Operation plan creation device, operation plan creation system, and operation plan creation method

Abstract

To provide an operation plan creation means capable of improving passenger satisfaction with a transportation service and suppressing operation cost of a transportation service provider.SOLUTION: An operation plan creation device includes: a transportation process network generation unit for generating transportation process network information for regulating each transportation process in a transportation service; a cancellation determination unit for generating transportation process cancellation propriety information showing a cancellation propriety of each transportation process in the transportation service; a movement route candidate determination unit for generating movement route candidate information showing movement route candidates for each movement plan in passenger movement plan information; a human flow prediction unit for generating human flow prediction information showing human flow to be predicted in the transportation service; and an operation plan generation unit for generating new operation plan information obtained by reducing flights in a specific transportation process in the transportation service.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation plan creation device, an operation plan creation system, and an operation plan creation method.

Background Art

[0002] In railway transportation services, operation plans are used to manage the departure and arrival times of trains on the railway network while considering operating costs and demand. The creation of conventional operation plans has been performed manually by railway operators while considering the infrastructure of the railway network and the needs of passengers.

[0003] In generating a reliable operation plan, it is important to accurately predict the demand for railway services and the movement of passengers (where they move from and to). For example, as one means of creating a diagram representing the control target of a train based on the prediction of travel demand, there is Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-73146 (Patent Document 1).

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes "a target diagram creation device 100 that changes a diagram representing the control target of a train according to the prediction result of travel demand indicating the destination and the number of passengers at each station where the train stops for each time zone, calculates the congestion level of the train based on the predicted demand information representing the prediction result of travel demand, and extracts a violation location where the congestion level is outside the predetermined allowable range, and a diagram correction program P01b that changes the diagram including changing the destination of the train so that the congestion level of the violation location is within the allowable range or approaches the allowable range."

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] According to the timetable creation method described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to change the timetable based on the prediction results of travel demand so that the congestion level of trains and stations falls within a predetermined acceptable range.

[0007] Generally, when using transportation services, a passenger's decision to use or not largely depends on their travel preferences. If there are no routes or itineraries that suit their travel preferences, passengers may decide against using transportation services.

[0008] However, the travel demand forecast results described in Patent Document 1 are generated based on past history and do not take into account passenger preferences regarding travel time, number of transfers, etc. (i.e., the conditions under which passengers use transportation services or the conditions under which passengers discontinue using transportation services). As a result, the travel demand forecast results described in Patent Document 1 do not reflect the actual behavioral tendencies of passengers, resulting in limited accuracy and potentially failing to accurately represent actual travel demand. If a transportation plan is created based on such forecasts of travel demand, it may result in providing transportation services that do not match actual travel demand, potentially leading to losses for transportation service providers such as railway operators.

[0009] Therefore, this disclosure aims to provide a means for creating operational plans that take into account the travel preferences of passengers in transportation services and generate operational plans that match actual travel demand, thereby improving passenger satisfaction with transportation services and reducing the operating costs of transportation service providers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, a typical operation plan creation device of the present invention comprises a processor, memory and a storage unit, wherein the storage unit includes existing operation plan information showing existing operation plans relating to transportation services, passenger travel plan information showing travel plans of passengers using the transportation services, travel preference information showing the travel preferences of passengers using the transportation services, and service suspension rule information showing service suspension rules for the transportation services, and the memory includes a transportation route network generation unit that generates transportation route network information defining each transportation route in the transportation services based on the existing operation plan information and the passenger travel plan information, and based on the transportation route network information and the service suspension rule information, each transportation route in the transportation services The processor includes a processing instruction to cause the processor to function as: a service suspension determination unit that generates service suspension feasibility information indicating whether a service route can be suspended; a travel route candidate determination unit that generates travel route candidate information indicating travel route candidates for each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information based on the service suspension network information, the passenger travel plan information, and the travel preference information; a passenger flow prediction unit that generates passenger flow prediction information indicating the predicted passenger flow in the service based on the service suspension network information and the travel route candidate information; and a service plan generation unit that generates new service plan information with reduced service for a specific service route in the service based on the service suspension feasibility information and the passenger flow prediction information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a means for creating operational plans that take into account the travel preferences of passengers in transportation services and generate operational plans that match actual travel demand, thereby improving passenger satisfaction with transportation services and reducing the operating costs of transportation service providers. Other issues, configurations, and effects will be clarified by the description of the embodiments for carrying out the invention below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1]Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a train operation plan creation system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of a train schedule creation device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of an existing operation plan information table that stores existing operation plan information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a maintenance information table that stores maintenance information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a service suspension rule information table that stores service suspension rule information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of a mobility preference information table for storing mobility preference information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a passenger travel plan information table that stores passenger travel plan information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a transportation route network information table that stores transportation route network information according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of a transportation route cancellation information table that stores transportation route cancellation information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of a travel path candidate information table that stores travel path candidate information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows an example of a new operation plan information table that stores new operation plan information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an example of an unfulfilled demand information table that stores unfulfilled demand information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows an example of a station facility information table that stores station facility information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a KPI information table for storing KPI information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of preparation processing for creating an operation plan according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of operation plan creation processing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of transportation route network information creation processing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of transportation route operation suspension availability information creation processing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of candidate movement route information creation processing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of pedestrian flow prediction information creation processing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of new operation plan information creation processing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of evaluation / visualization processing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a KPI setting interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation result interface for existing operation plan information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation result interface for new operation plan information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation result interface for candidate movement route information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a diagram showing the flow of data flow in an operation plan creation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 28]Figure 28 shows an example of a time-distance diagram of a transportation process according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 29] Figure 29 shows an example of a graph format of transportation route network information according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, in the drawings, identical parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, while terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used in this disclosure to describe various elements or components, it will be understood that these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one element or component from another. Accordingly, the first element or component discussed below may also be called the second element or component without departing from the teaching of the concept of the present invention.

[0014] First, with reference to Figure 1, the configuration of the operation plan creation system according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0015] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a route planning system 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The route planning system 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a system for creating route plans and providing them to users such as a transportation service provider 150, and as shown in Figure 1, includes a passenger travel plan information acquisition device 100, a transportation service provider 150, a route planning device 200, and a traffic management device 300.

[0016] The transportation service provider 150 is a business or organization that provides a predetermined transportation service. For example, the transportation service provider 150 may be a railway operator that provides rail services. As shown in Figure 1, the transportation service provider 150 includes a mobile body 151 and a transportation service infrastructure 152. The mobile unit 151 is a mobile unit used to provide transportation services. For example, the mobile unit 151 may be a train formation consisting of one or more railway cars. The transportation service infrastructure 152 is a facility or equipment used to provide a specified transportation service. For example, the transportation service infrastructure 152 may include various railway infrastructure such as railways, stations, ticket gates, communication technology, and maintenance facilities.

[0017] The passenger travel plan information acquisition device 100 is a device for acquiring passenger travel plan information that shows the travel plan of a passenger using a transportation service. This passenger travel plan information may show travel plans that have already been completed in the past, or it may show travel plans that have not yet been executed. In one embodiment, this travel plan information may be passenger OD (Origin / Destination) data that defines the passenger's departure and arrival. In one embodiment, the passenger movement plan information acquisition device 100 may be a device that manages sensors that acquire passenger movement plan information by monitoring the moving object 151 and the transportation service infrastructure 152. For example, the passenger movement plan information acquisition device 100 may be a server device that aggregates data from sensors such as ticket gates and cameras installed at railway stations and transmits it to the operation plan creation device 200, and may be appropriately selected depending on the type of transportation service.

[0018] The operation plan creation device 200 is a device for creating an operation plan (e.g., a timetable) for managing the operation of a transportation route in a transportation service, based on passenger travel plan information acquired by the passenger travel plan information acquisition device 100 and other information described later. In this disclosure, the expression "transportation route" means movement carried out by a mobile entity used in a transportation service, and may include, for example, the movement of a train from a specific departure point (station A) to a specific arrival point (station B).

[0019] The traffic management device 300 is a device for managing traffic in the transportation service of the transportation service provider 150 based on the operation plan created by the operation plan creation device 200. In one embodiment, the traffic management device 300 may be owned and managed by the transportation service provider 150. For example, the traffic management device 300 may perform tasks such as vehicle dispatching and congestion management in the transportation service in accordance with the operation plan created by the operation plan creation device 200.

