Operation planning device and operation planning method

Abstract

To provide an operation planning system capable of developing an operation plan for resource-possessed mobile units that achieves both operational efficiency of resource-holding mobile units during normal times and improving response to resource requests of resource recipients during emergencies.SOLUTION: The operation planning system performs the steps of: generating a normal route plan in which all destinations to be visited should be visited by one of multiple resource-possessing mobiles; generating correspondence between the resource-holding mobile units and the parties to be resource-provided during emergencies based on the position of the parties to be resource-provided and the position of the multiple resource-holding mobile units when making a visit based on the proposed route; and developing an operation plan based on a normal evaluation value based on the travel distance of the multiple resource-holding mobile units, the travel distance being indicated by the route plan, and an emergency evaluation value that indicates the degree to which the resource request of the parties to be resource-provided is met in an emergency based on the correspondence between the resource-holding mobile units and the parties to be resource-provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a train operation planning device and a train operation planning method. [Background technology]

[0002] As background technology for this field, there is Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-117780 (Patent Document 1). This publication states that "the resource sharing support device 10 has a matching processing unit 32. The matching processing unit 32 acquires a resource provision offer list 117 that shows the form of resource provision that resource providers can provide, and a resource provision request list 118 that shows the form of resource provision that resource recipients wish to receive, and determines the combination of resource providers and resource recipients who will exchange resources based on this information. The resource provision offer list 117 and the resource provision request list 118 each include information indicating the type of resource, and the matching processing unit 32 determines the combination based on the type of resource." (See abstract). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-117780 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] The technology described in Patent Document 1 establishes a one-to-one correspondence between resource providers and resource recipients who provide resources to be used in the event of a disaster. However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, if a disaster occurs while the resource provider is on the move, there is a risk that the resource provider may not be able to meet the resource recipient's resource request due to reasons such as the distance between the resource provider and the resource recipient associated with them at the time of the disaster being too great.

[0005] Therefore, one aspect of the present invention involves formulating an operational plan for a resource-holding mobile vehicle that balances the operational efficiency of the resource-holding mobile vehicle during normal times with improved response to resource requests from resource providers during emergencies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention adopts the following configuration. An operation planning device for formulating operation plans for multiple resource-holding mobile units includes a processor and a memory, the memory holds destination information indicating the locations of destinations visited by the multiple resource-holding mobile units and resource recipient information indicating the locations of resource recipients, the processor refers to the destination information and generates a normal route plan for the multiple resource-holding mobile units so that all of the destinations are visited by any of the multiple resource-holding mobile units, and for each of the route plans, based on the location of the resource recipient and the locations of the multiple resource-holding mobile units when making a visit based on the route plan, the device calculates the resource in an emergency for each of the multiple resource-holding mobile units and the resource The system generates correspondences between resource-owning mobile units and destinations indicating resource recipients that the mobile units will visit to provide resources. For each proposed route, it calculates a normal evaluation value based on the travel distance of the multiple resource-owning mobile units indicated by the proposed route. For each proposed route, it calculates an emergency evaluation value indicating the degree to which the resource requests of the resource recipients in an emergency will be met, based on the correspondence between each of the multiple resource-owning mobile units and the destinations. Based on the normal evaluation value and the emergency evaluation value, it determines a route from the proposed route and includes the determined route and the correspondence between each of the multiple resource-owning mobile units and the destinations along the determined route in the operation plan. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention enables the formulation of an operational plan for a resource-holding mobile entity that balances operational efficiency during normal times with improved response to resource requests from resource providers during emergencies.

[0008] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the operation plan creation system in Example 1. [Figure 2] It is a data configuration example of vehicle information in Example 1. [Figure 3] It is a data configuration example of distribution base information in Example 1. [Figure 4] It is a data configuration example of charging stand information in Example 1. [Figure 5] It is a data configuration example of facility information in Example 1. [Figure 6] It is a data configuration example of delivery destination information in Example 1. [Figure 7] It is a data configuration example of power outage information in Example 1. [Figure 8] It is a data configuration example of the operation plan in Example 1. [Figure 9] It is a data configuration example of work performance information in Example 1. [Figure 10] It is a data configuration example of dispatchability information in Example 1. [Figure 11] It is a data configuration example of the disaster response plan in Example 1. [Figure 12] It is a data configuration example of dispatch performance information in Example 1. [Figure 13A] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the process at the time of basic data registration in Example 1. [Figure 13B] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the process at the time of previous day data registration and countermeasure formulation in Example 1. [Figure 13C] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the process at the time of disaster occurrence, situation confirmation, response, and resource dispatch in Example 1. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation plan creation process in Example 1. [Figure 15] This flowchart shows an example of the disaster response plan development process in Example 1. [Figure 16] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the initial plan in Example 1. [Figure 17A] This graph shows an example of the energy sufficiency of the facility at different times in the initial plan in Example 1. [Figure 17B] This graph shows an example of the time it takes to reach each facility at different times in the initial plan for Example 1. [Figure 17C] This graph shows an example of the total vehicle travel distance in the initial plan in Example 1. [Figure 18] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation plan after route reversal in Example 1. [Figure 19A] This graph shows an example of the energy sufficiency of facilities at different times in the operational plan after route reassignment in Example 1. [Figure 19B] This graph shows an example of the arrival times at each facility in the operational plan after route reassignment in Example 1. [Figure 19C] This graph shows an example of the total vehicle travel distance in the operation plan after route reassignment in Example 1. [Figure 20] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the status of each vehicle in the initial plan and the operation plan after route changes in Example 1. [Figure 21] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the process for determining improvement in the evaluation value in Example 1. [Figure 22] This is an example of the operation plan creation result display screen in Example 1. [Figure 23] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the status of vehicles, facilities, and charging stations in a disaster response plan in Example 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals in principle, and repeated descriptions will be omitted. It should be noted that this embodiment is merely one example for realizing the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0011] This embodiment describes a transportation planning device that formulates transportation plans considering the normal profitability of a delivery company that owns vehicles, which are an example of multiple resource-holding mobile entities possessing resources such as electricity, and the reduction of response time when providing resource supply support to facilities such as evacuation centers (an example of resource recipients) that are short of resources due to disasters (an example of emergencies). Furthermore, for example, one business office of a single delivery company uses multiple EVs (Electric Vehicles) as vehicles. Any electric vehicle, including EVs and FCVs (Fuel Cell Vehicles), may be used as vehicles. [Examples]

[0012] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a train operation planning system. The train operation planning system includes, for example, a train operation planning device 100, user terminals 123, 124, and 125, which are connected to each other by a network 122.

[0013] User terminal 123 is used, for example, by facility managers (such as local governments that have jurisdiction over facilities like evacuation centers). User terminal 124 is used, for example, by transportation planners (delivery companies). User terminal 125 is installed, for example, in vehicles (EVs) owned by transportation planners.

[0014] Network 122 can be, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network), and may be a wireless network or a wired network. However, since the network connected to the user terminal 125 installed in the EV is connected to a mobile device, it is preferable that it be a LAN.

[0015] The operation planning device 100 is composed of a computer having, for example, a processor 118, memory 101, auxiliary storage device 106, communication device 121, input device 120, and display device 119, each connected by an internal communication line of a bus or the like. A typical PC (Personal Computer) and server are both examples of computers that realize the operation planning device 100.

[0016] The processor 118 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executes programs stored in memory 101. Memory 101 includes non-volatile memory elements such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and volatile memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory). ROM stores immutable programs (for example, BIOS (Basic Input / Output System)). RAM is a high-speed, volatile memory element such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and temporarily stores programs executed by the processor 118 and data used during program execution.

[0017] The auxiliary storage device 106 is a high-capacity, non-volatile storage device such as a magnetic storage device (HDD (Hard Disk Drive)) or flash memory (SSD (Solid State Drive)), and stores the program executed by the processor 118 and the data used when the program is executed. In other words, the program is read from the auxiliary storage device 106, loaded into memory 101, and executed by the processor 118.

[0018] The input device 120 is a device that receives input from the operator, such as a keyboard or mouse. The display device 119 is a device that displays the results of program execution in a format that the operator can see, such as a display device or printer.

[0019] The communication device 121 is a network interface device that controls communication with other devices according to a predetermined protocol. The communication device 121 may also include a serial interface such as USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0020] Some or all of the program executed by the processor 118 may be provided to the operation planning device 100 via a network from a removable media (such as a CD-ROM or flash memory) or an external computer equipped with a non-temporary storage device, and stored in a non-volatile auxiliary storage device 106, which is also a non-temporary storage device. For this reason, the operation planning device 100 may have an interface for reading data from the removable media.

