the number of passengers on the train located in that section and the number of passengers on the bus departing from Platform 6 is calculated in advance. Then, based on the correlation, a predicted value N of bus passengers is calculated for each section. E A coefficient is determined to be multiplied by the number of passengers on the train running through the section when calculating the ratio. This coefficient corresponds to the above ratio and may be expressed as a percentage, similar to the above ratio.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of coefficient information indicating coefficients for each section in this embodiment. The user prediction unit 13, for example, stores coefficient information exemplified in FIG. 5 and selects a coefficient according to the section in which each train is located when predicting the number of bus passengers. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the coefficients are also determined for each time period, but the same coefficients may be used regardless of the time period. When predicting the number of bus passengers, the user prediction unit 13 considers upbound trains for sections #1 and #2 but does not consider the number of passengers on downbound trains running through sections #1 and #2. Similarly, when predicting the number of bus passengers, the user prediction unit 13 considers downbound trains for section #3 but does not consider the number of passengers on upbound trains running through section #3. For example, assume that in addition to train 50-1 shown in FIG. 3, an upbound train (not shown) is running through section #2. In this case, if the estimated arrival time of an upbound train (not shown) running through section #2 at station A is within the time period to be predicted, the user prediction unit 13 calculates the number of passengers on train 50-1 and the number of passengers on trains running through section #2, multiplies the calculated number of passengers by the corresponding coefficients from among the coefficients exemplified in FIG. 5, and calculates a total value by adding up the numbers of passengers after multiplication by the coefficients. Also, if there are multiple downbound trains running through section #3, the user prediction unit 13 multiplies the calculated number of passengers by the coefficients corresponding to these downbound trains and calculates a total value by adding up the numbers of passengers after multiplication by the coefficients. Then, the user prediction unit 13 calculates the predicted value N of the number of bus passengers by adding up the total values ​​for the upbound trains and the downbound trains. E In addition, in FIG. 3, an example has been described in which information regarding the number of passengers on train 50-1, which is an up train heading from station B to station A, and train 50-2, which is a down train heading to station A, is used, but the information regarding the number of passengers is information at a time later than the information used as the basis for creating the advance operation plan, and is advance information regarding bus operation to the extent that it is possible to operate the bus based on the revised operation plan.

[0037] In the above example, both inbound and outbound trains were considered, but if bus stop 6 is located in front of a station where trains of multiple routes arrive, the number of passengers on each train can be calculated for each route in the same way, and the sum of the number of passengers scheduled to arrive for each time period to be predicted can be calculated. When calculating the sum, if trains other than those located between the nearest station are also taken into consideration, weighted addition using coefficients can be performed as shown in Figure 5. Also, if there are multiple bus routes departing from bus stop 6, the number of passengers on each bus route can be predicted from the number of passengers scheduled to arrive for each time period to be predicted by determining the user ratio in Figure 4 and the coefficient in Figure 5 for each bus route.

[0038] 5, two sections, sections #1 and #2, are considered in the upbound direction, and one section, section #3, is considered in the downbound direction, but the number of sections to be considered is not limited to this example. Also, the above-mentioned method for predicting the number of bus passengers is one example, and the method for predicting the number of bus passengers using the calculation results of the number of train passengers is not limited to the above-mentioned example.

[0039] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 2, after step S3, the operation plan creation unit 14 creates an operation plan using the predicted number of users and the advance operation plan (step S4).

[0040] Here, an example of a method for creating an operation plan using the predicted number of passengers and the advance operation plan will be described. As described above, the advance operation plan includes the number of passengers for each time period assumed in creating the advance operation plan as an advance scenario. The operation plan creation unit 14 compares the advance scenario with the prediction result by the passenger prediction unit 13, and if the prediction result is higher than the advance scenario, increases the number of buses from the advance operation plan or changes the operating vehicle to a vehicle with a larger capacity. The operation route may also be changed. Specific examples of changing the operation route include skipping a bus stop or changing the advance operation route to select a shortcut. In this case, the number of passengers is predicted based on the number of passengers on trains arriving during the predicted time period. However, since it takes a certain amount of time for passengers to get from the train to the bus stop 6, the time it takes for passengers to get from the train to the bus stop 6 is taken into account when reflecting this in the operation plan. For example, assuming it takes about five minutes from getting off the train to moving to bus stop 6, the predicted number of bus users based on the number of passengers on trains arriving between 7:40 and 7:50 will be reflected in the bus operation plan from 7:55 onwards.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a preliminary operation plan and a final operation plan according to this embodiment. The left side of FIG. 6 shows the preliminary operation plan, and the right side of FIG. 6 shows the final operation plan. For example, if the predicted number of bus passengers based on a prediction targeting the period from 7:50 to 8:00 is greater than the number of passengers from 7:50 to 8:00 in the preliminary scenario, the number of buses departing at 8:00 may be increased to two, as shown in the upper right diagram, or the number of buses may be increased by shortening the operating intervals from 8:00 to 8:30 compared to those in the preliminary operation plan, as shown in the lower right diagram. Alternatively, as described above, the bus departing at 8:00 may be changed to a vehicle with a larger capacity.

[0042] In addition, the operation plan creation unit 14 compares the preliminary scenario with the prediction result by the passenger prediction unit 13, and if the prediction result is lower than the preliminary scenario, similarly, the operation plan creation unit 14 may reduce the number of trains from the preliminary operation plan or change the operating vehicle to one with a lower capacity. However, in an environment where reducing the number of trains would have a significant impact on passengers other than train passengers, the operation plan creation unit 14 may not reduce the number of trains. In addition, whether to increase or reduce the number of trains depends on how the number of passengers assumed as the preliminary scenario in the preliminary operation plan is set. For example, the preliminary scenario may assume a number of passengers lower than the average, and the operation plan creation unit 14 may increase the number of trains or change the vehicle, but not reduce the number of trains. Alternatively, the preliminary scenario may assume a number of passengers higher than the average, and the operation plan creation unit 14 may reduce the number of trains or change the vehicle, but not increase the number of trains. In addition, the preliminary scenario may assume an average number of passengers, and the operation plan creation unit 14 may increase or reduce the number of trains or change the vehicle. The method of creating an operation plan in the operation plan creating unit 14 is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and may be any method that modifies a preliminary operation plan by reflecting the predicted number of users.