[0020] Next, with reference to Figure 2, the configuration of the operation plan creation device according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0021] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the operation plan creation device 200 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. As described above, the operation plan creation device 200 is a device that creates an operation plan for managing the operation of transportation routes (train services, etc.) in transportation services, and as shown in Figure 2, mainly includes a memory 201, a storage unit 202, a CPU 203, a display unit 204, and a communication unit 205.

[0022] The memory 201 may be, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory), and as shown in Figure 2, it includes the operation plan creation application 201P. This operation plan creation application 201P consists of multiple functional units that include instructions or descriptions to execute various processes for creating an operation plan on the CPU 203, which will be described later. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the operation plan creation application 201P may include a transportation route network generation unit 201P1, a service cancellation determination unit 201P2, a travel route candidate determination unit 201P3, an operation plan creation unit 201P4, a passenger flow prediction unit 201P5, and an evaluation / visualization unit 201P6.

[0023] The transportation route network generation unit 201P1 is a functional unit that acquires existing operation plan information 202D1 and passenger travel plan information 202D5 from the storage unit 202 and generates transportation route network information 202D6, which can be treated as an optimization problem, and displays each transportation route in the transportation service shown in the existing operation plan information 202D1 in graph format. The transportation route network generation unit 201P1 may store the generated transportation route network information 202D6 in the storage unit 202.

[0024] The service suspension determination unit 201P2 is a functional unit that acquires maintenance information 202D2, service suspension rule information 202D3, and transportation route network information 202D6 from the storage unit 202, and generates transportation route suspension feasibility information 202D7 that indicates whether each transportation route in the existing operation plan information 202D1 can be suspended. Here, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 can generate transportation route suspension feasibility information 202D7 that indicates transportation routes that can be suspended and transportation routes that cannot be suspended in the transportation route network information 202D6 by considering the station facility information, event information, etc. shown in the maintenance information 202D2 and the service suspension rule information 202D3. The service suspension determination unit 201P2 may store the generated transportation route service suspension feasibility information 202D7 in the storage unit 202.

[0025] The travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 is a functional unit that acquires travel preference information 202D4, passenger travel plan information 202D5, and transportation route network information 202D6 from the storage unit 202, and applies the travel preference information 202D4 to the transportation route network information 202D6 to generate travel route candidate information 202D8 that indicates candidate travel routes that match the travel preferences of passengers for each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information 202D5. As will be described later, by using travel routes that match the travel preferences of passengers (such as travel routes with shorter travel times), it becomes possible to predict passenger flow more accurately, showing the demand for transportation services. The travel path candidate determination unit 201P3 may store the generated travel path candidate information 202D8 in the storage unit 202.

[0026] The operation plan creation unit 201P4 is a functional unit that acquires transportation route network information 202D6, transportation route cancellation feasibility information 202D7, unmet demand information 202D10, and passenger flow forecast information 202D11 from the storage unit 202, and generates new operation plan information 202D9 with reduced service for specific transportation routes in the transportation service based on the acquired information. Here, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 may also generate new operation plan information 202D9 with transportation routes that do not meet predetermined demand criteria (transportation routes with a small number of passengers, etc.) cancelled. Furthermore, the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 may store the generated new operation plan information 202D9 in the storage unit 202.

[0027] The passenger flow prediction unit 201P5 is a functional unit that acquires transportation route network information 202D6 and travel route candidate information 202D8 from the storage unit and generates passenger flow prediction information 202D11 that shows the predicted passenger flow in the transportation service. The number of passengers for each travel route candidate shown in the travel route candidate information 202D8 may be displayed in the travel route candidate information evaluation result interface (see Figure 26), which will be described later. In one embodiment, the passenger flow prediction unit 201P5 may calculate the predicted number of passengers (first number of passengers) that would be predicted if each travel route candidate in the travel route candidate information 202D8 were used, calculate the number of passengers (second number of passengers) for the travel plan corresponding to the travel route candidate based on the passenger travel plan information 202D5, and calculate the difference between the calculated first number of passengers and the second number of passengers (the value obtained by subtracting the first number of passengers from the second number of passengers) as unfulfilled demand information 202D10. The pedestrian flow forecasting unit 201P5 may store the unfulfilled demand information 202D10 and the pedestrian flow forecasting information 202D11 in the storage unit 202.

[0028] The evaluation and visualization unit 201P6 is a functional unit that evaluates the new operation plan information 202D9 generated by the operation plan creation unit 201P4 and displays the results of the evaluation and other various information used by the operation plan creation device 200 in a user interface such as a GUI.

[0029] The memory unit 202 is a memory unit for storing various information used by each functional unit of the operation plan creation application 201P, and may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). As shown in Figure 2, the memory unit 202 may store existing operation plan information 202D1, maintenance information 202D2, service suspension rule information 202D3, travel preference information 202D4, passenger travel plan information 202D5, transport route network information 202D6, transport route service suspension feasibility information 202D7, travel route candidate information 202D8, new operation plan information 202D9, unfulfilled demand information 202D10, and passenger flow forecast information 202D11. However, the memory unit 202 is not limited to this and may also include information other than that shown in Figure 2 (for example, the station facility information table shown in Figure 13 or the KPI information shown in Figure 14). Details of the various types of information stored in the memory unit 202 will be described later with reference to Figures 3-14, so the explanation is omitted here.

[0030] The CPU 203 is a processor for executing instructions and commands from each functional unit that constitutes the operation plan creation application 201P, which is stored in memory 201. In one embodiment, the CPU 203 may include a CU (Control Unit), an ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit), and an IAS (Immediate Access Store).

[0031] The display unit 204 is a functional unit that inputs information to the operation plan creation application 201P stored in the memory 201 and displays a user interface that displays information output from the operation plan creation application 201P. In one embodiment, the display unit 204 may include, for example, a standalone display screen, a television, a tablet, or the screen of a portable terminal.

[0032] The communication unit 205 is a functional unit for facilitating communication between the operation plan creation device 200 and external devices (for example, the traffic management device 300 shown in Figure 1 or the terminal of the transportation service provider 150) via a communication network 350, such as the Internet. The external devices here may include, for example, input devices for inputting KPIs and settings to the operation plan creation device 200, monitoring devices for acquiring information related to transportation services (ticket gates, sensors, station cameras, track cameras, radios, etc.), and application devices that utilize transportation service management systems such as TMS (Traffic Management System), ETCS (European Traffic Control System), ATO (Automatic Train Operation System), and PIS (Passenger Information System).

[0033] According to the operation plan creation device 200 described above, by considering the travel preferences of passengers in the transportation service and generating an operation plan that matches the actual travel demand, it is possible to generate an operation plan that can improve passenger satisfaction with the transportation service and reduce the operating costs for the transportation service provider.

[0034] Next, with reference to Figures 3 to 14, various types of information used in the operation plan creation device 200 according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described. As mentioned above, this information may be stored in the storage unit 202 of the operation plan creation device 200. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and it is also possible to configure the device to store this information in a cloud, for example.

[0035] Figure 3 shows an example of an existing operation plan information table T100 that stores existing operation plan information 202D1 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Existing operation plan information 202D1 is information that shows an existing operation plan relating to a transportation service. As shown in Figure 3, the existing operation plan information table T100 that stores existing operation plan information 202D1 may include information relating to the transportation route ID, train ID, departure station ID, arrival station ID, departure time, arrival time, and passenger capacity.

[0036] A transport route ID is information that uniquely identifies a specific transport route performed in a transport service. As stated above, in this disclosure, the term "transport route" means movement performed by a mobile entity used in a transport service, and may include, for example, the movement of a train from a specific departure point (station A) to a specific arrival point (station B). A train ID is information that uniquely identifies a train for a transportation route. The train ID remains the same throughout the transportation route, but may be changed when a new transportation route begins. The departure station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that marks the starting point of the transportation journey. The arrival station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that marks the end of the transportation route. Departure time is information indicating the time when the transportation process begins. The arrival time indicates the time when the transportation process is completed. The passenger capacity is information that indicates the maximum number of passengers that can board a train for a specific transportation route.

[0037] Figure 4 shows an example of a maintenance information table T200 that stores maintenance information 202D2 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Maintenance information 202D2 is information that indicates a maintenance plan for a transport service. As shown in Figure 4, the maintenance information table T200 that stores maintenance information 202D2 may also include information on train ID, fleet status, arrival station ID, mileage, and maintenance operations.