[0021] Each device included in the operation planning system is a computer system that consists of a single physical computer or multiple logically or physically configured computers, and may operate in separate threads on the same computer, or on a virtual computer built on multiple physical computing resources.

[0022] Memory 101 includes, for example, a flight planning unit 102, a data registration and management unit 103, a disaster response planning unit 104, and a location information management unit 105, all of which are programs. The flight planning unit 102 plans flight plans that show the plan for delivery operations by vehicles during normal times and the plan for the provision of resources to facilities by vehicles during disasters. The data registration and management unit 103 manages the data stored in the auxiliary storage device 106.

[0023] The disaster response planning unit 104 develops a disaster response plan that identifies vehicles that will rush to a facility and provide resources if a disaster occurs and the facility experiences a power outage while vehicles are carrying out delivery operations according to the operational plan. The location information management unit 105 manages location information for vehicles, facilities, delivery destinations, offices, and charging stations.

[0024] For example, the processor 118 implements the operation planning function by operating according to the operation planning unit 102, which is a program loaded into memory 101, and implements the data registration management function by operating according to the data registration management unit 103, which is a program loaded into memory 101. The relationship between the program and the function it implements is similar for other programs included in memory 101.

[0025] Furthermore, some or all of the functions implemented by the processor 118 may be implemented by hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0026] The auxiliary storage device 106 stores, for example, vehicle information 107, delivery base information 108, charging station information 109, facility information 110, delivery destination information 111, power outage information 112, operation plan 113, work performance information 114, dispatch feasibility information 115, disaster response plan 116, and dispatch performance information 117.

[0027] Vehicle information 107 holds information about vehicles owned by the operation planner (delivery office). Delivery base information 108 holds information about the start and end points of the plan (vehicles) used by the operation planning department 102 when planning operations.

[0028] Charging station information 109 holds information about charging stations (an example of resource replenishment facilities) where vehicles (EVs) owned by the operation management planner are charged. Facility information 110 is information necessary for planning in the event of a disaster, and holds information indicating the resources required for the operation of facilities such as evacuation centers, as well as the location information of the facilities.

[0029] Delivery destination information 111 holds information about delivery destinations (examples of destinations) that the operation planner (delivery office) will deliver to on the delivery day after the operation plan is created (for example, the following day or later). Power outage information 112 holds information about power outages at facilities that have lost power due to disasters, etc. (for example, registered by the facility that lost power).

[0030] Operation plan 113 shows the planned operation plan. Specifically, operation plan 113 shows, for example, the plan for EVs owned by the operation planner (delivery business) to deliver goods to destinations, based on vehicle information 107, delivery base information 108, charging station information 109, and facility information 110, and the correspondence between the EVs delivering the goods and the facilities to which they should be dispatched in the event of a power outage due to a disaster, etc., at different times (or for each time period).

[0031] The work performance information 114 stores records indicating whether the vehicle carried out delivery work in accordance with the planned operation schedule. It is also desirable that the work performance information 114 stores records of the delivery work performed by the vehicle if it performed a different delivery operation than planned. The dispatch availability information 115 is information registered by the user terminal 125 installed in the vehicle performing the delivery work, and stores information indicating whether the vehicle can be dispatched (or can rush to) a facility experiencing a power outage due to a disaster or the like.

[0032] Disaster response plan 116 holds information indicating the status of vehicles dispatched to the target facility (e.g., whether the vehicle is on the move or receiving power), the time required for dispatch, and the time of arrival at the target facility. Dispatch record information 117 holds information regarding the actual dispatch of vehicles that responded as capable of responding to facilities experiencing power outages.

[0033] Furthermore, some or all of the information stored in the auxiliary storage device 106 may be stored in the memory 101, or in an external database connected to the operation planning device 100.

[0034] In this embodiment, the information used by the operation planning system is independent of the data structure and may be represented in any data structure. In this embodiment, the information is represented in a table format, but for example, a data structure appropriately selected from a list, database, or queue can store the information.

[0035] The devices used 123 and 124 are, for example, general-purpose PCs, tablet devices, or smartphones. The device used 125 is, for example, a tablet device or smartphone capable of managing a SoC (State of Charge) and transmitting and receiving location information.

[0036] Although not shown in the diagram, user terminals 123, 124, and 125 are connected to each other by internal communication lines such as a bus and each has a processor, memory, auxiliary storage device, input device, display device, and communication device, etc.

[0037] In this embodiment, the facility manager accesses the operation planning device 100 using the user terminal 123 and creates an operation plan using various data held by the operation planning device 100. The facility manager registers information about the facilities for which disaster response plans are to be made with the operation planning device 100, and the operation planning device 100 solicits the provision of resources (electricity) by vehicles (EVs) that can be dispatched from outside at any given time for each facility.

[0038] The operation planner (delivery office) accesses the operation plan planning device 100 using the user terminal 124 and registers information about vehicles and deliveries. The operation plan planning device 100 then creates an operation plan. This operation plan is designed so that vehicles owned by the office are charged at charging stations before the SoC (System of Charge) indicating the vehicle's charge status falls below a predetermined value, that the specified delivery date and time to the delivery destination (an example of a visit time) is strictly adhered to, and that deliveries are completed within the delivery company's business hours. Furthermore, in preparation for disasters, this operation plan is designed so that vehicles and facilities are linked to each time of the office's business hours, so that the time it takes for vehicles to arrive at pre-registered facilities such as evacuation centers that require electricity during a disaster is shortened (the power supply start time is moved earlier).

[0039] In other words, the operation planning device 100 uses the registered information to formulate an operation plan that takes into account the normal profitability of the delivery company, which is the operation planner, and the reduction of the time it takes to respond to a disaster when providing resources to a facility.

[0040] In the operational plan, vehicles and facilities are linked by time, and the facilities and arrival times for each vehicle in the event of a disaster are determined when the operational plan is created. Therefore, under normal circumstances, delivery vehicles of delivery companies carry out delivery operations according to this operational plan.

[0041] If a facility experiences a power outage during a disaster, the facility registers the power outage information with the operation planning device 100 using the user terminal 123. The operation planning device 100 requests resource dispatch to the vehicle linked to the facility in the operation plan at the time the power outage information is registered, and the user terminal 125 installed in the vehicle responds to the resource dispatch request by indicating whether or not dispatch is possible.

[0042] Based on the response regarding the feasibility of dispatch, the operation planning device 100 sends a dispatch request to the user terminal 125 installed in the vehicle, and the vehicle equipped with the user terminal 125 heads to the facility. The time it takes for the vehicle to reach the facility is calculated during the operation planning stage, and the estimated arrival time of the vehicle is displayed on the user terminal 123 at the facility, the user terminal 124 at the delivery office, and the user terminal 125 installed in the vehicle.

[0043] Referring to Figures 2 to 12, an example of the data structure of the information held by the auxiliary storage device 106 of the operation planning device 100 will be explained. Note that the data structure is not limited to the examples shown in Figures 2 to 10, and other columns may be added or some columns may be omitted as needed.

[0044] Figure 2 shows an example of the data structure of vehicle information 107. Vehicle information 107 includes, for example, vehicle ID 201, and the battery capacity (kWh) 202, minimum capacity (kWh) 203, and fuel efficiency (km / kWh) 204 of the vehicle (EV) indicated by vehicle ID 201.

[0045] In this embodiment, only one pattern of battery capacity (kWh) 202, minimum capacity (kWh) 203, and fuel efficiency (km / kWh) 204 is stored for each vehicle ID. However, the actual battery capacity (kWh) 202 and fuel efficiency (km / kWh) 204 may differ depending on the vehicle model, and the minimum capacity (kWh) 203 may differ depending on the operation planner (delivery office). Therefore, different values ​​may be registered for each operation planner (delivery office) (specifically, for example, vehicle information 107 may further include an ID that identifies the operation planner (delivery office)).

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a delivery company, which is an example of a business operator, uses an EV that possesses electricity as a resource as an example of a resource-holding mobile vehicle. However, the resources provided by a resource-holding mobile vehicle differ from one business operator to another, including human resources, gas to respond to infrastructure damage, and supplies such as food, and may also provide multiple resources. Therefore, in the vehicle information 107, items and values ​​related to the resources provided, other than battery capacity (kWh) 202, minimum capacity (kWh) 203, and fuel efficiency (kW / kWh), may be further registered for each business operator.

[0047] Figure 3 shows an example of the data structure of the distribution base information 108. The distribution base information 108 includes, for example, a business ID 506, the distribution base address 507 and location 508 of the business's distribution base.