[0043] As described above, the created operation plan is transmitted to the vehicle dispatching device 2 by the operation plan transmitting unit 15 as a confirmed operation plan. In this embodiment, the information on the number of train passengers transmitted from the train is an example of pedestrian flow information indicating the pedestrian flow during a first time period on a train, which is a location related to the bus stop. In this embodiment, as described above, a bus operation plan is created using a preliminary operation plan, which is a bus operation plan created using information acquired during a second time period prior to the first time period, and the prediction result by the user prediction unit 13. This allows the vehicle dispatching device 2 to perform bus dispatch according to a more realistic number of passengers, which reflects information on the first time period, which is later than the information on the second time period assumed in the preliminary operation plan. In a method of delaying bus departure times by reflecting train delay times based on train arrival times, passengers may be unable to board the bus when there are more passengers than usual, resulting in a loss of convenience for passengers. However, in this embodiment, the number of passengers is predicted based on the number of train passengers, and an operation plan is created using the predicted number of bus passengers, thereby improving convenience for passengers.

[0044] Here, the hardware configuration of the operation support device 1 will be described. In the operation support device 1 of this embodiment, an operation support program, which is a program describing the processing in the operation support device 1, is executed on a computer system, causing the computer system to function as the operation support device 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system that realizes the operation support device 1 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, this computer system includes a control unit 101, an input unit 102, a storage unit 103, a display unit 104, a communication unit 105, and an output unit 106, which are connected via a system bus 107.

[0045] In FIG. 7 , the control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executes an operation support program that describes the processing in the operation support device 1 of this embodiment. The input unit 102 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc., and is used by a user of the computer system to input various information. The memory unit 103 includes various memories such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory) and a storage device such as a hard disk, and stores programs to be executed by the control unit 101, necessary data obtained during processing, etc. The memory unit 103 is also used as a temporary storage area for programs. The display unit 104 is composed of a display, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display Panel), etc., and displays various screens to the user of the computer system. The communication unit 105 is a receiver and transmitter that performs communication processing. The output unit 106 is a speaker, a printer, etc. Note that FIG. 7 is an example, and the configuration of the computer system is not limited to the example of FIG. 7 .

[0046] Here, an example of the operation of the computer system until the operation support program of this embodiment is ready to be executed will be described. In the computer system having the above configuration, the operation support program is installed in storage unit 103 from, for example, a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM inserted in a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM drive or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM drive (not shown). Then, when the operation support program is executed, the operation support program read from storage unit 103 is stored in storage unit 103. In this state, control unit 101 executes processing as operation support device 1 of this embodiment in accordance with the program stored in storage unit 103.

[0047] In the above description, a program describing the processing in the operational support device 1 is provided using a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM as a recording medium, but this is not limited to this. Depending on the configuration of the computer system, the capacity of the program to be provided, etc., it is also possible to use a program provided via a transmission medium such as the Internet via the communication unit 105.

[0048] The user prediction unit 13 and the operation plan creation unit 14 shown in FIG. 1 are realized by the control unit 101 shown in FIG. 7 executing the operation support program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 7. The storage unit 103 is also used when the control unit 101 executes the operation support program. The people flow information receiving unit 11, the advance operation plan receiving unit 12, and the operation plan transmitting unit 15 shown in FIG. 1 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in FIG. 7. The operation support device 1 may be realized by multiple computer systems. For example, the operation support device 1 may be realized by a cloud computer system.

[0049] For example, the operation support program of this embodiment causes the operation support device 1 to execute the steps of predicting the number of users of the mobile body using people flow information indicating the flow of people during a first time period at a location related to the deployment location where the mobile body is deployed, and creating an operation plan for the mobile body using a preliminary operation plan, which is an operation plan for the mobile body created using information acquired during a second time period before the first time period, and the predicted number of users.

[0050] Like the operation support device 1, the vehicle dispatching device 2 is also realized by a computer system. The advance operation plan creation unit 21 shown in FIG. 1 is realized by the control unit 101 shown in FIG. 7 executing the operation support program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 7. The storage unit 103 is also used when the control unit 101 executes the operation support program. The advance operation plan transmission unit 22 and the operation plan reception unit 23 shown in FIG. 1 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in FIG. 7. The vehicle dispatching device 2 may be realized by a plurality of computer systems. For example, the vehicle dispatching device 2 may be realized by a cloud computer system.

[0051] Furthermore, the vehicle dispatching device 2 may have the functions of the operation support device 1. When the vehicle dispatching device 2 has the functions of the operation support device 1, the advance operation plan transmitting unit 22, the advance operation plan receiving unit 12, the operation plan transmitting unit 15, and the operation plan receiving unit 23 shown in Fig. 1 are unnecessary, and the advance operation plan created by the advance operation plan creating unit 21 is input to the operation plan creating unit 14. Furthermore, the confirmed operation plan created by the operation plan creating unit 14 is input to a functional unit (not shown) in the vehicle dispatching device 2 that executes a process of dispatching vehicles.

[0052] As described above, in this embodiment, the operations support device 1 predicts the number of bus passengers using a bus advance operation plan, which is an example of a advance operation plan for a moving object, and information about train passengers, which is information about a time later than the information used to create the advance operation plan, and then creates a bus operation plan by modifying the advance operation plan using the prediction result. This allows for accurate estimation of the number of passengers and allows for dispatching buses based on a predicted value that is close to the actual number of passengers. Furthermore, because the number of passengers is predicted based on the number of train passengers and the operation plan is created using the predicted number of bus passengers, user convenience can be improved compared to a method of delaying bus departure times based on train arrival times to reflect train delays.

[0053] <Variation 1> In the above example, the number of bus users was predicted using information about the number of train passengers received from the train as people flow information. However, in the case of a station where a train that accepts reservations or requires reservations stops, the number of people planning to disembark at the station may be calculated using train reservation information as people flow information. For example, the people flow information receiving unit 11 of the operation support device 1 receives reservation information indicating the details of train reservations from a management system that manages train reservations, and the user prediction unit 13 uses the received reservation information to estimate the number of people planning to disembark from the train at the station during the target time period. The reservation information may be collected based on reservation operations on a mobile device, such as a smartphone. Note that this reservation information is obtained on a date and time close to the actual train operation date and time, such as the day before or the day before, and data is used. The number of bus users and the ratio to the number of people planning to disembark are determined in advance, similar to the correspondence between the number of train passengers and the number of bus users described above. The user prediction unit 13 predicts the number of bus users using this ratio and the number of people planning to disembark from the train at the station during the target time period calculated using the reservation information. The user prediction unit 13 may predict the number of bus users by combining train reservation information and information on the number of train passengers. For example, if both train #1, which requires reservations, and train #2, which does not accept reservations, are scheduled to arrive at a station during the time period being predicted, the user prediction unit 13 uses the reservation information to determine the number of people who will get off at the station for train #1 and multiplies the number by a coefficient corresponding to the determined number of people, and for train #2, uses information on the number of train passengers to determine the number of train passengers and multiplies the number by a coefficient corresponding to the determined number of passengers. The user prediction unit 13 then determines the sum of these two values ​​as the predicted number of bus users.