[0038] A train ID is information that uniquely identifies a train for a specific transportation route. Fleet status is information that indicates whether the fleet (group of trains) to which a train belongs is "old" or "new". The arrival station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station to which the train scheduled to receive the equipment will arrive. The distance traveled is information that indicates the cumulative distance traveled by the train. Maintenance details are information indicating the content of maintenance operations performed on a train. These maintenance details may be determined, for example, based on the status of the fleet to which the train belongs or its mileage. As shown in the maintenance information table T200, these maintenance details may include, for example, periodic inspections that can be completed in a short time, or detailed inspections that require more time.

[0039] Figure 5 shows an example of a service suspension rule information table T300 that stores service suspension rule information 202D3 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Service suspension rule information 202D3 is information indicating service suspension rules for transportation services. As shown in Figure 5, the service suspension rule information table T300 that stores service suspension rule information 202D3 may also include information regarding the rule number, service suspension rule, whether service suspension is permitted, and the service subject to suspension.

[0040] The rule number is information that uniquely identifies a specific service suspension rule. Service suspension rules are information that describes transportation routes that can or cannot be suspended. These service suspension rules may be defined, for example, by users of the transportation service provider 150. The possibility of service suspension indicates whether the transportation route stipulated in the service suspension rules can or cannot be suspended. The information regarding service suspensions specifies the stations, routes, and periods to which the suspension rules apply.

[0041] As an example, as shown in Figure 5, the service suspension rule information table T300 may include service suspension rule RC1, which specifies that transportation routes using stations with stops are "can be suspended," and service suspension rule RC2, which specifies that other transportation routes connected to transportation routes that are "can be suspended" by service suspension rule RC1 are "can be suspended." In addition, the service suspension rule information table T300 may include service suspension rule RU3, which specifies that transportation routes passing through special operating sections such as sections with high travel demand, sections covered by travel campaigns, or sections where tourist events are being held are "cannot be suspended," and service suspension rule RU4, which specifies that the first and last trains are "cannot be suspended."

[0042] Figure 6 shows an example of mobility preference information tables T400 and T410 that store mobility preference information 202D4 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Mobility preference information 202D4 is information indicating the mobility preferences of passengers who are users of transportation services.

[0043] The mobility preference information table T400 may include preference IDs and mobility preferences. A preference ID is information that uniquely identifies a passenger's specific travel preferences. Travel preferences are information that indicates the characteristics of travel preferred by a particular passenger. As an example, as shown in Figure 6, the travel preference information table T400 may include travel preferences that define "B1: the shortest travel time," "B2: the least congested travel route," and "B3: the most reliable (least likely to be cancelled or delayed) travel route."

[0044] The travel preference information table 410 may include, for each preference ID, the passenger's travel itinerary usage conditions and travel itinerary cancellation conditions. In this disclosure, "passenger's travel itinerary usage conditions" and "travel itinerary cancellation conditions" may be collectively referred to as "preference conditions." The transportation itinerary usage conditions are information that indicates the conditions for using a transportation itinerary in relation to a specific travel preference indicated by the preference ID. For example, the transportation itinerary usage conditions may include "when it is possible to arrive at the destination by a specified time," "when the congestion rate is below a specified level," and "when it is possible to arrive at the destination within a specified number of transfers."

[0045] The travel itinerary cancellation conditions are information indicating the conditions under which a travel itinerary will be canceled for a specific travel preference indicated by the preference ID. For example, the travel itinerary cancellation conditions may include "inability to reach the destination by the specified time," "in case of abnormal congestion levels," and "inability to reach the destination within the specified number of transfers, in case of bad weather, or when there is a high probability of cancellation."

[0046] The information regarding passengers' travel preferences shown in travel preference information tables T400 and T410 may be determined, for example, by performing a predetermined statistical analysis on passenger travel information acquired in the past, or it may be determined based on public opinion surveys, expert opinions, etc.

[0047] Figure 7 shows an example of a passenger travel plan information table T500 that stores passenger travel plan information 202D5 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Passenger travel plan information 202D5 is information relating to the travel plan of a passenger using a transport service. As shown in Figure 7, the passenger travel plan information table T500 that stores passenger travel plan information 202D5 may include a travel route ID, departure time, departure station ID, arrival station ID, and the number of passengers. The passenger movement plan information 202D5 stored in the passenger movement plan information table T500 may be, for example, passenger OD data acquired from sensors such as ticket gates or cameras installed at transportation service facilities. In one embodiment, the passenger movement plan information 202D5 may be aggregated and acquired every 10 minutes.

[0048] The travel plan ID is information that uniquely identifies a passenger's travel plan. Departure time is information indicating the departure time of a transportation segment in a specific travel plan. The departure station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that serves as the starting point for a particular travel plan. The arrival station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that is the final destination of a particular travel plan. Passenger numbers are information that indicates the number of passengers traveling on a specific travel plan.

[0049] Figure 8 shows an example of transportation route network information tables T600 and T610 that store the transportation route network information 202D6 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. As described above, the transportation route network information 202D6 stored in the transportation route network information tables T600 and T610 is information that indicates each transportation route in a transportation service, and is generated by the transportation route network generation unit 201P1. For the sake of explanation, Figure 8 shows the transportation route network information 202D6 in tabular format, but this transportation route network information 202D6 may also be represented in graph format, for example, as shown in Figure 29.

[0050] Since the transportation route network information table T600 stores substantially the same information as the passenger travel plan information table T500 described above, the explanation of the common information will be omitted. The transportation route network information table T600 includes, in addition to the information in the passenger travel plan information table T500 described above, information on the origin node ID that uniquely identifies the origin node corresponding to the departure station, and information on the destination node ID that uniquely identifies the destination node corresponding to the arrival station.

[0051] Since the transportation route network information table T610 stores substantially the same information as the existing operation plan information table T100 described above, the explanation of common information will be omitted. The transportation route network information table T610 includes, in addition to the information from the existing operation plan information table T100 described above, information on transportation route node IDs that uniquely identify the transportation route node corresponding to the transportation route.

[0052] The transportation route network information 202D6 stored in the aforementioned transportation route network information tables T600 and T610 can be represented as a so-called MILP (Mixed Integer Linear Problem), and by analyzing it with optimization algorithms such as the Exact method or Non-Exact method, it is possible to create an operation plan that takes into account passenger preferences for travel and the cost-effectiveness of rail transport services.

[0053] Figure 9 shows an example of a transport route cancellation information table T700 that stores transport route cancellation information 202D7 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The transport route cancellation information 202D7 stored in the transport route cancellation information table T700 is information indicating whether each transport route in the existing operation plan information 202D1 can be cancelled, and is generated by the cancellation determination unit 201P2. As shown in Figure 9, the transport route cancellation information table T700 may also include information regarding the transport route ID, transport route node ID, train ID, cancellation status, and cancellation rule ID.

[0054] A transport route ID is information that uniquely identifies a specific transport route within a transport service. A transport route node ID is information used to uniquely identify a transport route node corresponding to a specific transport route in a graph-format transport route network. A train ID is information that uniquely identifies a train for a specific transportation route. The possibility of service suspension indicates whether a particular transportation route can or cannot be suspended. A service suspension rule ID is information that uniquely identifies a service suspension rule that specifies whether a particular transportation route can or cannot be suspended.

[0055] According to the transportation route cancellation information 202D7 described above, it is possible to store information on whether each transportation route in a transportation service can be cancelled, and the cancellation rules used to determine whether each transportation route can be cancelled.

[0056] Figure 10 shows an example of a travel route candidate information table T800 that stores travel route candidate information 202D8 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The travel route candidate information 202D8 stored in the travel route candidate information table T800 is information that indicates a candidate travel route that is available for use in carrying out each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information 202D5 and that is compatible with the passenger's travel preference information 202D4. This travel route candidate information 202D8 is generated, for example, by a travel route candidate determination unit 201P3, which will be described later.

[0057] As shown in Figure 10, the travel route candidate information 202D8 may include a travel plan group ID, a departure station ID, an arrival station ID, a first travel route candidate, a second travel route candidate, and a third travel route candidate. The travel plan group ID is information that uniquely identifies a set of travel plans grouped at predetermined time intervals. The departure station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that marks the starting point of the travel route. The arrival station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that is the final destination of the travel route. The first, second, and third candidate travel routes are recommended itineraries for traveling along a specific route, determined based on the passenger's travel preferences.