[0048] Figure 4 shows an example of the data structure of the charging station information 109. The charging station information 109 includes, for example, a charging station ID 401, a charging station address 402, a location 403, a power supply type 404, and the number of devices that can be charged (units) 405.

[0049] The power supply type 404 holds information indicating whether the EV charging is normal charging or fast charging. The power supply type 404 may also hold information indicating the voltage during charging. The number of vehicles that can be charged (units) 405 indicates the number of EVs that the charging station can charge simultaneously. When multiple vehicles are being charged so that the minimum capacity (kWh) 203 does not fall below the minimum capacity, the power supply type 404 and the minimum capacity (kWh) 203 are referenced to estimate the time and duration of charging.

[0050] Figure 5 shows an example of the data structure of facility information 110. Facility information 110 includes, for example, facility ID 501, facility name 502, facility address 503, location 504, required power (kWh) 505, and maximum output (kW) 506.

[0051] In this embodiment, evacuation shelters are described as an example of a facility, but other facilities that wish to provide resources in the event of a disaster, such as restaurants and nursing care facilities, may also be registered in the facility information 110.

[0052] Furthermore, while this embodiment describes an example where facilities such as evacuation centers require electricity during a disaster, the resources required by each facility vary, including human resources, gas to cope with infrastructure damage, and supplies such as food. Moreover, a facility may require multiple types of resources. Therefore, the facility information 110 may also include additional items related to required resources other than the required electricity amount (kWh) 505 and maximum output (kW) 506, for each business operator.

[0053] The required power (kWh) 505 indicates the amount of power (kWh) that a facility will need in the event of a power outage caused by a disaster or other event. Specifically, for example, the required power (kWh) 505 stores the amount of power (kWh) needed to sustain a shelter, such as an evacuation center, for 72 hours, using the minimum necessary lighting and electrical appliances. Although the duration of evacuation is set at 72 hours, if the local government managing the shelter sets a different duration, the required power (kWh) 505 will be set to a value appropriate for that specific duration.

[0054] The maximum output (kWh) of 506 represents the output (kW) when all electrical appliances, including lighting and other electrical equipment, necessary to maintain the evacuation center in the event of a power outage due to a disaster, are used simultaneously. When supplying power from an EV to a facility, the output that can be supplied from the EV depends on the rated output of the V2L (Vehicle to Load) equipment and V2H (Vehicle to Home) equipment. Therefore, if the facility's maximum output (kW) of 506 is greater than or equal to the rated output of the facility's V2H equipment, or greater than or equal to the rated output of the V2L equipment provided by the facility or the vehicle, even if power supply from the EV is possible, it may be impossible to use at least some of the facility's electrical appliances. For this reason, the facility's maximum output (kW) of 506 must be set to a value that does not exceed the rated output of the V2L equipment and V2H equipment.

[0055] Furthermore, the required power (kWh) of 505 and the maximum output (kWh) of 506 are necessary information for facility managers to estimate the number of EVs and SoCs needed to respond in order to maintain shelter functions in the event of a power outage caused by a disaster.

[0056] In this embodiment, the facility information 110 stores only one pattern for the required power (kWh) 505 and maximum output (kW) 506 for each facility. However, for example, the 72 hours assumed for evacuation life may be divided into 1-day intervals, and the required power (kWh) 505 and maximum output (kW) 506 for each facility may be set every 24 hours. Furthermore, since the required power may change depending on the season in which the operation plan is formulated, the required power (kWh) 505 and maximum output (kW) 506 for each facility may be set for summer, winter, transitional seasons, or when infectious disease countermeasures such as COVID-19 are implemented. In these cases, the required power (kWh) 505 and maximum output (kW) 506 for each facility are defined, for example, by time of day, time period, or season.

[0057] Figure 6 shows an example of the data structure of the delivery destination information 111. The delivery destination information 111 includes, for example, the user ID 601, delivery address 602, location 603, specified date and time 604, and delivery date 605 of the user who requested the delivery. In this embodiment, only one pattern is stored as the specified date and time 604 in the delivery destination information 111, but the date and time specified by the user requesting the delivery may vary depending on the delivery company. For example, the time specification may not be from 15:00 to 17:00, but rather after 15:00, so different values ​​may be registered for each delivery company.

[0058] Figure 7 shows an example of the data structure for power outage information 112. Power outage information 112 includes, for example, facility ID 701, as well as the confirmation date 702 and confirmation time 703 when the power outage was confirmed.

[0059] Figure 8 shows an example of the data structure of the operation plan 113. The operation plan 113 includes, for example, vehicle ID 801, delivery date 802, starting point 803, start time 804, ending point 805, end time 806, work time (minutes) 807, SoC (%) 808, status 809, destination facility ID 810, and arrival time at destination (minutes) 811, etc.

[0060] In other words, the operation plan 113 shows the delivery schedule for each delivery destination assigned to each vehicle indicated by the vehicle ID, and the destination facilities assigned to each vehicle for each time (or time period).

[0061] For example, the top record of operation plan 113 in Figure 8 indicates that vehicle ID B001 will perform a delivery service from point W001 to point U001 for 10 minutes from 7:50 to 8:00 on 2022 / 02 / 01, and that the vehicle's SoC will be 100% during this delivery service. Furthermore, if a power outage occurs at facility ID F001 while this delivery service is being performed, the vehicle will be a candidate vehicle to rush to that facility (the destination facility), and the estimated arrival time at the destination facility is 5 minutes.

[0062] Figure 9 shows an example of the data structure of the work performance information 114. The work performance information 114 includes, for example, the vehicle ID 901, delivery date 902, starting point 903, starting time 904, ending point 905, ending time 906, and work performance 907. The work performance 907 stores information indicating whether or not the work shown in the operation plan 113 has been completed ("completed" or "not completed").

[0063] Figure 10 shows an example of the data structure of the dispatch eligibility information 115. The dispatch eligibility information 115 includes, for example, a vehicle ID 1001, a destination facility ID 1002, dispatch eligibility 1003, and a response date 1004.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, one dispatch vehicle ID 1106 and arrival date / time 1107 pattern is stored for one dispatch destination facility ID 1105. However, depending on the SoC of the dispatch vehicle at each time, multiple dispatch vehicles may be required to satisfy the power requirements (kWh) of one facility. Therefore, multiple dispatch vehicle IDs 1106 and arrival dates / times 1107 may be registered for one dispatch destination facility ID 1105.

[0065] Figure 11 shows an example of the data structure of a disaster response plan 116. The disaster response plan 116 includes, for example, vehicle-side confirmation information 116a and facility-side confirmation information 116b. Vehicle-side confirmation information 116a includes, for example, vehicle ID 1101, destination facility ID 1102, status 1103, and arrival date and time 1104. Facility-side confirmation information 116b includes, for example, destination facility ID 1105, dispatched vehicle ID 1106, and arrival date and time 1107.

[0066] For example, if a facility that experiences a power outage due to a disaster registers power outage information 112, the operation planning device 100 checks, based on the operation plan 113, whether it is possible to respond (reach) to the EV associated with the time the power outage information 112 was registered.

[0067] An EV that is available notifies the operation planning device 100 that it is available and heads to the facility associated with that time in the operation plan 113. Upon receiving the notification, the operation planning device 100 refers to the operation plan 113 and displays the arrival time at the destination facility associated with the vehicle at that time on the user terminal 125 installed in the vehicle and the user terminal 123 of the facility with that facility ID, respectively.

[0068] Figure 12 shows an example of the data structure of the dispatch performance information 117. The dispatch performance information 117 includes, for example, vehicle ID 1201, dispatch destination facility ID 1202, response record 1203, and response date 1204. The response record 1203 holds information indicating whether the vehicle indicated by vehicle ID 1201 rushed to the dispatch destination facility ID 1202 on response date 1204 (for example, whether it arrived and supplied power).

[0069] Next, we will explain an example of processing by the operation planning system using Figures 13A to 23.

[0070] Figures 13A, 13B, and 13C are sequence diagrams showing an example of the overall processing by the operation planning system. Figure 13A shows an example of the processing when basic data is registered. Figure 13B shows an example of the processing when previous day data is registered and when countermeasures are planned. Figure 13C shows an example of the processing when an incident occurs, when the situation is confirmed and when a response is made, and when resources are dispatched.

[0071] For example, the entire process proceeds chronologically before and after a disaster occurs, with steps such as basic data registration (1305), previous day data registration and countermeasure planning (1306), disaster occurrence (1307), situation confirmation and response (1308), and resource dispatch (1309).