[0054] <Variation 2> Similarly, the number of bus passengers may be predicted using information indicating the number of passengers at a station. Examples of information indicating the number of passengers at a station include the number of people passing through a ticket gate and images from a surveillance camera on the station platform. The information indicating the number of passengers at a station may be information about a station corresponding to platform 6, or information about a station other than the station. For example, the information may include information about multiple stations, such as Station A, Station B, and Station C, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In this case, similar to the coefficient information illustrated in FIG. 5, coefficients are determined for each time period and station based on the correlation between the number of bus passengers and the number of passengers at the station. The passenger prediction unit 13 can estimate the number of bus passengers using these coefficients. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of coefficient information indicating coefficients for each station according to this embodiment. The passenger prediction unit 13 calculates the number of bus passengers using the coefficient information illustrated in FIG. 8 and the coefficient corresponding to each station. For example, predicting the number of bus passengers using information about Station C allows for a quicker detection of the number of passengers than predicting the number of bus passengers using information about Station A. Thus, the time it takes for the number of passengers at a station to affect the number of bus passengers varies depending on the station. Therefore, the user prediction unit 13 may determine which station information to use depending on the time difference between the time point at which the prediction is made and the time period that is the target of the prediction.

[0055] Embodiment 2 Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an operation management system according to a second embodiment. The operation management system of this embodiment includes an operation support device 1a that supports the operation of buses, which are an example of mobile objects, and a vehicle dispatch device 2 that manages the dispatch of buses. Components having the same functions as those of the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0056] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the operation support device 1a supports the operation of a bus departing from an airport. That is, the deployment location of the mobile object in this embodiment is an airport. The vehicle dispatching device 2 changes the departure point of the bus to be dispatched from the station to the airport, but the configuration and operation are the same as those of the first embodiment. However, the information taken into consideration when creating the advance operation plan is past performance values ​​suitable for buses departing from the airport. The specific method of creating the advance operation plan in this embodiment may be different from that of the first embodiment. As in the first embodiment, the vehicle dispatching device 2 includes the number of passengers assumed in the advance operation plan as an advance scenario in the advance operation plan and transmits it. Note that the advance scenario does not take into account the latest information on the number of passengers for each aircraft, but assumes the average number of passengers for each aircraft in the past.

[0057] The operation support device 1a of this embodiment receives information on the number of aircraft passengers, which is people flow information indicating the flow of people at aircraft at locations related to airports, from the air traffic control system 7, predicts the number of bus passengers based on the information on the number of aircraft passengers, and creates a bus operation plan by modifying the advance operation plan using the prediction result. Note that, as in the first embodiment, a bus is an example of a mobile body, and the mobile body is not limited to a bus. Also, as in the first embodiment, the bus operation plan is an example of an advance operation plan for a mobile body.

[0058] The air traffic control system 7 includes a passenger information storage unit 71 and an aircraft information transmission unit 72. The passenger information storage unit 71 stores information related to the number of passengers on an aircraft. The information related to the number of passengers on an aircraft is, for example, the number of boarding passengers. The aircraft information transmission unit 72 transmits the information related to the number of passengers on an aircraft stored in the passenger information storage unit 71 to the operation support device 1a. The air traffic control system 7 transmits information related to the number of passengers on an aircraft regarding an aircraft that is in flight or about to take off. Here, an example is described in which the operation support device 1a receives information related to the number of passengers on an aircraft from the air traffic control system 7, but the operation support device 1a may also receive information related to the number of passengers on an aircraft from an airline's system.

[0059] The operation support device 1a of this embodiment is similar to the operation support device 1 of the first embodiment except that it includes a user prediction unit 13a and an operation plan creation unit 14a instead of the user prediction unit 13 and the operation plan creation unit 14. The people flow information receiving unit 11 outputs information received from the air traffic control system 7 to the user prediction unit 13a, as in the first embodiment, although the device from which the information is sent is different. The user prediction unit 13a predicts the number of bus users using information related to the number of aircraft passengers.

[0060] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation support processing procedure in the operation support device 1a of this embodiment. Step S1 is the same as in embodiment 1. The people flow information receiving unit 11 receives information about the number of passengers on an aircraft from the air traffic control system 7 (step S11). The people flow information receiving unit 11 outputs the information about the number of passengers on an aircraft to the user prediction unit 13a.

[0061] Next, the user prediction unit 13a predicts the number of bus users using information about the number of aircraft passengers (step S12). Specifically, the user prediction unit 13a calculates the number of aircraft passengers arriving at the airport during the time slot to be predicted using the information about the number of aircraft passengers. The calculation method for the number of aircraft passengers may be a method in which correspondence information indicating the correspondence between information about the number of aircraft passengers and the number of aircraft passengers arriving at the airport is stored and used, as in the first embodiment. However, if the information about the number of passengers is a passenger list or the like, the passenger list and the number of passengers are basically almost identical, so the number included in the passenger list or the like may be used as the number of aircraft passengers. The user prediction unit 13a predicts the number of bus passengers using the calculated number of aircraft passengers. As in the first embodiment, the prediction method for the number of bus passengers involves calculating the ratio of the number of bus passengers to the number of aircraft passengers from past performance data, and using this ratio to calculate an estimated number of bus passengers. When multiple aircraft are scheduled to arrive during the time slot to be predicted, the sum of the bus passengers corresponding to each aircraft is calculated as the predicted value of the number of bus passengers, as in the first embodiment. Step S4 after step S12 is the same as in the first embodiment, and the operation plan creating unit 14a creates an operation plan in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0062] The operation support device 1a of this embodiment is realized by a computer system, similar to the first embodiment. The operation support device 1a of this embodiment may be realized by a plurality of computer systems, similar to the operation support device 1 of the first embodiment. For example, it may be realized by a cloud system. Furthermore, the vehicle dispatching device 2 may have the functions of the operation support device 1a.