[0058] Figure 11 shows an example of a new operation plan information table T900 that stores new operation plan information 202D9 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. New operation plan information 202D9 is information that shows an operation plan in which a specific transportation route in a transportation service has been reduced in frequency. As shown in Figure 11, the new operation plan information table T900 that stores new operation plan information 202D9 may include information on transportation route ID, train ID, departure station ID, arrival station ID, departure time, arrival time, capacity, service suspension status, and predicted number of passengers. Furthermore, since the new operation plan information table T900 stores essentially the same information as the existing operation plan information table T100 mentioned above, explanations regarding the common information will be omitted.

[0059] The service suspension status indicates whether or not each transportation route is subject to suspension. In Figure 11, "-" indicates that the corresponding transportation route is not subject to suspension, and "Suspended" indicates that the corresponding transportation route is subject to suspension. The predicted number of passengers is information indicating the number of passengers for each transportation route predicted by the passenger flow prediction information creation process 2000, which will be described later, and substantially corresponds to the passenger flow prediction information 202D11 shown in Figure 2, for example.

[0060] Figure 12 shows an example of an unfulfilled demand information table T1000 that stores unfulfilled demand information 202D10 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The unfulfilled demand information 202D10 stored in the unfulfilled demand information table T1000 is information about the number of passengers who are expected to cancel their use of the transportation service because no travel route matching the travel preference information 202D4 exists. As shown in Figure 12, the unfulfilled demand information table T1000 may also include information about travel route ID, departure time, departure station ID, origin node ID, arrival station ID, destination node ID, number of passengers, and number of unfulfilled passengers. Furthermore, since the unfulfilled demand information table T1000 stores essentially the same information as the transportation route network information table T600 described above, the explanation of the common information will be omitted.

[0061] The number of unsupported passengers is information indicating the number of passengers who are expected to cancel their use of transportation services because, for example, no candidate travel routes that meet the transportation itinerary usage conditions shown in the travel preference information 202D4 described above exist. This number of unsupported passengers may be calculated in the passenger flow prediction information creation process 2000 described later.

[0062] Figure 13 shows an example of a station facility information table T1100 that stores station facility information according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Station facility information is information that indicates the facilities provided at each station used in the transportation service. As shown in Figure 13, the station facility information table T1100 may also include information regarding station ID, station name, stopping equipment, and facility type.

[0063] A station ID is information that uniquely identifies a station used in transportation services. Station names are information that indicates the name of a station used in transportation services. The "Stopping Facilities" section indicates whether or not a particular station has stopping facilities such as a train station. Here, "1" means that there are stopping facilities, and "0" means that there are no stopping facilities. The facility type is information indicating the type of stopping facilities at stations equipped with such facilities. This facility type may include, for example, a station, an inspection station, or a spare track.

[0064] Figure 14 shows an example of a KPI information table that stores KPI information according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The KPI information is information that indicates KPIs for evaluating operation plan information. As shown in Figure 14, the KPI information table 1200 may include KPI number, KPI name and KPI details. A KPI number is information that uniquely identifies a specific KPI (Key Performance Indicator). Here, KPI refers to an indicator used to quantitatively evaluate the performance of the operational plan. The KPI name is information that indicates the name of a specific KPI. KPI details are information that provides detailed information about the content of a specific KPI.

[0065] As an example, as shown in Figure 14, the KPI information table 1200 may include KPIs such as "number of transport journeys," "congestion rate," and "unmet demand." "Number of transportation routes" refers to the number of transportation routes in the new operation plan information. In principle, the more transportation routes there are, the higher the operating costs for those routes. Therefore, the operation plan creation means according to the embodiment of this disclosure relates to creating an operation plan that reduces operating costs by reducing the number of services for low-demand transportation routes while suppressing congestion and unfulfilled demand. The "number of transport routes" can be calculated by counting the transport route nodes in the transport route network corresponding to the new operation plan information. Alternatively, in the KPI setting interface 2300 described later, the "number of transport routes" may be shown as a percentage of the number of transport routes in the existing operation plan information.

[0066] The "congestion rate" is the ratio of the number of passengers to the capacity of the transport route. In the KPI setting interface 2300 described later, the "congestion rate" may be shown as a percentage of the number of passengers to the capacity of the transport route. "Unmet demand" refers to the number of passengers who cancel their use of transportation services because no suitable transportation route exists, and is calculated in the passenger flow forecast information creation process 2000, which will be described later. Alternatively, in the KPI setting interface 2300, which will be described later, "unmet demand" may be expressed as the percentage of passengers who cancel their use of transportation services because no suitable transportation route exists, relative to the number of passengers in the existing operation plan information.

[0067] Next, with reference to Figure 15, the operational plan preparation process according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0068] Figure 15 shows an example of the flow of the operation plan creation preparation process 1500 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The operation plan creation preparation process 1500 is a process that is executed when the operation plan creation device 200 receives a request to create an operation plan from a user, such as a transportation service provider 150. In one embodiment, the operation plan creation preparation process 1500 may be performed periodically at regular intervals (daily, weekly).

[0069] First, in step F100, the operation plan creation device 200 is activated.

[0070] Next, in step F102, the operation plan creation device 200 inputs existing operation plan information 202D1. Here, the operation plan creation device 200 may receive existing operation plan information 202D1 input from a user, such as a transportation service provider 150, via a communication network such as the Internet, and store it in the storage unit 202.

[0071] Next, in step F103, the operation plan creation device 200 determines whether or not it is necessary to modify the existing operation plan information 202D1 entered in step F102. Here, the operation plan creation device 200 determines whether or not it is possible to reduce the number of services in the transportation route (i.e., to suspend the transportation route) based on the requests of the transportation service provider 150 that entered the existing operation plan information 202D1 and the demand for transportation services, and if it is possible to reduce the number of services, it determines that it is necessary to modify the existing operation plan information 202D1, and if it is not possible to reduce the number of services, it may determine that it is not necessary to modify the existing operation plan information 202D1.

[0072] For example, if, based on existing operational plan information 202D1, it is determined that there are transportation routes with low demand (that do not meet the prescribed passenger number criteria) and that it is desirable to reduce the number of services on those routes in order to reduce operating costs, the operational plan creation device 200 may determine that it is necessary to revise the existing operational plan information 202D1. On the other hand, if the operation plan creation device 200 determines, based on the existing operation plan information 202D1, that the demand for transportation services is high (meeting the predetermined passenger number criteria) and that reducing the number of services would not satisfy the demand, it may determine that there is no need to modify the existing operation plan information 202D1. If it is determined that the existing operation plan information 202D1 needs to be modified, this process proceeds to step F104. On the other hand, if it is determined that the existing operation plan information 202D1 does not need to be modified, this process proceeds to step F107.

[0073] Next, in step F104, the operation plan creation device 200 sets the target values ​​for the KPIs. Here, the operation plan creation device 200 may receive user input to set the target values ​​for each KPI stored in the KPI information table 1200 described above via the KPI setting interface 2300 described later, and set the target values ​​for the KPIs based on said user input.

[0074] Next, in step F105, the operation plan creation device 200 executes the operation plan creation process 1600, which will be described later, to generate new operation plan information 202D9, and stores the generated new operation plan information 202D9 in the storage unit 202. At this point, the operation plan creation device 200 may also present the generated new operation plan information 202D9 to a user such as a transportation service provider 150 via the new operation plan information evaluation result interface 2500, which will be described later. Details of the operation plan creation process 1600 will be explained later, so the explanation is omitted here.

[0075] Next, in step F106, the operation plan creation device 200 determines whether the new operation plan information 202D9 generated in step F105 is acceptable. Here, the operation plan creation device 200 may determine whether the new operation plan information 202D9 is acceptable based on whether the KPI values ​​in the new operation plan information 202D9 achieve the KPI target values ​​set in step F104, the feasibility of reducing the number of services in the transport route, the losses due to the reduction, etc. Alternatively, this determination may be made based on user instructions input via the evaluation result interface 2500. In one embodiment, if the operation plan creation device 200 determines that the unfulfilled demand information (i.e., the number of passengers who are expected to cancel their use of the transportation service because no travel route matching the travel preference information 202D4 exists) exceeds a predetermined unfulfilled demand threshold, it may determine that the new operation plan information 202D9 generated in step F105 is unacceptable, prompt the user or the like to reset the KPI target value set in step F104, and generate revised operation plan information that has been modified to exceed the unfulfilled demand threshold. If the new operation plan information 202D9 is deemed acceptable, the process proceeds to step F107. On the other hand, if the new operation plan information 202D9 is deemed unacceptable, the process returns to step F104 to reset the target values ​​of the KPIs.