[0072] First, let's explain Figure 13A. The user terminal 123 receives input values ​​to be registered in the facility information 110 from the facility manager and transmits the input values ​​to the operation planning device 100 via the network 122 (S1310). The data registration management unit 103 registers the values ​​transmitted in step S1310 in the facility information 110 (S1311).

[0073] Regarding the facility information 110, for facility ID 501, the user terminal 123 may not accept input from the facility manager and may instead transmit a facility ID pre-registered in the user terminal 123 to the operation planning device 100, or the data registration management unit 103, upon receiving a facility registration request from the user terminal 123, may assign facility ID 501 to the facility. Furthermore, for location 504, the facility manager may input it into the user terminal 123, or the data registration management unit 103, upon receiving a facility registration request from the user terminal 123, may identify it from the facility address 503.

[0074] The user terminal 124 receives input values ​​from the business office to be registered in the delivery base information 108, and transmits the input values ​​to the operation planning device 100 via the network 122 (S1312). The data registration management unit 103 registers the values ​​transmitted in step S1312 in the delivery base information 108 (S1313).

[0075] Regarding the delivery base information 108, for the delivery business operator ID 301, the user terminal 124 may not accept input from the business office and instead transmit a pre-registered business operator ID to the operation planning device 100, or the data registration management unit 103, upon receiving a delivery base registration request from the user terminal 124, may assign the delivery business operator ID 301 to the facility. Furthermore, for the location 303, the business office may input it into the user terminal 124, or the data registration management unit 103, upon receiving a delivery base registration request from the user terminal 124, may identify it from the delivery base address 302.

[0076] In this embodiment, the focus is on one business location of one delivery company, but there may be multiple delivery companies or multiple business locations (in this case, for example, the delivery base information 108 may include a business location ID, and a delivery base may be registered for each business location). Furthermore, while this embodiment focuses on delivery companies that use EVs as delivery vehicles, the types of resources and businesses are not limited to electricity and delivery companies; the resources provided may also be gas or food, and the businesses may be garbage collection companies, taxi companies, and transportation companies, etc.

[0077] The user terminal 124 receives input values ​​to be registered in the vehicle information 107 from the business office and transmits the input values ​​to the operation planning device 100 via the network 122 (S1314). The data registration management unit 103 registers the values ​​transmitted in step S1314 in the vehicle information 107 (S1315).

[0078] Furthermore, regarding the vehicle ID 201 among the items of vehicle information 107, the user terminal 124 may not accept input from the business office and may instead transmit a vehicle ID that has been pre-registered in the user terminal 124 to the operation planning device 100, or the data registration management unit 103, which has received a vehicle registration request from the user terminal 124, may assign a vehicle ID 201 to the vehicle in question.

[0079] The user terminal 124 receives input values ​​from the business office to be registered in the charging station information 109, and transmits the input values ​​to the operation planning device 100 via the network 122 (S1316). The data registration management unit 103 registers the values ​​transmitted in step S1316 in the charging station information 109 (S1317).

[0080] Regarding the charging station information 109, for the charging station ID 401, the user terminal 124 may transmit a pre-registered charging station ID to the operation planning device 100 without accepting input from the business office, or the data registration management unit 103, upon receiving a request for charging station registration from the user terminal 124, may assign the charging station ID 401 to the charging station. Furthermore, for the location 403, the business office may input it into the user terminal 124, or the data registration management unit 103, upon receiving a request for charging station registration from the user terminal 124, may identify it from the charging station address 402.

[0081] Furthermore, for power supply type 404, if there is no input from the business office to the user terminal 124, it will be registered as, for example, normal charging (200V if the voltage is also registered). Also, for the number of devices that can be charged (units) 405, if there is no input from the business office to the user terminal 124, it will be registered as, for example, 1 device.

[0082] Next, Figure 13B will be explained. By the day before the delivery operation, the user terminal 124 receives input values ​​to be registered in the delivery destination information 111 from the business office and transmits the input values ​​to the operation planning device 100 via the network 122 (S1318). The data registration management unit 103 registers the transmitted values ​​in step S1319 in the delivery destination information 111 (S1319).

[0083] Regarding the items in the delivery destination information 111, for user ID 601, the user terminal 124 may not accept input from the business office and may instead transmit a user ID pre-registered in the user terminal 124 to the operation planning device 100, or the data registration management unit 103, upon receiving a delivery destination registration request from the user terminal 124, may assign user ID 601 to the user. Furthermore, for location 603, the business office may input it into the user terminal 124, or the data registration management unit 103, upon receiving a delivery destination registration request from the user terminal 124, may identify it from the delivery destination address 602.

[0084] Furthermore, if the specified date and time 604 is not entered in the user terminal 124, for example, if it is not specified by the user requesting the delivery, it will be registered as, for example, the day after the package arrives at the business location, with no time specified. In addition, the delivery date 605 may be obtained by the data registration management unit 103, which receives the delivery destination registration request from the user terminal 124, based on the specified date and time 604.

[0085] The operation planning unit 102 plans the operation of vehicles to carry out delivery operations where the delivery date 605 is the next day (hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, when delivery destination information 111 is read, only information regarding deliveries where the delivery date 605 is the next day will be read) (S1320). The operation planning unit 102 plans an operation plan that increases the profitability of the operator during normal times, reduces the time it takes for EVs to reach facilities during disasters, and increases the power sufficiency of the facilities, in other words, an operation plan that improves both normal and disaster situations. Specifically, the operation planning unit 102 solves the optimization problem shown in (Equation 1) below, for example.

[0086]

number

[0087] The operation planning unit 102 solves the optimization problem of minimizing (Equation 1) with x, y, and z as search variables.

[0088] Here, a represents the facility registered in the facility information 110, t represents the time, e represents the vehicle registered in the vehicle information 107, and i and j represent the delivery destinations (users) for which the delivery date 605 is the next day. Also, w1, w2, and w3 are weights (for example, predetermined), such as 0 or positive values.

[0089] Facilitypower a,t represents the required power amount (kWh) 505 of facility a at time t. y a,t,e is a flag indicating whether to assign vehicle e to facility a at time t in the event of a disaster (for example, 1 if assigned, 0 if not assigned). Uunitsupply e represents the power supply (possible) amount from vehicle e (for example, the value obtained by subtracting the minimum capacity (kWh) 203 from the battery capacity (kWh) 202 indicated by the vehicle information 107). That is, y a,t,e *Uunitsupply e represents the power supply amount from vehicle e to facility a.

[0090] Therefore, the first term (the term multiplied by the weight w1) in (Equation 1) represents the difference (the sum over time and facilities) obtained by subtracting the power supply amount from the vehicle that rushed to the facility to the facility from the required power amount at each facility at each time. That is, the smaller the value multiplied by w1 in the first term of (Equation 1), the better the power (energy) sufficiency of each facility in the event of a disaster (for example, it may be the value itself multiplied by the weight w1, or (the power supply amount from the vehicle that rushed to the facility to the facility / the required power amount of the facility) × 100 (%) etc.). In order to prevent excessive power supply to each facility, in the first term of (Equation 1), Facilitypower a,t -Σ e (y a,t,e *unitsupply e ) may have a constraint condition that the value is not less than a predetermined value.

[0091] Also, z in (Equation 1) i,t,eThis is a flag indicating whether vehicle e is assigned to perform delivery to destination i at time t (for example, 1 if assigned, 0 if not). i This indicates the distance to the facility closest to delivery destination i.

[0092] Therefore, the second term of (Equation 1) (the term multiplied by weight w2) represents the sum of the distances traveled by vehicles to each facility in the event of a disaster. In other words, the smaller the value multiplied by w2 in the second term of (Equation 1), the shorter the time it takes for vehicles to reach the facility in the event of a disaster. i,t,e and adistance i Therefore, (for example, assuming that the travel speed of each vehicle is a predetermined value) it is possible to calculate the time it takes for each vehicle to reach the destination facility.

[0093] Also, x in (Equation 1) i,j,e This is a flag indicating whether there is a route from destination i to destination j by vehicle e (whether vehicle e will perform a delivery to destination j after the delivery to destination i) (for example, 1 if there is a route, 0 if there is no route). i,j This indicates the distance from delivery destination i to delivery destination j.

[0094] Therefore, the third term of (Equation 1) (the term multiplied by weight w3) represents the total distance traveled by vehicles involved in delivery operations during normal times (when no disaster occurs). In other words, the smaller the value multiplied by w3 in the third term of (Equation 1), the lower the vehicle travel time during normal times. Note that x i,j,e and dudistance i,j From this, the travel time of the vehicles between delivery destinations can be calculated.