[0063] The information on the number of aircraft passengers in this embodiment is also an example of information for a time later than the information used as the basis for creating the bus advance operation plan. As in the first embodiment, the operations support device 1a of this embodiment predicts the number of bus passengers using the bus advance operation plan, which is an example of a mobile object advance operation plan, and information on the number of aircraft passengers, which is information for a time later than the information used as the basis for creating the advance operation plan, and creates a bus operation plan by correcting the advance operation plan using the prediction result. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the number of passengers and to dispatch vehicles according to a predicted value that is close to the actual number of passengers.

[0064] Embodiment 3 FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an operation management system according to a third embodiment. The operation management system of this embodiment includes an operation support device 1b that supports the operation of buses, which are an example of mobile objects, and a vehicle dispatch device 2 that manages the dispatch of buses. Components having the same functions as those of the second embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals as those of the second embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Below, differences from the second embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0065] In this embodiment, as in the second embodiment, an example of supporting the operation of buses departing from an airport will be described. The vehicle dispatch device 2 of this embodiment is the same as the vehicle dispatch device 2 of the second embodiment. The air traffic control system 7 is the same as the air traffic control system 7 of the second embodiment except that it includes an aircraft parking information storage unit 73 instead of the passenger boarding / alighting information storage unit 71. The aircraft parking information storage unit 73 stores information related to aircraft parking. The aircraft information transmission unit 72 transmits, as aircraft information, information related to aircraft parking stored in the aircraft parking information storage unit 73 to the operation support device 1b. The information related to aircraft parking is information indicating a parking location to be used when the aircraft arrives at the airport, for example, information indicating an apron (spot). The information related to aircraft parking includes information indicating the expected arrival time of each aircraft at the airport and the parking location, i.e., the apron to be used by the aircraft. Note that, as in the first embodiment, a bus is an example of a mobile object, and the mobile object is not limited to a bus. Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, the bus operation plan is an example of a pre-operation plan for a mobile object.

[0066] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a bus stop supported by the operations support device 1b of this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 12, an airport has two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and five aprons, 61-1 to 61-5. In addition, three bus stops, 62-1 to 62-3, are provided. For example, if an aircraft is scheduled to park at apron 61-5, it is desirable that a bus be dispatched to stop 62-3, which is closest to apron 61-5 among stops 62-1 to 62-3, after the aircraft arrives. In this embodiment, the operations support device 1b uses information related to aircraft parking to determine the bus dispatch time and stops 62-1 to 62-3, i.e., the dispatch location. In addition, although multiple bus stops are provided in the example shown in FIG. 12, some airports may have only one bus stop. Therefore, the operations support device 1b only needs to use information about aircraft parking to determine the time to dispatch a bus, taking into account the travel time of passengers depending on the distance between the parking location and the bus stop, and it is not necessary to determine the location of the bus. Note that Fig. 12 is an example, and the number of terminals and bus stops is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 12. For example, one bus stop may be provided for each terminal.

[0067] The operation support device 1b of this embodiment differs from the operation support device 1a of embodiment 2 in that it has a user prediction unit 13b and an operation plan creation unit 14b instead of the user prediction unit 13 and the operation plan creation unit 14, and outputs the information received by the people flow information receiving unit 11 to the operation plan creation unit 14b in addition to the user prediction unit 13b, but other than this, it is the same as the operation support device 1a.

[0068] The operation support device 1b of this embodiment may determine the bus dispatch time, or the bus dispatch time and dispatch location, using information regarding aircraft parking, without using the advance operation plan created by the vehicle dispatch device 2.

[0069] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation support processing procedure of the operation support device 1b of this embodiment when a prior operation plan is not used. As shown in FIG. 13, the people flow information receiving unit 11 receives information about aircraft parking from the air traffic control system 7 (step S21). The people flow information receiving unit 11 outputs the received information about aircraft parking to the operation plan creating unit 14b.

[0070] The operation plan creation unit 14b creates an operation plan including the departure time and dispatch location of the bus using information about the parking of the aircraft (step S22). The operation plan creation unit 14b outputs the created operation plan as a confirmed operation plan to the operation plan transmission unit 15. The operation of the operation plan transmission unit 15 is the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0071] The operation plan creation unit 14b determines the bus departure time by taking into consideration the time it takes for passengers disembarking from the aircraft to travel to the bus stop, for example, using the estimated arrival time, which is the estimated landing time included in the information about the aircraft parking. That is, the operation plan creation unit 14b creates an operation plan including the departure time of a bus to be dispatched to a bus stop at the airport. The location where the bus is dispatched is an example of a location where a mobile object is deployed, and the bus departure time is an example of a time when the mobile object is deployed. Furthermore, if there are multiple bus stops, the stop to which the bus is dispatched is determined by using information indicating the parking location included in the information about the aircraft parking. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 12, if there is an aircraft parked at at least one of apron 61-1 and apron 61-2 during the predicted time period, a bus is dispatched to stop 62-1 during the predicted time period. At this time, the bus departure time is determined by taking into consideration the travel time from the apron where the aircraft arrives to stop 62-1. Furthermore, if there is an aircraft parked at at least one of the aprons 61-3 and 61-4, a bus is dispatched to the platform 62-2 during the time period targeted for prediction, taking into consideration travel to the platform 62-2.

[0072] As described above, the operation support device 1b of this embodiment can create an operation plan without using a preliminary operation plan. Furthermore, the operation support device 1b may create an operation plan by modifying the preliminary operation plan using information about aircraft parking, as described below.

[0073] 14 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation support processing procedure of the operation support device 1b of this embodiment when a pre-operation plan is used. Step S1 is the same as in the first and second embodiments. Step S21 is the same as step S21 shown in FIG. 13. However, the people flow information receiving unit 11 outputs the received information on aircraft parking to the user prediction unit 13b and the operation plan creation unit 14b.

[0074] The user prediction unit 13b estimates the number of bus users from information on aircraft parking, which is an example of people flow information (step S23). For example, the number of bus users per aircraft is determined in advance based on past performance, and the number of users is predicted by multiplying the number of aircraft arriving at the airport during the time period to be predicted by the number of bus users per aircraft. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, if multiple bus stops are provided at the airport, the user prediction unit 13b predicts the number of bus users for each stop based on information on aircraft parking.