[0076] Next, in step F107, the operation plan creation preparation process 1500 is completed, and the operation plan creation device 200 is terminated.

[0077] According to the operation plan creation preparation process 1500 described above, by considering the travel preferences of passengers in the transportation service and generating an operation plan that matches the actual travel demand, it is possible to generate an operation plan that can improve passenger satisfaction with the transportation service and reduce the operating costs for the transportation service provider.

[0078] Next, with reference to Figure 16, the operation plan creation process according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0079] Figure 16 shows an example of the flow of the operation plan creation process 1600 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The operation plan creation process 1600 is a process for generating an operation plan for managing the operation of transportation routes (train schedules, etc.) in a transportation service, and may be carried out by each functional unit included in the operation plan creation application 201P shown in Figure 2.

[0080] First, in step F200, the operation plan creation application 201P of the operation plan creation device 200 is started.

[0081] Next, in step F201, the operation plan creation application 201P obtains existing operation plan information 202D1 from the storage unit 202. This existing operation plan information 202D1 may be, for example, existing operation plan information entered by a user such as the transportation service provider 150 in the operation plan creation preparation process 1500 described above.

[0082] Next, in step F202, the transportation route network generation unit 201P1 of the operation plan creation application 201P generates transportation route network information 202D6, which can be treated as an optimization problem, based on the existing operation plan information 202D1 and passenger travel plan information 202D5 obtained from the storage unit 202 in step F201, and which shows each transportation route in the transportation service shown in the existing operation plan information 202D1 in graph format. The details of the process for generating the transportation route network information 202D6 will be explained in Figure 17, so the explanation will be omitted here.

[0083] Next, in step F203, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 obtains maintenance information 202D2, service suspension rule information 202D3, and transportation route network information 202D6 from the storage unit 202, and generates transportation route suspension feasibility information 202D7 that indicates whether each transportation route in the existing operation plan information 202D1 can be suspended. The details of the process for generating the transportation schedule cancellation information 202D7 will be explained in Figure 18, so the explanation will be omitted here.

[0084] Next, in step F204, the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 obtains travel preference information 202D4, passenger travel plan information 202D5, and transport route network information 202D6 from the storage unit 202, and applies the travel preference information 202D4 to the transport route network information 202D6 to generate travel route candidate information 202D8 that shows candidate travel routes that match the passenger's travel preferences for each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information 202D5. The details of the process for generating the travel path candidate information 202D8 will be explained in Figure 19, so the explanation will be omitted here.

[0085] Next, in step F205, the operation plan creation application 201P retrieves the target values ​​of the KPIs set by the user in the operation plan creation preparation process 1500 described above from the KPI information table 1200 stored in the storage unit 202.

[0086] Next, in step F206, the passenger flow prediction unit 201P5 obtains the transportation route network information 202D6 and the travel route candidate information 202D8 from the storage unit and generates passenger flow prediction information 202D11 that shows the predicted passenger flow (number of passengers) in the transportation service. The details of the process for generating the pedestrian flow prediction information 202D11 will be explained in Figure 20, so the explanation will be omitted here.

[0087] Next, in step F207, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 obtains transportation route network information 202D6, transportation route service suspension feasibility information 202D7, unfulfilled demand information 202D10, and passenger flow forecast information 202D11 from the storage unit 202, and generates new operation plan information 202D9 that reduces the number of services on specific transportation routes in the transportation service based on the obtained information. The details of the process for generating the new operation plan information 202D9 will be explained in Figure 21, so the explanation will be omitted here.

[0088] Next, in step F208, the evaluation and visualization unit 201P6 performs an evaluation of the new operation plan information 202D9 and displays the results of the evaluation and other various information used by the operation plan creation device 200 in a user interface such as a GUI (see Figures 23-26). The details of the process for presenting the new operation plan information 202D9 to the user will be explained in Figure 22, so the explanation will be omitted here.

[0089] Next, in step F209, the evaluation and visualization unit 201P6 determines whether the new operation plan information 202D9 generated in step F207 meets the KPI target values ​​obtained in step F205. If the new operation plan information 202D9 is determined to meet the KPI target value, the process proceeds to step F210. On the other hand, if the new operation plan information 202D9 is determined not to meet the KPI target value, the process returns to step F205, prompts the user to reset the KPI target value, and retrieves the corrected KPI target value again.

[0090] Next, in step F210, the operation plan creation application 201P is terminated.

[0091] According to the operation plan creation process 1600 described above, by considering the travel preferences of passengers in the transportation service and generating an operation plan that matches the actual travel demand, it is possible to generate an operation plan that can improve passenger satisfaction with the transportation service and reduce the operating costs for the transportation service provider.

[0092] Next, with reference to Figure 17, the transportation route network information creation process according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0093] Figure 17 shows an example of the flow of the transportation route network information creation process 1700 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The transportation route network information creation process 1700 is a process for generating transportation route network information that shows each transportation route in a transportation service, and may be performed by the transportation route network generation unit 201P1 of the operation plan creation application 201P shown in Figure 2.

[0094] First, in step F300, the operation plan creation application 201P starts the transportation route network generation unit 201P1.

[0095] Next, in step F301, the transportation route network generation unit 201P1 obtains existing operation plan information 202D1 from the storage unit 202. This existing operation plan information 202D1 may be, for example, existing operation plan information input by a user such as the transportation service provider 150 in the operation plan creation preparation process 1500 described above.

[0096] In one embodiment, the existing operation plan information 202D1 may be represented as a time-distance diagram 2800, as shown in Figure 28. Figure 28 is a diagram showing an example of the existing operation plan information 202D1 as a time-distance diagram 2800. As shown in Figure 28, in the time-distance diagram 2800, the vertical axis shows stations (stations A, B, C), the horizontal axis shows time, and the diagonal lines between stations represent the transportation route (x1~x n ) is shown.

[0097] Next, in step F302, the transportation route network generation unit 201P1 converts the transportation route IDs in the existing operation plan information 202D1 into transportation route nodes in a graph-type network graph. Converting the transportation route IDs into transportation route nodes means generating transportation route nodes in a graph-type network graph that represent the transportation routes identified by the transportation route IDs. Here, the transportation route network generation unit 201P1 may assign a transportation route node ID in the format "TN_n" to each transportation route node, as shown in the table 610 described above.

[0098] Next, in step F303, the transportation route network generation unit 201P1 assigns information such as departure time, departure station, arrival time, arrival station, passenger capacity, and cost to each transportation route node created in the network graph in step F302. Here, the direction of the transportation route nodes may be set based on the departure and arrival times of the preceding and succeeding nodes.

[0099] Next, in step F304, the transport route network generation unit 201P1 obtains passenger travel plan information 202D5 from the storage unit 202.

[0100] Next, in step F305, the transportation route network generation unit 201P1 groups the travel information acquired in step F304 into predetermined time intervals (5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc.).

[0101] Next, in step F306, the transportation route network generation unit 201P1 converts the departure station ID in the travel information into a starting node in the network graph. Converting the departure station ID into a starting node means generating a starting node in the graph-format network graph that represents the station identified by the departure station ID.

[0102] Next, in step F307, the transportation route network generation unit 201P1 converts the arrival station ID in the travel information into destination nodes in the network graph. Converting the arrival station ID into destination nodes means generating destination nodes in the graph-format network graph that represent the stations identified by the arrival station ID.

[0103] Next, in step F308, the transport route network generation unit 201P1 assigns edges between each transport route node in the network graph.

[0104] Next, in step F309, the transport route network generation unit 201P1 assigns edges between the origin node, transport route node, and destination node in the network graph. Furthermore, the edge assignment in steps F308 and F309 may be based on the departure time from the origin node and the arrival time at the destination node of the transport route node. Referring to the transport route network information tables 610 and 620 described above, an example may be given where the transport route node "tn_0" has the same departure station ID as the origin node "s_0" (departure station ID "1"), and it is after the departure time of the origin node "s_0". Therefore, an edge may be assigned in the network graph connecting the transport route node "tn_0" to the origin node "s_0".

[0105] Figure 29 is a diagram showing a transportation route network graph 2900 that displays the transportation route network information generated by the transportation route network information creation process 1700 according to the embodiment of this disclosure in graph format. As shown in Figure 29, the departure stations of the transport route are represented as departure nodes s1, s2...sp2910, and the arrival stations of the transport route are represented as destination nodes t1, t2...tp2920. Furthermore, the transport route is represented by transport route nodes x1~x n This is represented as 2930. Furthermore, the origin 2910, destination node 2920, and transport route node 2930 are connected by edge 2940 based on the departure time of the transport route node from the origin node and the arrival time at the destination node.