[0095] In other words, the third term of (Equation 1) is a value that indicates the degree of improvement in the profitability of the normal operation plan (i.e., an example of a normal operation evaluation value), and the first and second terms of (Equation 1) are values ​​that indicate the degree to which resource requirements at the facility during a disaster (that the necessary amount of resources be provided as quickly as possible) are met (i.e., an example of an emergency operation evaluation value).

[0096] Note that the flag x of the route between delivery destinations for vehicle e i,j,e Assuming a value for , the delivery destinations that vehicle e will visit and the distance between them are determined, and a flag z indicates whether to assign vehicle e to delivery destination i at time t. i,t,e The destination is uniquely determined, and the facility closest to the delivery destination assigned to vehicle e at time t becomes the destination facility for vehicle e. Therefore, a flag y indicates whether vehicle e is assigned to facility a at time t. a,t,e The value of this parameter is also uniquely determined.

[0097] The weights w1, w2, and w3 are set by the operator who plans the operation schedule, for example. For example, if the operator prioritizes the power sufficiency of facilities during a disaster, they should set w1 to a large value; if they prioritize the response time during a disaster, they should set w2 to a large value; and if they prioritize reducing travel distance during normal times, they should set w3 to a large value.

[0098] Furthermore, at least some of the weights w1, w2, and w3 may be set to zero, meaning that the operation plan may be determined based on one or two terms of (Equation 1). However, in order to balance the profitability of the operation plan during normal times with the resource requirements of the facilities during a disaster, it is required that at least one of the weights w1 and w2 is not zero, and that the weight w3 is not zero.

[0099] Furthermore, the following constraints must be met for the optimization problem in (Equation 1) described above: (Equation 2), (Equation 3), (Equation 4), and (Equation 5). The operation planning unit 102 reads the location 603 from the delivery destination information 111 and uses the following constraints in (Equation 2) and (Equation 3) to ensure that the operation route does not branch and is determined as a single route.

[0100]

number

[0101]

number

[0102] x(i,j) is a flag indicating whether there is a vehicle traveling from i to j (for example, 1 if there is such a vehicle, and 0 if there is no such vehicle), and U and S represent the population of delivery destinations. When the constraints of (Equation 2) and (Equation 3) are satisfied, different vehicles will not visit the same delivery destination multiple times in the delivery operation.

[0103] The operation planning unit 102 reads the battery capacity (kWh) 202, minimum capacity (kWh) 203, and fuel consumption (km) 204 from the vehicle information 107, and uses the constraints of (Equation 4) to ensure that the vehicle's charge is greater than or equal to the minimum capacity (kWh) 203 (the battery will not run out) and less than or equal to the battery capacity (kWh) 202.

[0104]

number

[0105] The input variable is evff e inisoc e maxsoc e , and minsoc e That is. evff e This indicates the fuel efficiency (km) of vehicle e: 204. e This shows the initial SoC of vehicle e. maxsoc e This indicates the maximum SoC (battery capacity (kWh) 202) of vehicle e. eThis indicates the minimum SoC (minimum capacity (kWh) 203) of vehicle e. For example, the initial SoC, i.e., the SoC of the vehicle before starting delivery operations, may be assumed to be charged to the maximum SoC, or it may be a value less than the maximum SoC (in this case, for example, the vehicle's initial SoC is transmitted in advance from the user terminal 125).

[0106] Furthermore, the operation planning unit 102 reads the data stored in the specified date and time 604 from the delivery destination information 111, and uses the constraint condition (Equation 5) to ensure that vehicle e arrives at user ID 601 associated with the delivery date and time at the specified delivery date and time.

[0107]

number

[0108] The input variable is tb i,e and td i,e That is. tb i,e This indicates the designated delivery time for vehicle e to delivery destination i (the start time of designated date and time 604, however, if no time is specified, a predetermined time (for example, the earliest time among the available times)). i,e This indicates the designated delivery time for vehicle e to delivery destination i (the deadline for the designated date and time 604, however, if no time is specified, it is a predetermined time (for example, the latest time among the available times)).

[0109] Furthermore, the operation planning unit 102 reads the location 603 from the delivery destination information 111 and uses the constraint condition (Equation 6) to ensure that the same vehicle does not go to the same delivery destination more than once.

[0110]

number

[0111] The operation planning unit 102 executes the operation planning process shown in Figure 14 in order to approximately solve the optimization problem (Equation 1).

[0112] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation plan creation process. The operation plan creation unit 102 reads basic information from facility information 110, delivery base information 108, vehicle information 107, charging station information 109, and delivery destination information 111 (S1401).

[0113] Specifically, for example, the operation planning unit 102 reads location 504 from facility information 110, location 303 from delivery base information 108, location 603 from delivery destination information 111, and location 403 from charging station information 109, and uses them as locations to be used in operation planning.

[0114] Furthermore, the operation planning unit 102 uses the location 303 read from the delivery base information 108 as the starting and ending points of the delivery. The operation planning unit 102 also uses the read locations to calculate the distance between delivery destinations and the distance between each delivery destination and each facility.

[0115] The operation planning unit 102 formulates an initial plan (S1402) based on the basic information read in step S1401.

[0116] Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an initial plan. In the example in Figure 16, the operation planning unit 102 generates the operation routes for vehicles A1602, B1603, and C1604, which belong to the business office 1601.

[0117] The operation planning unit 102 randomly generates the operation route in the initial plan while satisfying the constraints of (Equation 2) to (Equation 6) (that is, the initial values ​​of the three search variables x, y, and z in (Equation 1) are determined). Also, although the example in Figure 16 illustrates a case where all vehicles are used in the operation plan, only some vehicles may be used. The starting point and ending point for each vehicle is business premises 1601.

[0118] In the initial plan example in Figure 16, vehicle A1602 visits delivery destinations A1605, B1606, and charging station 1614 in that order to deliver goods and charge itself, always operating around facility A1612. Vehicle B1603 visits delivery destinations E1609, C1607, and D1608 in that order to deliver goods, operating around facilities A1612 and B1613. Vehicle C1604 visits delivery destinations F1610, G1611, and charging station 1614 in that order to deliver goods and charge itself, operating around facilities A1612 and B1613.

[0119] Returning to the explanation of Figure 14, the operation planning unit 102 calculates the evaluation value of the initial plan formulated in step S1402 (S1403). Specifically, for example, the operation planning unit 102 calculates the evaluation value using the three search variables x, y, and z in (Equation 1) of the initial plan.

[0120] Examples of evaluation values ​​in the initial plan are explained using Figures 17A to 17C. Figure 17A is a graph showing an example of the energy sufficiency of facilities at different times in the initial plan. Figure 17B is a graph showing an example of the time it takes to reach each facility at different times in the initial plan. Figure 17C is a graph showing an example of the total distance traveled by vehicles in the initial plan.

[0121] Graph 1615 shows the energy sufficiency (%) of facilities A and B at each time t in the initial plan. Graph 1616 shows the arrival time (minutes) of the (fastest arriving) vehicle to facilities A and B at each time t in the initial plan. Graph 1617 shows the total distance (km) traveled by all operational vehicles (vehicles A1602, B1603, and C1604) from departure from business site 1601 to return to business site 1601 in the initial plan.

[0122] The operation planning unit 102, for example, calculates each operation for each time t in the initial plan. TheThe evaluation value of the initial plan is calculated as the sum of the reciprocal of the energy sufficiency (%) for each facility and time, the sum of the arrival time (minutes) for each facility by the (fastest arriving) vehicle at each facility for each time t in the initial plan, and the total distance (km) traveled by all vehicles operating in the initial plan from departure from business site 1601 to return to business site 1601.

[0123] Furthermore, the smaller the reciprocal of the energy sufficiency of the facilities at each time point, the smaller the first term of (Equation 1); the smaller the time it takes to reach each facility at each time point, the smaller the second term of (Equation 1); and the smaller the total distance traveled by the vehicles, the smaller the third term of (Equation 1).

[0124] Returning to the explanation of Figure 14, the operation planning unit 102 performs route swapping after calculating the evaluation value of the initial plan in step S1403 (S1404). The operation planning unit 102, for example, randomly determines the positions where swapping will occur and partially x in local search. i,j,e This involves switching between 1 and 0 to change the route, or swapping routes.