[0075] For example, in the example shown in FIG. 12, if there is an aircraft parked at at least one of aprons 61-1 and 61-2 during the time period to be predicted, the user prediction unit 13b predicts the number of users at platform 62-1 on the assumption that passengers of the aircraft will use platform 62-1. Similarly, if there is an aircraft parked at at least one of aprons 61-3 and 61-4, the user prediction unit 13b predicts the number of users at platform 62-2 on the assumption that passengers of the aircraft will use platform 62-2, and if there is an aircraft parked at apron 61-5, the user prediction unit 13b predicts the number of users at platform 62-3 on the assumption that passengers of the aircraft will use platform 62-3. The user prediction unit 13b outputs the predicted value of the number of users to the operation plan creation unit 14b. Furthermore, if there are multiple platform, the user prediction unit 13b outputs the predicted value of the number of users for each platform to the operation plan creation unit 14b.

[0076] Step S4 after step S23 is the same as in embodiment 1, and the operation plan creation unit 14b creates an operation plan in the same way as in embodiment 1. At this time, if there are multiple boarding points, an operation plan is created for each boarding point based on the predicted number of users for each boarding point.

[0077] 11 shows a configuration capable of performing both the process shown in FIG. 13 and the process shown in FIG. 14. The operation support device 1b can selectively use either the process shown in FIG. 13 or the process shown in FIG. 14 depending on the situation. Alternatively, the operation support device 1b may perform only one of the process shown in FIG. 13 or the process shown in FIG. 14. When the operation support device 1b performs only the process shown in FIG. 13 out of the process shown in FIG. 13 and the process shown in FIG. 14, the operation support device 1b does not need to include the advance operation plan receiving unit 12 and the user prediction unit 13b. In this case, the vehicle dispatching device 2 does not need to include the advance operation plan creating unit 21 and the advance operation plan transmitting unit 22.

[0078] The operation support device 1b of this embodiment is realized by a computer system, similar to the first embodiment. The operation support device 1b of this embodiment may be realized by a plurality of computer systems, similar to the operation support device 1 of the first embodiment. For example, it may be realized by a cloud system. Furthermore, the vehicle dispatching device 2 may have the functions of the operation support device 1b.

[0079] The information on aircraft parking in this embodiment is also an example of information at a later time than the information used as the basis for creating the bus advance operation plan. As in the first embodiment, the operation support device 1b in this embodiment predicts the number of bus passengers using the bus advance operation plan, which is an example of a mobile object advance operation plan, and information on aircraft parking, which is information at a later time than the information used as the basis for creating the advance operation plan, and creates a bus operation plan by correcting the advance operation plan using the prediction result. Therefore, the number of passengers can be estimated accurately, and vehicles can be dispatched according to a predicted value that is close to the actual number of passengers.

[0080] Even if a pre-planned operation plan is not used, buses can be efficiently dispatched according to the arrival time of an aircraft by using information about aircraft parking to dispatch buses. Also, by determining the bus stop to dispatch a bus to using information about aircraft parking, buses can be efficiently dispatched at airports with multiple bus stops.

[0081] Embodiment 4 Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an operation management system according to a fourth embodiment. The operation management system of this embodiment includes an operation support device 1c that supports the operation of buses, which are an example of mobile objects, and a vehicle dispatch device 2 that manages the dispatch of buses. Components having the same functions as those of the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0082] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the operation support device 1c supports the operation of buses departing from the periphery of a building, such as in front of the building. That is, in this embodiment, the deployment location of the mobile object is in front of the building. Here, "in front of the building" may be within the area used by building users, and may be not only in front of the building but also on the side or back of the building, or may be some distance away from the building. In the following, a building will be used as an example of a facility. However, it may be a facility other than a building, such as a factory or office, that manages the number of people in the building or on its premises. The vehicle dispatch device 2 changes the departure point of the bus to be dispatched from in front of the station to the periphery of the building, but its configuration and operation are the same as those of the first embodiment. However, the information considered when creating the advance operation plan includes past performance values ​​suitable for buses departing from the periphery of the building. The specific method of creating the advance operation plan in this embodiment may differ from that of the first embodiment. As in the first embodiment, the vehicle dispatch device 2 includes the number of users assumed in the advance operation plan as an advance scenario in the advance operation plan and transmits it.

[0083] The operation support device 1c of this embodiment receives information on the number of people in a building, which is an example of people flow information, from the facility management system 8, predicts the number of bus users based on the information on the number of people in the building, and creates a bus operation plan by modifying the advance operation plan using the prediction result. Note that, as in the first embodiment, a bus is an example of a mobile object, and the mobile object is not limited to a bus. Also, as in the first embodiment, the bus operation plan is an example of an advance operation plan for a mobile object.

[0084] The facility management system 8 includes a resident count information storage unit 81 and a people flow information transmission unit 82. The resident count information storage unit 81 stores information about the number of people in the building. The people flow information transmission unit 82 transmits the information about the number of people in the building to the operation support device 1c. The facility management system 8 is, for example, a building management system that manages building security or the attendance of tenants in the building, and manages information about the number of people in the building for security management or attendance management. If the facility management system 8 is a system that performs security management, the information about the number of people in the building may be information obtained by a system that manages entry to the building, such as a gate or door, i.e., the detection results of the number of people entering and exiting the building, or may be video footage from a surveillance camera. If the facility management system 8 is a device that manages attendance, the facility management system 8 calculates the information about the number of people in the building using attendance information such as electronic time cards.

[0085] Furthermore, the facility management system 8 may be an elevator management device that manages elevators in a building. When the facility management system 8 is an elevator management system, the facility management system 8 estimates the number of people in the building using information indicating the number of elevator users. The ratio between the number of elevator users and the number of people in the building is determined in advance, for example, based on past performance, and the facility management system 8 estimates the number of people in the building using this ratio and the number of elevator users, and the estimated number of people in the building is stored in the occupancy information storage unit 81. Note that the information indicating the number of elevator users may be an image captured by a surveillance camera inside the elevator or the weight of the elevator.

[0086] The operation support device 1c of this embodiment is similar to the operation support device 1 of the first embodiment, except that it includes a user prediction unit 13c and an operation plan creation unit 14c instead of the user prediction unit 13 and the operation plan creation unit 14. The people flow information receiving unit 11 outputs information received from the facility management system 8 to the user prediction unit 13c, as in the first embodiment, although the device from which the information is sent is different. The user prediction unit 13c predicts the number of bus users using information about the number of people in the building.