[0106] Next, in step F310, the transport route network generation unit 201P1 stores the created network graph in the storage unit 202 as transport route network information 202D6 in tabular format.

[0107] Next, in step F311, the operation plan creation application 201P terminates the transportation route network generation unit 201P1.

[0108] According to the transportation route network information creation process 1700 described above, transportation route network information representing each transportation route in a transportation service can be generated. This transportation route network information is treated as a so-called MILP (Mixed Integer Linear Problem) and analyzed using optimization algorithms such as the Exact method, Non-Exact method, branch excision method, heuristic method, and genetic algorithm. This allows for the creation of operational plans that take into account passengers' travel preferences and the cost-effectiveness of rail transport services.

[0109] Next, with reference to Figure 18, the process for creating information on whether or not a transportation route can be suspended according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0110] Figure 18 shows an example of the flow of the transportation route cancellation / failure information creation process 1800 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The transportation route cancellation / failure information creation process 1800 is a process for generating transportation route cancellation / failure information 202D7 that indicates whether each transportation route can be cancelled, and may be performed by the cancellation determination unit 201P2 shown in Figure 2.

[0111] First, in step F400, the operation plan creation application 201P starts the service cancellation determination unit 201P2.

[0112] Next, in step F401, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 obtains maintenance information 202D2, service suspension rule information 202D3, and transportation route network information 202D6 from the storage unit 202.

[0113] Next, in step F402, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 defines two categories for classifying nodes in the transportation route network information 202D6: a group of nodes that can be suspended and a group of nodes that cannot be suspended.

[0114] Next, in step F403, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 starts a node search for the transportation route network information 202D6. This node search is a process to classify each node in the transportation route network information 202D6 into either a group of nodes that can be suspended or a group of nodes that cannot be suspended by applying the service suspension rules shown in the service suspension rule information T330 described above to each node. For example, this may be performed on the transportation route network graph that shows the transportation route network information 202D6 in graph form, as shown in Figure 29.

[0115] Next, in step F404, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 adds nodes in the transportation route network graph, which displays the transportation route network information 202D6 in graph format, that it determines can be suspended according to the service suspension rule shown in the service suspension rule information T330 described above, to the group of nodes that can be suspended. Here, when applying a service suspension rule to a specific node, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 may refer to the maintenance information table T200 shown in Figure 4, the transportation route network tables T600 and T610 shown in Figure 8, or the station facility information table T1100 shown in Figure 13. For example, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 may refer to the station facility information table T1100 and, if it determines that a particular transportation route node uses a station equipped with a stop, add that transportation route node to the node group that can be suspended, in accordance with rule RC1 of the service suspension rule information table T300 shown in Figure 5.

[0116] Next, in step F405, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 adds nodes in the transportation route network graph, which displays the transportation route network information 202D6 in graph format, that are determined to be impossible to suspend service to the group of nodes that are impossible to suspend service to, based on the service suspension rule information T330 described above. As described above, when applying a service suspension rule to a specific node, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 may refer to the maintenance information table T200 shown in Figure 4, the transportation route network tables T600 and T610 shown in Figure 8, or the station facility information table T1100 shown in Figure 13. For example, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 may refer to the transportation route network tables T600 and T610 and, if it determines that a particular transportation route node has high demand (the number of passengers exceeds a predetermined number of passengers), add that transportation route node to the node group that cannot be suspended, in accordance with rule RC3 of the service suspension rule information table T300 shown in Figure 5.

[0117] Next, in step F406, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 terminates the node search.

[0118] Next, in step F407, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 adds the departure and arrival nodes in the transportation route network graph, which displays the transportation route network information 202D6 in graph format, to the node group that cannot be suspended. This is because the departure and arrival nodes correspond to the "first train" and "last train" of rule RC4 in the service suspension rule information table T300 shown in Figure 5.

[0119] Next, in step F408, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 adds the nodes of the transportation route that could not be classified into either the node group that can be suspended or the node group that cannot be suspended by the above-described process to the node group that can be suspended.

[0120] Next, in step F409, the service suspension determination unit 201P2 generates service suspension feasibility information 202D7 by aggregating node groups that can be suspended and node groups that cannot be suspended, and stores it in the storage unit 202. Next, in step F410, the operation plan creation application 201P terminates the service cancellation determination unit 201P2.

[0121] According to the transportation route network information creation process 1700 described above, it is possible to generate transportation route suspension feasibility information 202D7, which indicates candidate transportation routes that can be suspended (such as transportation routes with low demand) in order to reduce the operating costs of transportation service providers. As will be described later, by using this transportation route suspension feasibility information 202D7, it becomes possible to generate an operation plan that matches the actual travel demand.

[0122] Next, with reference to Figure 19, the process for creating candidate travel path information according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0123] Figure 19 shows an example of the flow of the travel route candidate information creation process 1900 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The travel route candidate information creation process 1900 is a process for generating travel route candidate information 202D8 that indicates candidate travel routes that match the travel preferences of the passenger for each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information 202D5 described above, and may be performed by the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 shown in Figure 2.

[0124] First, in step F500, the operation plan creation application 201P starts the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3.

[0125] Next, in step F501, the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 obtains passenger travel plan information 202D5 and transport route network information 202D6 from the storage unit 202.

[0126] Next, in step F502, the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 identifies all available travel routes between each pair of origin and destination nodes in the transport route network graph, based on the passenger travel plan information 202D5 and transport route network information 202D6 acquired in step 501. Here, "all available travel routes" means travel routes that can reach each destination node from each origin node.

[0127] Next, in step F503, the movement path candidate determination unit 201P3 obtains movement preference information 202D4 from the storage unit 202.

[0128] Next, in step F504, the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 determines, as a travel route candidate, a travel route that matches the passenger's travel preference information 202D4 from among all available travel routes between each pair of origin and destination nodes identified in step F502. Here, the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 can determine travel route candidates that satisfy the transportation route utilization conditions in the travel preference information table T410 shown in Figure 6, for example, by applying network search algorithms such as BFS (Breadth First Search), DFS (Depth First Search), Dijkstra's algorithm, and A* search algorithm to the transportation route network graph. As an example, the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 may determine from all available travel routes between each pair of origin and destination nodes as travel route candidates if the travel route allows arrival at the destination by a predetermined time, the travel route has a congestion rate below a predetermined level, and the travel route allows arrival at the destination within a predetermined number of transfers.

[0129] Next, in step F505, the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 determines whether a travel route candidate that matches the passenger's travel preference information 202D4 has been identified between each pair of origin and destination nodes in the transport route network graph. If, in step F504, no travel route candidate matching the passenger's travel preference information 202D4 can be determined in the transport route network graph, the process proceeds to step F506. If a candidate travel route that matches the passenger's travel preference information 202D4 can be determined in step F504 in the transport route network graph, the process proceeds to step F507.

[0130] Next, in step F506, if no travel route candidate that matches the passenger travel preference information 202D4 could be determined in step F504, the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 will designate the available travel routes identified in step F502 as travel route candidates to be used for the passenger flow prediction described later. After that, the process proceeds to step F508.

[0131] Next, in step F507, if a travel route candidate that matches the passenger's travel preference information 202D4 was determined in step F504, the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 will designate the travel route candidate determined in step F504 as the travel route candidate to be used for the passenger flow prediction described later.

[0132] Next, in step F508, the candidate movement paths that were targeted for pedestrian flow prediction in step F506 or step F507 are stored in the storage unit 202 as the aforementioned candidate movement path information 202D8.

[0133] Next, in step F410, the operation plan creation application 201P terminates the travel route candidate determination unit 201P3.

[0134] According to the travel route candidate information creation process 1900 described above, for each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information 202D5 mentioned above, travel route candidate information 202D8 can be generated, which shows candidate travel routes that match the travel preferences of passengers. Furthermore, by performing a passenger flow forecast (passenger flow forecast information creation process 2000, described later) based on the travel route candidate information 202D8 generated in this way, it becomes possible to generate an operation plan that matches actual travel demand, taking into account passenger preferences regarding travel time and the number of transfers (i.e., the conditions under which passengers use transportation services, the conditions under which passengers cancel the use of transportation services, etc.).