[0125] Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation plan after route rerouting. In the example operation plan after route rerouting shown in Figure 18, vehicle A1602 visits delivery destination A1605, charging station 1614, and delivery destination B1606 in that order to deliver and charge itself, and always operates around facility A1612. Vehicle B1603 visits delivery destination C1607, delivery destination D1608, and delivery destination G1611 in that order to deliver and operate around facilities A1612 and B1613. Vehicle C1604 visits delivery destination E1609, delivery destination F1610, and charging station 1614 in that order to deliver and charge itself, and operates around facilities A1612 and B1613.

[0126] Returning to the explanation of Figure 14, the operation planning unit 102 updates the evaluation value (S1405) by calculating the evaluation value of the operation plan in which the route was rearranged in step S1404. The evaluation value updated in step S1405 may or may not be an improvement over the evaluation value immediately before the update.

[0127] Examples of evaluation values ​​in the operation plan after route changes will be explained using Figures 19A to 19C. Figure 19A is a graph showing an example of the energy sufficiency of facilities at different times in the operation plan after route changes. Figure 19B is a graph showing an example of the arrival time to each facility in the operation plan after route changes. Figure 19C is a graph showing an example of the total distance traveled by vehicles in the operation plan after route changes.

[0128] Graph 1632 shows the energy sufficiency (%) of facilities A and B at each time t in the operation plan after the route change. Graph 1633 shows the arrival time (minutes) of the (fastest arriving) vehicle to facilities A and B at each time t in the operation plan after the route change. Graph 1634 shows the total distance (km) traveled by vehicles A1602, B1603, and C1604 from departure from business premises 1601 to return to business premises 1601 in the operation plan after the route change.

[0129] The operation planning unit 102 calculates, for example, the sum of the reciprocals of the energy sufficiency (%) of each facility at each time t in the operation plan after the route change, the sum of the arrival time (minutes) of the (fastest arriving) vehicle to each facility at each time t in the operation plan after the route change, and the total distance (km) traveled by all vehicles operating in the operation plan after the route change from departure from business premises 1601 to return to business premises 1601, as an evaluation value for the initial plan.

[0130] Figure 20 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the status of each vehicle in the initial plan (Figure 16) and the operation plan after route changes (Figure 18). The following points have been changed due to the route changes from the initial plan.

[0131] The timing of vehicle A1602's charging and its visit to delivery destination B1606 have been changed. Additionally, the initial plan had overlapping charging times for vehicles A1602 and C1604, but the route has been rearranged to prevent this overlap.

[0132] Additionally, while the initial plan called for vehicle B1603 to first visit delivery destination E1609, delivery destination C has now been changed as the first destination, and the final destination has also been changed from delivery destination D1608 to delivery destination G1611. These changes will shorten the time it takes for vehicle B1636 to reach facility B1613.

[0133] Additionally, the initial plan stipulated that vehicle C1604 would first visit delivery destination F1610, but this has been changed to make delivery destination E1609 the first destination. Furthermore, the initial plan stipulated that vehicle C1604 would go to charging station 1614 after delivery destination G1611, but after the route change, the route has been changed to go to charging station 1614 after delivery destination F1610, so that the charging timing does not overlap with that of vehicle A1635.

[0134] Returning to the explanation of Figure 14, the operation planning unit 102 determines whether the evaluation value updated in step S1405 for the operation plan whose route was swapped in step S1404 has improved compared to the evaluation value immediately before the update, and whether the operation plan whose route was swapped in step S1404 satisfies the constraints of (Equation 2) to (Equation 6) (S1406).

[0135] Figure 21 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the evaluation value improvement determination process in step S1406. Graph 1703 shows the evaluation value 1701 in the initial plan and the evaluation value 1702 in the operation plan after route replacement.

[0136] The evaluation value 1701 is the evaluation value in the initial plan. The evaluation value 1701 is the sum of the reciprocals of the energy sufficiency of each facility at time t in the initial plan (1704), the sum of the arrival times of the (fastest arriving) vehicles to each facility at time t in the initial plan (1705), and the total distance traveled by all vehicles operating in the initial plan from departure from business premises 1601 to return to business premises 1601 (1706).

[0137] The evaluation value 1702 is the evaluation value in the operation plan after the route change. The evaluation value 1701 is the sum of 1707, which is the reciprocal of the energy sufficiency of each facility at time t in the operation plan after the route change, calculated by facility and time; 1708, which is the sum of 1708, which is the arrival time of each facility by the (fastest arriving) vehicle at time t in the operation plan after the route change; and 1709, which is the total distance traveled by all vehicles operating in the operation plan after the route change from departure from business premises 1601 to return to business premises 1601.

[0138] The operation planning unit 102 determines that the evaluation value has improved if it determines that the evaluation value after the update is smaller than the evaluation value before the update, and determines that the evaluation value has not improved if it determines that the evaluation value before the update is less than or equal to the evaluation value after the update. In the example in Figure 21, the evaluation value 1702 in the operation plan after the route change is smaller than the evaluation value 1701 in the initial plan, so it can be said that the evaluation value has improved.

[0139] Returning to the explanation of Figure 14, the operation planning unit 102 determines that the updated evaluation value has not improved and / or that the operation plan after route swapping does not satisfy the constraints (S1406: No), and determines whether the series of processes from steps S1404 to S1406 has been executed N times (a predetermined number of times) (S1407). Note that when the operation planning unit 102 transitions to step S1407, it may also return the route to the state immediately before the route swap in the most recent step S1404, and return the evaluation value to the state immediately before the update of the evaluation value in the most recent step S1405, before transitioning to step S1407.

[0140] If the operation planning unit 102 determines that the updated evaluation value has improved and that the operation plan after route swapping satisfies the constraints (S1406: Yes), the x, y, and z values ​​for realizing the operation plan corresponding to the updated evaluation value become the approximate solution to (Equation 1), and the operation plan is stored in the operation plan 113 (S1408).

[0141] If the operation planning unit 102 determines that the series of processes from step S1404 to step S1406 has not been executed N times (S1407: No), it returns to step S1404. If the operation planning unit 102 determines that the series of processes from step S1404 to step S1406 has been executed N times (S1407: Yes), it stores the operation plan corresponding to the evaluation value in the operation plan 113 (S1408).

[0142] In the example described above, the operation planning unit 102 determines in step S1406 whether the evaluation value has improved, but it may also determine whether the evaluation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this case, if the evaluation value of the initial plan is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, steps S1404 and S1405 may be omitted.

[0143] The operation planning unit 102 displays the operation planning results on, for example, the display device 119, the display device of the user terminal 124, and / or the display device of the user terminal 125 (S1409), and then terminates the operation planning process.

[0144] Figure 22 shows an example of the operation plan creation result display screen shown in step S1409. The operation plan creation result display screen 1901 is displayed, for example, for the operation plan creator to review and approve the operation plan.

[0145] The operation plan creation result display screen 1901 includes a display area 1902, a display area 1903, and a plan approval button 1906. Display area 1902 displays delivery information for each delivery destination. For example, display area 1902 displays delivery information such as the delivery destination (specified from the starting point 803 or ending point 805), the specified time (specified from the specified date and time 604), the assigned vehicle (vehicle ID 801), and the delivery time (for example, specified from the start time 804 of a record where status 809 is "delivery").

[0146] Display area 1903 displays, for example, the operating route 1904 and table 1905 in the operating plan. Operating route 1904 is a map displaying the normal route of each vehicle in the operating plan. Table 1905 displays information such as the normal operating route of each vehicle at each time, the destination facility to which each vehicle will respond in the event of a disaster at each time, the vehicles responding at each time as seen from the facility, and the vehicles being charged at charging stations at each time.

[0147] When the plan approval button 1906 is selected, the operation plan is approved. Alternatively, for example, the system may allow users to modify the information in the display area 1902, the operation route 1904, or the table 1905, and the plan may be approved after the user has modified the information. In this case, the modified operation plan 113 will be stored. However, even if the system allows users to modify the information, it may be configured not to accept the modification if the modified operation plan does not meet the above-mentioned constraints.

[0148] Returning to the explanation of Figure 13B, the operation planning unit 102 presents the operation plan formulated in step S1409 to the business office and drivers by displaying it, for example, on user terminals 124 and 125 (S1321).

[0149] The user terminal 124 confirms the results of the operation plan formulation by accepting the selection of the plan approval button 1906 by the operator (S1322), and the user terminal 125 confirms the results of the operation plan formulation by accepting the selection of the plan approval button 1906 by the driver (S1323). The vehicle driver performs the work (delivery work and charging) according to the confirmed operation plan (S1324).

[0150] The user terminal 125 receives input values ​​to be registered in the work performance information 114 from the driver who performed the work, and transmits the input values ​​to the operation planning device 100 via the network 122 (S1324). The data registration management unit 103 stores the transmitted values ​​in the work performance information 114 (S1325). The data registration management unit 103 displays the work performance information 114 on the user terminal 124, allowing the business operator using the user terminal 124 to confirm the work performance (S1326).