[0087] 16 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation support processing procedure in the operation support device 1c of this embodiment. Step S1 is the same as in Embodiment 1. The people flow information receiver 11 receives information about the number of people in the building from the facility management system 8 (step S31). The people flow information receiver 11 outputs the information about the number of people in the building to the user prediction unit 13c.

[0088] Next, the user prediction unit 13c predicts the number of bus users using the information about the number of people in the building (step S32). Specifically, the user prediction unit 13c calculates the number of people in the building using the information about the number of people in the building. When the information about the number of people in the building indicates the actual number of people in the building, the user prediction unit 13c directly calculates the number of people in the building using the information about the number of people in the building. Then, for example, the ratio between the number of people in the building and the number of bus users is determined based on, for example, past performance, and the user prediction unit 13c predicts the number of bus users using this ratio and the information about the number of people in the building. When the information about the number of people in the building is surveillance camera footage, the user prediction unit 13c detects people from the surveillance camera footage and counts the number of detected people. Then, the ratio between the number of people captured by the surveillance camera and the number of bus users is determined based on, for example, past performance, and the user prediction unit 13c predicts the number of bus users using this ratio and the result of counting people detected from the image. Step S4 after step S32 is the same as in the first embodiment, and the operation plan creating unit 14c creates an operation plan in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0089] The operation support device 1c of this embodiment is realized by a computer system, similar to the first embodiment. The operation support device 1c of this embodiment may be realized by a plurality of computer systems, similar to the operation support device 1 of the first embodiment. For example, it may be realized by a cloud system. Furthermore, the vehicle dispatching device 2 may have the functions of the operation support device 1c.

[0090] Furthermore, in the above example, when the facility management system 8 is an elevator management system, the facility management system 8 estimates the number of people in the building using information indicating the number of elevator users and transmits the information to the operation support device 1c. However, the elevator management system may also transmit information indicating the number of elevator users to the operation support device 1c as information regarding the number of people in the building. In this case, the user prediction unit 13c of the operation support device 1c calculates the number of people in the building using the information indicating the number of elevator users. When the information indicating the number of elevator users is an image, the user prediction unit 13c of the operation support device 1c detects people from the image, counts the detected people, and calculates the number of bus users using the counting result and a predetermined ratio, as in the case of using the above-mentioned surveillance camera image.

[0091] The information representing the number of people in a building and the number of elevator users in this embodiment is also an example of information for a time later than the information used to create the bus advance operation plan. As in the first embodiment, the operations support device 1c of this embodiment predicts the number of bus users using a bus advance operation plan, which is an example of a mobile object advance operation plan, and information representing the number of people in a building or the number of elevator users, which is information for a time later than the information used to create the advance operation plan, and creates a bus operation plan by modifying the advance operation plan using the prediction result. This allows for accurate estimation of the number of users, and allows for dispatching buses based on a predicted value that is close to the actual number of users.

[0092] Embodiment 5. Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an operation management system according to a fifth embodiment. The operation management system of this embodiment includes an operation support device 1d that supports the operation of buses, which are an example of mobile objects, and a vehicle dispatch device 2 that manages the dispatch of buses. Components having the same functions as those of the fourth embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those of the fourth embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Below, differences from the fourth embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0093] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the operation support device 1d supports the operation of a bus departing from the vicinity of a parking lot. The parking lot may be, for example, a parking lot attached to or located around a facility such as a train station, public facility, airport, office, or commercial facility. Specifically, a bus may operate between one or more parking lots located around a facility, such as a large shopping mall, a MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference, Event) facility, or an IR (Integrated Resort). In this embodiment, the location of the mobile object is in front of the parking lot, which also includes in front of the facility corresponding to the parking lot. Furthermore, the "in front of the parking lot" may be within the area used by users of the parking lot. It is not limited to the front of the facility or parking lot, but may also be to the side or back of the facility or parking lot, or may be located some distance away from the parking lot. Furthermore, the location of the mobile object may be within the parking lot. The vehicle dispatch device 2 changes the departure point of the bus to be dispatched from in front of the station to the vicinity of the parking lot, but its configuration and operation are the same as those of the first embodiment. However, the information taken into consideration when creating the advance operation plan is past performance values ​​suitable for buses departing from the vicinity of the parking lot. The specific method for creating the advance operation plan in this embodiment may be different from that in embodiment 1. As in embodiment 1, the vehicle dispatching device 2 includes the number of users assumed in the advance operation plan as an advance scenario in the advance operation plan and transmits it.

[0094] The operation support device 1d of this embodiment receives information on the number of parked vehicles, which is an example of people flow information, from the parking lot management system 9, predicts the number of bus users based on the information on the number of parked vehicles, and creates a bus operation plan by modifying the advance operation plan using the prediction result. Note that, as in the first embodiment, a bus is an example of a mobile body, and the mobile body is not limited to a bus. Also, as in the first embodiment, the bus operation plan is an example of an advance operation plan for a mobile body.

[0095] The parking lot management system 9 includes a parked vehicle number information storage unit 91 and a pedestrian flow information transmission unit 92. The parked vehicle number information storage unit 91 stores information related to the number of parked vehicles. The information related to the number of parked vehicles is information related to the number of vehicles parked in the parking lot. For example, if the parking lot is a paid parking lot, the information related to the number of parked vehicles is the number of vehicles parked in the parking lot calculated from the entry and exit times of each vehicle, which is managed for parking fee charging. The pedestrian flow information transmission unit 92 transmits information related to the number of parked vehicles to the operation support device 1d. The parking lot management system 9 may also use images of the parking lot captured by a camera installed to monitor the parking lot to count the number of vehicles that have entered and exited the parking lot. The parking lot management system 9 may also transmit video captured by the camera to the operation support device 1d as information related to the number of parked vehicles. The information related to the number of parked vehicles may also include vehicle types such as passenger cars, light vehicles, and large vehicles.

[0096] The operation support device 1d of this embodiment is similar to the operation support device 1c of embodiment 4, except that it includes a user prediction unit 13d instead of the user prediction unit 13c. The people flow information receiving unit 11 outputs information received from the parking lot management system 9 to the user prediction unit 13d, as in embodiment 1, although the device from which the information is sent is different. The user prediction unit 13d predicts the number of bus users using information related to the number of parked vehicles.