[0135] Next, with reference to Figure 20, the process for creating pedestrian flow prediction information according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0136] Figure 20 shows an example of the flow of the pedestrian flow prediction information creation process 2000 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The pedestrian flow prediction information creation process 2000 is a process for generating pedestrian flow prediction information 202D11 that shows the predicted pedestrian flow in a transportation service, and may be performed by the pedestrian flow prediction unit 201P5 shown in Figure 2.

[0137] First, in step F600, the operation plan creation application 201P starts the passenger flow prediction unit 201P5.

[0138] Next, in step F601, the pedestrian flow prediction unit 201P5 obtains the transport route network information 202D6 and the travel route candidate information 202D8 from the storage unit 202.

[0139] Next, in step F602, the pedestrian flow prediction unit 201P5 updates the transport route network information 202D6 (for example, a transport route network graph that shows the transport route network information 202D6 in graph form) based on the travel route candidate information 202D8 acquired in step F601. Here, the pedestrian flow prediction unit 201P5 may specify the travel route candidates shown in the travel route candidate information 202D8 as targets for pedestrian flow prediction in the transport route network information 202D6, or it may generate a new transport route network graph that includes only the travel route candidates shown in the travel route candidate information 202D8.

[0140] Next, in step F603, the passenger flow prediction unit 201P5 sets passenger flow constraints based on the travel path candidate information 202D8. The passenger flow constraints here are information that restricts the flow of passengers in passenger flow prediction, and may be constraints that specify, for example, in passenger flow simulation, that the input number of passengers (the number of passengers who start moving from any starting node in the transport route network) and the output number of passengers (the number of passengers who end their movement at any destination node in the transport route network) must be the same.

[0141] Next, in step F604, the passenger flow prediction unit 201P5 performs a passenger flow simulation on the transportation route network graph showing the candidate travel routes generated in step F602, predicts the number of passengers for each candidate travel route, and generates passenger flow prediction information 202D11. Here, the passenger flow prediction unit 201P5 assigns a predetermined number of passengers to the starting node of each candidate travel route in the transport route network graph, and applies a linear solver using the Exact method, such as the Ford-Fulkerson algorithm, to predict the number of passengers passing through each node and the number of passengers for each candidate travel route.

[0142] Next, in step F605, the passenger flow prediction unit 201P5 generates unfulfilled demand information 202D10, which indicates the number of passengers who are expected to cancel their use of the transportation service because no travel route matching the travel preference information 202D4 exists, based on the passenger flow prediction information 202D11 generated in step F604 and the passenger travel plan information 202D5 described above. Here, the passenger flow prediction unit 201P5 may generate unfulfilled demand information 202D10, which indicates the number of passengers who are expected to cancel using the transportation service because no travel route matching the travel preference information 202D4 exists. This is done by subtracting the predicted number of passengers for each travel route candidate (first number of passengers), obtained as a result of the passenger flow simulation performed in step F604, from the number of passengers for the travel plan corresponding to that travel route (second number of passengers), as shown in the existing operation plan information 202D1.

[0143] Next, in step F606, the pedestrian flow prediction unit 201P5 stores the pedestrian flow prediction information 202D11 generated in step F604 into the storage unit 202. This pedestrian flow prediction information 202D11 is used in the new operation plan information creation process 2100, which will be described later, to generate the new operation plan information 202D9. Next, in step F607, the operation plan creation application 201P terminates the passenger flow prediction unit 201P5.

[0144] According to the passenger flow prediction information creation process 2000 described above, it is possible to generate passenger flow prediction information 202D11 that shows the predicted number of passengers using each of the candidate travel routes that match the travel preferences of passengers. Furthermore, by using the passenger flow prediction information 202D11 generated in this way, It becomes possible to generate operational plans that match actual travel demand, taking into account passengers' travel preferences regarding travel time and the number of transfers (i.e., the conditions under which passengers use transportation services and the conditions under which they discontinue using transportation services).

[0145] Next, with reference to Figure 21, the process for creating new operation plan information according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0146] Figure 21 shows an example of the flow of the new operation plan information creation process 2100 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The new operation plan information creation process 2100 is a process for generating new operation plan information in which a specific transportation route in a transportation service has been reduced in frequency, and may be performed by the operation plan creation unit 201P4 shown in Figure 2.

[0147] First, in step F700, the operation plan creation application 201P starts the operation plan creation unit 201P4.

[0148] Next, in step F701, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 obtains the transportation route network information 202D6, the transportation route cancellation / feasibility information 202D7, the unfulfilled demand information 202D10, and the passenger flow forecast information 202D11 from the storage unit 202.

[0149] Next, in step F702, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 analyzes the various information acquired in step F701 and sets parameters for the solver used to generate the new operation plan information 202D9. Here, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 may set the number of transport routes, congestion rate, and unfulfilled demand as KPI parameters to be optimized. The solver used here is a solver that solves an optimization problem formulated as a MILP (Mix Integer Linear Problem), and may be, for example, a Gurobi Optimizer. In some embodiments, if the optimization of KPIs is formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem, the STOM (satisficing trade-off method) may be used.

[0150] Next, in step F703, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 sets constraints on the solver regarding passenger flow and cancellation rules based on the transportation route cancellation feasibility information 202D7. Here, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 may set constraints on the solver that define transportation routes that can be cancelled and transportation routes that cannot be cancelled, as indicated in the transportation route cancellation feasibility information 202D7. As an example, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 may set constraints that cancel transportation routes with fewer than 10% of the capacity, or constraints that define the lower and upper limits of the capacity, demand, and unfulfilled demand. By setting constraints here, it becomes easier to generate operational plans that meet the target values ​​of the KPIs.

[0151] Next, in step F704, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 retrieves the KPI target values ​​set in step F104 of the operation plan creation preparation process 1500 described above from the storage unit 202.

[0152] Next, in step F705, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 performs an analysis using a solver whose parameters and constraints were set in steps F702 and F703. Here, the solver seeks a solution that minimizes the number of transport routes while suppressing congestion and unmet demand, for an objective function that optimizes the number of transport routes, congestion rate, and unmet demand. An example of the objective function formulated as MILP and its constraints that the solver optimizes is shown below.

number

number

number

number

number

[0153] The solver analysis performed in step F705 finds a solution that minimizes the number of transport routes while suppressing congestion and unmet demand. Next, in step F706, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 generates new operation plan information 202D9 based on the solution obtained as a result of the solver analysis performed in step F705 and stores it in the storage unit 202. As described above, this new operation plan information 202D9 shows an operation plan that suppresses congestion, unmet demand, and the number of transport routes compared to the existing operation plan information 202D1 shown in Figure 3, for example.

[0154] Next, in step F707, the operation plan creation application 201P terminates the operation plan creation unit 201P4. In one embodiment, the operation plan creation unit 201P4 determines that the unfulfilled demand information (i.e., the number of passengers expected to cancel their use of the transportation service because no travel route matching the travel preference information 202D4 exists) exceeds a predetermined unfulfilled demand threshold. In this case, it determines that the new operation plan information 202D9 is unacceptable and can generate revised operation plan information that exceeds the unfulfilled demand threshold by adjusting the solver parameters and constraints. The unfulfilled demand threshold here may be a value that indicates the upper limit of the acceptable number of unfulfilled passengers.

[0155] According to the new operation plan information creation process 2100 described above, it is possible to generate new operation plan information 202D9 that takes into account passenger preferences regarding travel time and the number of transfers (i.e., the conditions under which passengers use the transportation service and the conditions under which passengers cancel the use of the transportation service), thereby reducing congestion rates, unmet demand, and the number of transportation routes. This new operation plan information 202D9 shows an operation plan that reduces the number of passengers who cancel the use of the transportation service because there is no transportation route that suits their travel preferences (unmet demand) and congestion rates, while also reducing the number of services for transportation routes that do not meet predetermined demand criteria (for example, transportation routes with low demand). Therefore, compared to the existing operation plan information 202D1 shown in Figure 3, for example, it is possible to improve passenger satisfaction with the transportation service and reduce the operating costs for transportation service providers. Furthermore, since this new service plan information 202D9 includes service reductions for specific transportation routes, it is possible to perform a passenger flow simulation again for this new service plan information 202D9 to determine the changes in unmet demand due to the reduced transportation routes.