[0151] Next, Figure 13C will be explained. The facility manager of the facility where the power outage occurred due to disaster 1307 checks the status of the power outage (S1327). The user terminal 124 receives input from the facility manager of a value to be registered in the power outage information 112, and transmits the input value to the operation planning device 100 via the network 122 (S1328).

[0152] The data registration management unit 103 registers the transmitted value in the power outage information 112, and the disaster response planning unit 104 requests resource dispatch (vehicle dispatch to the facility where the power outage has been confirmed) from the user terminal 125 (S1329). The user terminal 125 receives input from the driver indicating whether or not resource provision (vehicle dispatch to the facility where the power outage has been confirmed) is possible, and responds to the operation planning device 100 according to that input (S1330).

[0153] The disaster response planning department 104 requests resource dispatch from user terminals 125 that have responded that they can provide resources (S1331), and dispatches a vehicle carrying the user terminals 125 that have responded that they can provide resources to the facility (S1332).

[0154] Furthermore, the disaster response planning unit 104 identifies the arrival date and time of the vehicle equipped with the user terminal 125 that has responded that it is able to provide resources to the destination facility (for example, by receiving the vehicle's current location from the user terminal 125 and calculating the arrival date and time based on the current time and the distance from the current location to the destination facility), and transmits this to the user terminal 123 at the destination facility, so that the facility manager at the destination facility can confirm the arrival date and time (S1333). The disaster response planning unit 104 also updates the disaster response plan 116 according to the results of resource dispatch. The disaster response planning unit 104 updates the dispatch performance information 117 after resource dispatch (1334).

[0155] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the disaster response plan formulation process in steps S1328 to S1333. The process in step S1501 is the same as the process in step S1328, so the explanation is omitted.

[0156] The disaster response planning unit 104 reads the power outage information 112 and selects one facility from the facilities where a power outage has been confirmed (facilities included in the power outage information 112) (S1502). The disaster response planning unit 104 reads the operation plan 113 and identifies the vehicle linked to the facility selected in step S1502 (the facility to be dispatched) on the operation plan 113 at the current time (S1503).

[0157] The disaster response planning unit 104 issues a resource dispatch request in step S1329 to the user terminal 125 installed in the identified vehicle (S1504). The disaster response planning unit 104 determines whether it has sent dispatch requests to all the vehicles identified in step S1503 (S1505). If the disaster response planning unit 104 determines that there are vehicles among those identified in step S1503 to which a dispatch request has not been sent (S1505: No), it returns to step S1504.

[0158] If the disaster response planning unit 104 determines that it has requested the dispatch of all vehicles identified in step S1503 (S1505: Yes), the user terminal 125 that received the dispatch request performs the resource provision availability response in step S1330, and the disaster response planning unit 104 updates the dispatch availability information 115 based on that response (S1506).

[0159] The disaster response planning unit 104 determines whether the energy sufficiency of a selected destination facility reaches 100% when a vehicle equipped with a user terminal 125 that responded in step S1506 that it is able to provide resources is dispatched to that destination facility (S1507).

[0160] Specifically, for example, the disaster response planning department 104 reads the dispatch eligibility information 115 (dispatch eligibility 1003 and response date 1004), the vehicle ID 801 and SoC (%) 808 from the operation plan 113, and the facility ID 501, required power (kWh) 505, and maximum output (kW) 506 from the facility information 110.

[0161] For example, the disaster response planning unit 104 determines in step S1507 that the energy sufficiency of the dispatched facility reaches 100% if it determines that the current SoC (%) 808 of the dispatched vehicle to the selected dispatched facility satisfies the required amount of electricity (kWh) 505 of the dispatched facility. Otherwise, it determines in step S1507 that the energy sufficiency of the dispatched facility does not reach 100%.

[0162] Furthermore, if the disaster response planning unit 104 determines that the maximum output (kW) 506 of the selected destination facility deviates from the output that can be contributed by the vehicle dispatched to that destination facility (for example, the facility information 110 may define the output that can be contributed for each facility (kW), and if the value obtained by subtracting the maximum output (kW) 506 from the output that can be contributed is negative, it is determined that there is a deviation), it may change the value of the vehicle's dispatch eligibility 1003 to the destination facility in the dispatch eligibility information 115 to a value indicating that it will not be dispatched. If the maximum output (kW) deviates from the output that can be contributed by the vehicle, it is desirable to perform such processing because even if the vehicle is dispatched, it will not be able to supply power from that vehicle.

[0163] If the disaster response planning department 104 determines that the energy sufficiency level of the dispatch destination facility does not reach 100% (S1507: No), it issues a dispatch request to a vehicle that is not currently linked to the facility selected in step S1502 (the dispatch destination facility) on the operation plan 113 (S1508), and returns to step S1506.

[0164] If the disaster response planning unit 104 determines that the energy sufficiency of the destination facility has reached 100% (S1507: Yes), it refers to the dispatch feasibility information 115 and sends a resource dispatch request in step S1331 to the user terminal 125 equipped with a vehicle that can be dispatched to the selected destination facility (S1508).

[0165] Furthermore, the disaster response planning department 104 stores information indicating the request for resource dispatch to the vehicle in step S1508 in the vehicle-side confirmation information 116a. The user terminal 125 of the vehicle that received the dispatch request receives information from the record corresponding to that vehicle in the vehicle-side confirmation information 116a, the driver confirms the transmitted information, and in step S1332 the vehicle heads to the destination facility to dispatch resources.

[0166] The disaster response planning unit 104 determines whether it has selected all facilities included in the power outage information 112 (i.e., whether it has performed the processes from steps S1502 to S1509 for all facilities) (S1510). If the disaster response planning unit 104 determines that there are any unselected facilities among the facilities included in the power outage information 112 (S1510: No), it returns to step S1502.

[0167] If the disaster response planning unit 104 determines that it has selected all facilities included in the power outage information 112 (S1510: Yes), it calculates the arrival date and time of each dispatched vehicle to each dispatched facility, stores it in the facility-side confirmation information 116b, displays it on the user terminal 123 installed at each dispatched facility (S1511), and terminates the disaster response planning process.

[0168] Figure 23 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the status of vehicles, facilities, and charging stations in a disaster response plan. Note that in the explanation of Figure 23, it is assumed that the operational plan shown in Figure 18 was adopted in step S1408.

[0169] The disaster response plan in Figure 23 is a plan that improves both normal and disaster situations: it aims to improve the profitability of the operator during normal times, reduce the time it takes for vehicles to reach facilities during a disaster, and increase the power supply capacity of facilities during a disaster.

[0170] In the disaster response plan shown in Figure 23, vehicles A1602, B1603, and C1603 will, under normal circumstances, visit delivery destinations from A1605 to G1611 (and charging station 1614 as needed), and in the event of a disaster, they will dispatch resources to the facility.

[0171] The disaster response plan in Figure 23 is designed so that, in the event of a disaster, vehicles can be dispatched to all facilities at each time t, and the resource sufficiency of each facility is as close to 100% as possible. At time t0, under normal circumstances, all vehicles would be in motion. At time t0, in the event of a disaster, vehicles A1601 and B1602 would arrive at facility A1612, and vehicle C1604 would arrive at facility B1613. At time t0, in both normal and disaster situations, no vehicles would be visiting charging station 1614.

[0172] At time t1, under normal circumstances, all vehicles would visit their delivery destinations. At time t1, in the event of a disaster, vehicles A1601 and B1602 would arrive at facility A1612, and vehicle C1604 would arrive at facility B1613. At time t1, under both normal and disaster conditions, no vehicles would visit charging station 1614.

[0173] At time t2, under normal circumstances, vehicle A1602 would be charging at charging station 1614, and vehicles B1603 and C1604 would be visiting delivery destinations. At time t2, in the event of a disaster, vehicles A1601 and B1602 would rush to facility A1612, and vehicle C1604 would rush to facility B1613.

[0174] At time t3, under normal circumstances, vehicles A1602 and B1603 would visit the delivery destination, and vehicle C1604 would be charging at charging station 1614. At time t3, in the event of a disaster, vehicles A1601 and B1602 would rush to facility A1612, and vehicle C1604 would rush to facility B1613.

[0175] As described above, the operation planning system of this embodiment can formulate an operation plan that improves profitability during normal times, reduces the time it takes for resource-owning mobile units to reach resource recipients during disasters, and improves the resource sufficiency of resource recipients during disasters, by considering the hourly changes in the location of resource-owning mobile units and their hourly correspondence to resource recipients.