[0097] 18 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation support processing procedure in the operation support device 1d of this embodiment. Step S1 is the same as in Embodiment 1. The people flow information receiving unit 11 receives information about the number of parked vehicles from the parking lot management system 9 (step S41). The people flow information receiving unit 11 outputs the information about the number of parked vehicles to the user prediction unit 13d.

[0098] Next, the user prediction unit 13d predicts the number of bus users using information related to the number of parked vehicles (step S42). Specifically, a ratio between the number of parked vehicles in a parking lot and the number of bus users is determined in advance, and the user prediction unit 13d predicts the number of bus users using this ratio and information related to the number of parked vehicles. If the information related to the number of parked vehicles is a camera image or the like, the user prediction unit 13d detects people from the camera image and counts the number of detected people. Then, a ratio between the number of parked vehicles captured by the camera and the number of bus users is determined in advance based on past performance values ​​or the like, and the user prediction unit 13d predicts the number of bus users using this ratio and the result of counting the people detected from the image. Step S4 after step S42 is the same as in embodiment 1, and the operation plan creation unit 14c creates an operation plan in the same way as in embodiment 1.

[0099] The operation support device 1d of this embodiment is realized by a computer system, similar to the first embodiment. The operation support device 1d of this embodiment may be realized by a plurality of computer systems, similar to the operation support device 1 of the first embodiment. For example, it may be realized by a cloud system. Furthermore, the vehicle dispatching device 2 may have the functions of the operation support device 1d.

[0100] The information on the number of parked vehicles in this embodiment is also an example of information for a time later than the information used as the basis for creating the bus advance operation plan. As in the first embodiment, the operation support device 1d of this embodiment predicts the number of bus passengers using the bus advance operation plan, which is an example of a mobile object advance operation plan, and information on the number of parked vehicles, which is information for a time later than the information used as the basis for creating the advance operation plan, and creates a bus operation plan by correcting the advance operation plan using the prediction result. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the number of passengers and to dispatch vehicles according to a predicted value that is close to the actual number of passengers.

[0101] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or different embodiments may be combined with each other. It is also possible to omit or modify parts of the configurations as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d Operation support device, 2 Vehicle dispatch device, 3 Train integrated management device, 4 Equipment, 5 Ground device, 7 Air traffic control system, 8 Facility management system, 9 Parking management system, 11 People flow information receiving unit, 12 Advance operation plan receiving unit, 13, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d User prediction unit, 14, 14a, 14b, 14c Operation plan creation unit, 15 Operation plan transmission unit, 21 Advance operation plan creation unit, 22 Advance operation plan transmission unit, 23 Operation plan receiving unit, 31 Status information transmission unit, 32 Status information acquisition unit.

Claims

1. a user prediction unit that predicts the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information that indicates people flow during a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; an operation plan creation unit that creates an operation plan for the mobile object using a preliminary operation plan that is an operation plan for the mobile object created using information acquired in a second time period that is earlier than the first time period and a prediction result by the user prediction unit; Equipped with the deployment location includes the perimeter of the facility; The people flow information includes information regarding the number of people present at the facility, The operation support device is characterized in that the operation plan creation unit creates the operation plan by changing the operation route, operation interval, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the comparison result between the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created and the prediction result by the user prediction unit.

2. a user prediction unit that predicts the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information that indicates people flow during a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; an operation plan creation unit that creates an operation plan for the mobile object using a preliminary operation plan that is an operation plan for the mobile object created using information acquired in a second time period that is earlier than the first time period and a prediction result by the user prediction unit; Equipped with the deployment location includes in front of or within a parking lot; The people flow information includes information regarding the number of parked vehicles in the parking lot, The operation support device is characterized in that the operation plan creation unit creates the operation plan by changing the operation route, operation interval, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the comparison result between the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created and the prediction result by the user prediction unit.

3. a user prediction unit that predicts the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information that indicates people flow during a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; an operation plan creation unit that creates an operation plan for the mobile object using a preliminary operation plan that is an operation plan for the mobile object created using information acquired in a second time period that is earlier than the first time period and a prediction result by the user prediction unit; Equipped with the deployment location includes an airport; the people flow information includes information regarding at least one of the number of passengers on an aircraft and the parking of the aircraft; The operation support device is characterized in that the operation plan creation unit creates the operation plan by changing the operation route, operation interval, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the comparison result between the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created and the prediction result by the user prediction unit.

4. The operation support device according to claim 3 , wherein the people flow information includes information regarding the number of passengers on the aircraft.

5. The operation support device according to claim 3 , wherein the people flow information includes information about parking of the aircraft.

6. 6. The operational support device according to claim 5, wherein the information relating to the parking of the aircraft includes information indicating the estimated time of arrival of the aircraft at the airport and the apron to be used by the aircraft.

7. the facility includes a building; The operation support device according to claim 1 , wherein the people flow information includes information about the number of people in the building.

8. 8. The operation support device according to claim 7, wherein the information about the number of people in the building includes a result of detecting the number of people entering and leaving the building.

9. 8. The operation support device according to claim 7, wherein the information about the number of people in the building includes information calculated based on the number of users of the elevators in the building.

10. 8. The operation support device according to claim 7, wherein the information about the number of people in the building includes the number of users of the elevators in the building.

11. 3. The operation support device according to claim 2, wherein the deployment location is in front of a parking lot.

12. a mobile object management device that manages the deployment of mobile objects; an operation support device that supports the operation of the moving body; Equipped with The operation support device a user prediction unit that predicts the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information that indicates the number of people flowing in a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; a preliminary operation plan receiving unit that receives, from the mobile object management device, a preliminary operation plan that is an operation plan for the mobile object created using information acquired during a second time period that is earlier than the first time period; an operation plan creation unit that creates an operation plan for the moving object using the advance operation plan and the prediction result by the user prediction unit; an operation plan transmission unit that transmits the operation plan created by the operation plan creation unit to the mobile object management device; Equipped with The mobile object management device a preliminary operation plan transmission unit that transmits the preliminary operation plan to the operation support device; an operation plan receiving unit that receives the operation plan transmitted from the operation support device; Equipped with the deployment location includes the perimeter of the facility; The people flow information includes information regarding the number of people present at the facility, an operation management system characterized in that the operation plan creation unit creates the operation plan by changing the operation route, operation interval, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the results of comparing the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created with the prediction results by the user prediction unit.

13. a mobile object management device that manages the deployment of mobile objects; an operation support device that supports the operation of the moving body; Equipped with The operation support device a user prediction unit that predicts the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information that indicates the number of people flowing in a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; a preliminary operation plan receiving unit that receives, from the mobile object management device, a preliminary operation plan that is an operation plan for the mobile object created using information acquired during a second time period that is earlier than the first time period; an operation plan creation unit that creates an operation plan for the moving object using the advance operation plan and the prediction result by the user prediction unit; an operation plan transmission unit that transmits the operation plan created by the operation plan creation unit to the mobile object management device; Equipped with The mobile object management device a preliminary operation plan transmission unit that transmits the preliminary operation plan to the operation support device; an operation plan receiving unit that receives the operation plan transmitted from the operation support device; Equipped with the deployment location includes in front of or within a parking lot; The people flow information includes information regarding the number of parked vehicles in the parking lot, an operation management system characterized in that the operation plan creation unit creates the operation plan by changing the operation route, operation interval, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the results of comparing the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created with the prediction results by the user prediction unit.

14. a mobile object management device that manages the deployment of mobile objects; an operation support device that supports the operation of the moving body; Equipped with The operation support device a user prediction unit that predicts the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information that indicates the number of people flowing in a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; a preliminary operation plan receiving unit that receives, from the mobile object management device, a preliminary operation plan that is an operation plan for the mobile object created using information acquired during a second time period that is earlier than the first time period; an operation plan creation unit that creates an operation plan for the moving object using the advance operation plan and the prediction result by the user prediction unit; an operation plan transmission unit that transmits the operation plan created by the operation plan creation unit to the mobile object management device; Equipped with The mobile object management device a preliminary operation plan transmission unit that transmits the preliminary operation plan to the operation support device; an operation plan receiving unit that receives the operation plan transmitted from the operation support device; Equipped with the deployment location includes an airport; the people flow information includes information regarding at least one of the number of passengers on an aircraft and the parking of the aircraft; an operation management system characterized in that the operation plan creation unit creates the operation plan by changing the operation route, operation interval, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the results of comparing the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created with the prediction results by the user prediction unit.

15. The operation management system according to claim 14 , wherein the people flow information includes information about the number of passengers on the aircraft.

16. The operation management system according to claim 14 , wherein the people flow information includes information about parking of the aircraft.

17. the facility includes a building; The operation management system according to claim 12, wherein the people flow information includes information about the number of people in the building.

18. 18. The operation management system according to claim 17, wherein the information regarding the number of people in the building includes information calculated based on the number of users of the elevators in the building.

19. The operation management system according to claim 13, wherein the deployment location is in front of a parking lot.

20. An operation support method in an operation support device that supports operation of a moving body, comprising: performing a prediction process for predicting the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information indicating the people flow during a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; performing a creation process of creating an operation plan for the mobile body using a preliminary operation plan, which is an operation plan for the mobile body created using information acquired in a second time period prior to the first time period, and the predicted result of the number of users; the deployment location includes the perimeter of the facility; The people flow information includes information regarding the number of people present at the facility, An operational support method characterized in that the creation process creates the operation plan by changing the operation route, operation interval, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the results of comparing the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created with the prediction results of the prediction process.

21. An operation support method in an operation support device that supports operation of a moving body, comprising: performing a prediction process for predicting the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information indicating the people flow during a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; performing a creation process of creating an operation plan for the mobile body using a preliminary operation plan, which is an operation plan for the mobile body created using information acquired in a second time period prior to the first time period, and the predicted result of the number of users; the deployment location includes in front of or within a parking lot; The people flow information includes information regarding the number of parked vehicles in the parking lot, An operational support method characterized in that the creation process creates the operation plan by changing the operation route, operation interval, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the results of comparing the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created with the prediction results of the prediction process.

22. An operation support method in an operation support device that supports operation of a moving body, comprising: performing a prediction process for predicting the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information indicating the people flow during a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; performing a creation process of creating an operation plan for the mobile body using a preliminary operation plan, which is an operation plan for the mobile body created using information acquired in a second time period prior to the first time period, and the predicted result of the number of users; the deployment location includes an airport; the people flow information includes information regarding at least one of the number of passengers on an aircraft and the parking of the aircraft; An operational support method characterized in that the creation process creates the operation plan by changing the operation route, operation interval, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the results of comparing the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created with the prediction results of the prediction process.

23. Operation support equipment that supports the operation of mobile vehicles, a prediction step of predicting the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information indicating the number of people flowing in a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; a creation step of creating an operation plan for the mobile object using a preliminary operation plan, which is an operation plan for the mobile object created using information acquired in a second time period before the first time period, and the predicted number of users; Execute the deployment location includes the perimeter of the facility; The people flow information includes information regarding the number of people present at the facility, an operation support program, characterized in that in the prediction step, the operation plan is created by changing the operation routes, operation intervals, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the results of comparing the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created with the prediction results of the prediction step.

24. Operation support equipment that supports the operation of mobile vehicles, a prediction step of predicting the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information indicating the number of people flowing in a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; a creation step of creating an operation plan for the mobile object using a preliminary operation plan, which is an operation plan for the mobile object created using information acquired in a second time period before the first time period, and the predicted number of users; Execute the deployment location includes in front of or within a parking lot; The people flow information includes information regarding the number of parked vehicles in the parking lot, an operation support program, characterized in that in the prediction step, the operation plan is created by changing the operation routes, operation intervals, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the results of comparing the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created with the prediction results of the prediction step.

25. Operation support equipment that supports the operation of mobile vehicles, a prediction step of predicting the number of users of the mobile object using people flow information indicating the number of people flowing in a first time period at a location related to a deployment location where the mobile object is deployed; a creation step of creating an operation plan for the mobile object using a preliminary operation plan, which is an operation plan for the mobile object created using information acquired in a second time period before the first time period, and the predicted number of users; Execute the deployment location includes an airport; the people flow information includes information regarding at least one of the number of passengers on an aircraft and the parking of the aircraft; an operation support program, characterized in that in the prediction step, the operation plan is created by changing the operation routes, operation intervals, or the mobile units to be deployed in the preliminary operation plan based on the results of comparing the number of users assumed when the preliminary operation plan was created with the prediction results of the prediction step.

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