[0176] Furthermore, in this embodiment, we have described an example where the facility during a disaster is a shelter and the resources required by the facility (i.e., resources held by the resource-holding mobile entity) are electricity, but the scope of application is not limited to this. The facility may include, for example, restaurants and nursing care facilities, and the resources required by the facility may include human resources, resources necessary for the restoration of other infrastructure such as gas, and resources including supplies such as food.

[0177] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are included. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail to make the present invention easier to understand, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. It is also possible to replace parts of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add configurations from other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0178] Furthermore, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, and processing means may be implemented in hardware, either partially or entirely, by designing them as integrated circuits, for example. Alternatively, each of the above configurations and functions may be implemented in software by having the processor interpret and execute programs that implement each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0179] Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanatory purposes, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the actual product. In reality, it is safe to assume that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0180] 100 Operation planning device, 101 Memory, 102 Operation planning department, 103 Data registration management department, 104 Disaster response planning department, 106 Auxiliary storage device, 107 Vehicle information, 108 Delivery base information, 109 Charging station information, 110 Facility information, 111 Delivery destination information, 112 Power outage information, 113 Operation plan, 114 Work performance information, 115 Dispatch feasibility information, 116 Disaster response plan, 117 Dispatch performance information, 118 Processor, 119 Display device, 120 Input device, 121 Communication device

Claims

1. A mobile operation planning device for formulating operation plans for multiple resource-holding mobile entities, Including the processor and memory, The aforementioned memory is The destination information indicates the location of the destination visited by the aforementioned multiple resource-holding mobile entities, It holds resource recipient information that indicates the location of the resource recipient, The aforementioned processor, By referring to the destination information, a normal route plan for the multiple resource-holding mobile entities is generated so that all of the destinations are visited by one of the multiple resource-holding mobile entities. For each of the aforementioned route options, a correspondence is generated between each of the multiple resource-holding mobile units and a destination indicating the resource recipient to whom the resource-holding mobile unit will visit in an emergency to provide resources, based on the location of the resource recipient and the locations of the multiple resource-holding mobile units when making a visit based on the said route option. For each of the aforementioned route proposals, a normal-use evaluation value is calculated based on the travel distance of the multiple resource-holding mobile bodies indicated by that route proposal. For each of the aforementioned route proposals, an emergency evaluation value is calculated based on the correspondence between each of the multiple resource-holding mobile entities and the destination, indicating the degree to which the resource requests of the resource recipients in the emergency are met. Based on the normal-time evaluation values ​​and the emergency evaluation values, a route is determined from the proposed route. An operation planning device that includes the determined route, the correspondence between each of the multiple resource-holding mobile bodies along the determined route and the destination, in the operation plan.

2. A train operation planning device according to claim 1, The resource recipient information indicates the amount of resources required by the resource recipient. The memory holds resource-holding mobile information indicating the amount of resources supplied by each of the plurality of resource-holding mobile bodies, The aforementioned processor, Regarding each of the aforementioned route proposals, Based on the required resource amount and the supplied resource amount, the resource sufficiency of the destination is calculated if each of the multiple resource-holding mobile units provides resources to the corresponding destination during the emergency. An operation planning device that calculates the emergency evaluation value based on the resource sufficiency level calculated above.

3. A train operation planning device according to claim 1, The aforementioned processor, Regarding each of the aforementioned route proposals, An operation planning device that calculates an emergency evaluation value based on the location of the resource recipient and the locations of the multiple resource-holding mobile bodies when making a visit based on the proposed route, and the time it takes for each of the multiple resource-holding mobile bodies to arrive at its corresponding destination in the event of an emergency.

4. A train operation planning device according to claim 1, The resource recipient information indicates the amount of resources required by the resource recipient. The memory holds resource-holding mobile information indicating the amount of resources supplied by each of the plurality of resource-holding mobile bodies, The aforementioned processor, In the aforementioned emergency, Information indicating whether resources can be provided to the destination is obtained from the resource-holding mobile entity corresponding to the destination in the operation plan. If, based on the acquired dispatch feasibility information, it is determined that the amount of resources supplied by a resource-holding mobile entity that can provide resources is less than the required amount of resources, the dispatch feasibility information is reacquired from a resource-holding mobile entity that is included in the plurality of resource-holding mobile entities and is different from the resource-holding mobile entity that corresponds to the destination in the operation plan. A dispatch planning device that requests resource provision to a resource-holding mobile entity that indicates it can provide resources based on the aforementioned acquired dispatch feasibility information or the aforementioned reacquired dispatch feasibility information.

5. A train operation planning device according to claim 1, The aforementioned processor, A train operation planning device that generates data for displaying information indicating the destinations that each of the multiple resource-holding mobile units visits during normal times, and the correspondence between each of the multiple resource-holding mobile units and the destination they rush to during an emergency, in the aforementioned train operation plan.

6. A method for formulating an operation plan using an operation plan formulating device for formulating an operation plan for multiple resource-holding mobile bodies, The aforementioned operation planning device includes a processor and memory, The aforementioned memory is The destination information indicates the location of the destination visited by the aforementioned multiple resource-holding mobile entities, It holds resource recipient information that indicates the location of the resource recipient, The aforementioned method for formulating the operation plan is: The processor, referring to the destination information, generates a normal route plan for the multiple resource-holding mobile entities such that all of the destinations are visited by one of the multiple resource-holding mobile entities. The processor generates a correspondence for each of the proposed routes, based on the location of the resource recipient and the locations of the multiple resource-holding mobile bodies when making a visit based on the proposed route, between each of the multiple resource-holding mobile bodies and a destination indicating the resource recipient to be visited by the resource-holding mobile body in an emergency. The processor calculates a normal evaluation value for each of the proposed routes based on the travel distance of the multiple resource-holding mobile bodies indicated by that route. The processor calculates an emergency evaluation value for each of the proposed routes, based on the correspondence between each of the multiple resource-holding mobile entities and the destination, which indicates the degree to which the resource requests of the resource recipients in the emergency are met. The processor determines a route from the proposed route based on the normal evaluation value and the emergency evaluation value. A method for formulating an operation plan, wherein the processor includes in the operation plan the correspondence between the determined route, each of the multiple resource-holding mobile bodies along the determined route, and the destination.

7. A method for planning an operation schedule according to Claim 6, The resource recipient information indicates the amount of resources required by the resource recipient. The memory holds resource-holding mobile information indicating the amount of resources supplied by each of the plurality of resource-holding mobile bodies, The aforementioned method for formulating the operation plan is: The aforementioned processor, Regarding each of the aforementioned route proposals, Based on the required resource amount and the supplied resource amount, the resource sufficiency of the destination is calculated if each of the multiple resource-holding mobile units provides resources to the corresponding destination during the emergency. A method for planning operations, which calculates the emergency evaluation value based on the resource sufficiency level calculated above.

8. A method for planning an operation schedule according to claim 6, The aforementioned processor, Regarding each of the aforementioned route proposals, A method for planning an operation, which calculates the emergency evaluation value based on the location of the resource recipient and the locations of the multiple resource-holding mobile bodies when making a visit based on the proposed route, and the time it takes for each of the multiple resource-holding mobile bodies to arrive at its corresponding destination in the event of an emergency.

9. A method for planning an operation schedule according to claim 6, The resource recipient information indicates the amount of resources required by the resource recipient. The memory holds resource-holding mobile information indicating the amount of resources supplied by each of the plurality of resource-holding mobile bodies, The aforementioned method for formulating the operation plan is: In the aforementioned emergency, The processor obtains information indicating whether resources can be provided to the destination from the resource-holding mobile entity corresponding to the operation plan at the destination, If the processor determines that the amount of resources supplied by a resource-holding mobile entity that can provide resources, as indicated in the acquired dispatch availability information, is less than the required amount of resources, it re-acquires the dispatch availability information from a resource-holding mobile entity that is included in the plurality of resource-holding mobile entities and is different from the resource-holding mobile entity that corresponds to the destination in the operation plan. A method for planning an operation, wherein the processor requests a resource-holding mobile entity, which indicates in the acquired dispatch feasibility information or the reacquired dispatch feasibility information that it can provide resources, to provide resources to the destination.

10. A method for planning an operation schedule according to claim 6, A method for planning an operation, wherein the processor generates data for displaying information indicating the destinations that each of the multiple resource-holding mobile units visits during normal times, and the correspondence between each of the multiple resource-holding mobile units and the destination they rush to during an emergency.

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