[0156] Next, with reference to Figure 22, the evaluation and visualization process according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0157] Figure 22 shows an example of the flow of the evaluation and visualization process 2200 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The evaluation and visualization process 2200 is a process for evaluating new operation plan information and displaying the results of the evaluation and other various information used in the operation plan creation device 200 in a user interface such as a GUI, and is performed by the evaluation and visualization unit 201P6 shown in Figure 2.

[0158] First, in step F800, the operation plan creation application 201P starts the evaluation and visualization unit 201P6.

[0159] Next, in step F801, the evaluation and visualization unit 201P6 obtains the new operation plan information 202D9 generated by the new operation plan information creation process 2100 described above from the storage unit 202.

[0160] Next, in step F802, the evaluation and visualization unit 201P6 evaluates the KPIs (number of transport routes, congestion rate, and unmet demand) of the new operation plan information 202D9. Here, the evaluation and visualization unit 201P6 may evaluate the KPIs of the new operation plan information 202D9 by comparing them with, for example, the KPI target values ​​set by the user in the operation plan creation preparation process 1500 described above.

[0161] Next, in step F803, the evaluation and visualization unit 201P6 generates an evaluation result for the new operation plan information, which includes the evaluation results of the KPIs of the new operation plan information 202D9 performed in step F802 and the travel route candidate information 202D8 generated in the travel route candidate information creation process 1900 described above, and presents it to the user via the GUI. Here, the evaluation and visualization unit 201P6 may also display the generated evaluation result for the new operation plan information on the new operation plan information evaluation result interface 2500, which will be described later. As will be described later, the evaluation and visualization unit 201P6 may also display the KPI setting interface 2300, the evaluation result interface 2400 for existing operation plan information, and the evaluation result interface 2600 for travel route candidate information, in addition to the evaluation result interface 2500 for new operation plan information shown in Figure 25.

[0162] According to the evaluation and visualization process 2200 described above, the results of the evaluation performed on the new operation plan information and other various information used in the operation plan creation device 200 can be provided to users such as the transportation service provider 150.

[0163] Next, with reference to Figure 23, the KPI setting interface according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0164] Figure 23 shows an example of a KPI setting interface 2300 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The KPI setting interface 2300 is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for setting KPIs for the operation plan, and may be displayed on the display unit 204 of the operation plan creation device described above or on the screen of an external device.

[0165] As shown in Figure 23, the KPI setting interface 2300 includes a mode menu G101 and a KPI setting window G103. Mode menu G101 is a menu for switching the display screen of the GUI. According to mode menu G101, the GUI can be switched between KPI setting mode for setting KPIs, results display mode for displaying evaluation results, and transportation process display mode for showing the transportation process.

[0166] The KPI setting window G103 is a GUI window for setting KPIs for the operation plan and their target values. As shown in Figure 23, the KPI setting window G103 displays the current value and target value for each KPI. Users can input new KPIs and set KPI target values ​​in this KPI setting window G103. For example, a user may set target values ​​for each of the KPIs: the number of transport routes, congestion rate, and unmet demand.

[0167] Additionally, users can save their configured KPIs to a file by pressing the "Save to File" button G105. Pressing the "Done" button G107 will save the configured KPIs and end the KPI setting process. Pressing the "Cancel" button G109 will cancel the configured KPIs and end the KPI setting process.

[0168] Next, with reference to Figure 24, the evaluation result interface for existing operation plan information according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0169] Figure 24 shows an example of an evaluation result interface 2400 for existing operation plan information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The evaluation result interface 2400 for existing operation plan information is a GUI that displays the evaluation results of existing operation plan information generated by performing KPI evaluation on the existing operation plan information, and may be displayed on the display unit 204 of the operation plan creation device described above or on the screen of an external device.

[0170] Mode menu G201 in the existing operation plan information evaluation result interface 2400 is a menu for switching the display screen of the GUI. According to mode menu G201, the GUI can be switched between KPI setting mode for setting KPIs, result display mode for displaying evaluation results, and transportation route display mode for showing the transportation route.

[0171] When the existing service plan information button G202 is selected, the train diagram display window G203 displays a time-distance diagram representing the existing service plan information 202D1 (see time-distance diagram 2800 shown in Figure 28). As described above, in the time-distance diagram displayed in this train diagram display window G203, the vertical axis represents stations, the horizontal axis represents time, and the diagonal lines represent the transportation route. In Figure 24, the thickness of the lines in the time-distance diagram indicates the congestion rate of the transportation route. In addition, the transportation routes that have been canceled are shown on the right side of the time-distance diagram.

[0172] KPI display G204 shows the KPI evaluation results of the existing operation plan information. In one embodiment, KPI display G204 may show the KPI evaluation results of the existing operation plan information in a radar chart G205 or in a tabular format. Furthermore, the KPI evaluation of existing operational plan information may be carried out in substantially the same manner as that for new operational plan information, as explained in Figure 22, and is not particularly limited.

[0173] The operation plan display window G206 shows the existing operation plan information 202D1 in a tabular format. In addition, as shown in Figure 24, the operation plan display window G206 may also show, in addition to the existing operation plan information table T100 shown in Figure 3, information on the predicted number of passengers for each transport route predicted by a passenger flow prediction simulation performed on the existing operation plan information 202D1, or information on the actual number of passengers for each transport route measured.

[0174] Furthermore, users can save the evaluation results of existing route plan information to a file by pressing the "Save to file" button G208. In addition, users can display the evaluation results interface 2500 of the new route plan information shown in Figure 25 by pressing the "Show new route plan" button G210.

[0175] Next, with reference to Figure 25, the evaluation result interface for the new operation plan information according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0176] Figure 25 shows an example of the evaluation result interface 2500 for new operation plan information according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The evaluation result interface 2500 for new operation plan information is a GUI that displays the evaluation results of new operation plan information generated by performing a KPI evaluation on the new operation plan information, such as the evaluation and visualization process 2200 shown in Figure 22, and may be displayed on the display unit 204 of the operation plan creation device or on the screen of an external device.

[0177] Mode menu G301 in the evaluation result interface 2500 of the new operation plan information is a menu for switching the display screen of the GUI. According to mode menu G201, the GUI can be switched between KPI setting mode for setting KPIs, result display mode for displaying evaluation results, and transportation route display mode for showing the transportation route.

[0178] When the New Service Plan Information button G302 is selected, the Train Diagram Display Window G303 displays a time-distance diagram representing the New Service Plan Information 202D9 (see time-distance diagram 2800 shown in Figure 28). In this time-distance diagram displayed in the Train Diagram Display Window G303, the vertical axis represents stations, the horizontal axis represents time, and the diagonal lines represent the transportation route. In Figure 25, the thickness of the lines in the time-distance diagram indicates the congestion rate of the transportation route. In addition, the transportation routes that have been canceled are shown on the right side of the time-distance diagram.

[0179] KPI display G304 shows the KPI evaluation results of the new operation plan information. In one embodiment, KPI display G304 may show the KPI evaluation results of the new operation plan information in a radar chart G305 or in a tabular format. As described above, the KPI evaluation results for the new operation plan information shown in KPI display G304 can be obtained by performing a KPI evaluation on the new operation plan information, such as the evaluation and visualization process 2200 shown in Figure 22.

[0180] The G306 service plan display window shows the new service plan information 202D9 in a table format.

[0181] The user can save the evaluation results of the new operation plan information to a file by pressing the "Save to file" button G308. The user can also return to the KPI setting interface 2300 shown in Figure 23 by pressing the "Return to KPI settings" button 310, where they can reset KPI target values ​​and other settings. Furthermore, the user can proceed to the evaluation results interface 2600 for the candidate travel route information shown in Figure 26 by pressing the "Display candidate travel route information" button G312.

[0182] Next, with reference to Figure 26, the evaluation result interface for travel path candidate information according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0183] Figure 26 shows an example of a travel route candidate information evaluation result interface 2600 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The travel route candidate information evaluation result interface 2600 is a GUI that displays information related to the travel route candidate information 202D8, and may be displayed on the display unit 204 of the operation plan creation device described above or on the screen of an external device.

[0184] Mode menu G401 in the evaluation result interface 2600 for travel route candidate information is a menu for switching the display screen of the GUI. According to mode menu G201, the GUI can be switched between KPI setting mode for setting KPIs, result display mode for displaying evaluation results, and transport route display mode for showing the transport route.

[0185] The G402 mobility preference settings window is a menu for setting information related to mobility preferences. Based on the mobility preferences set in the G402 mobility preference settings window, candidate travel route information is displayed in the travel route candidate information evaluation result interface 2600. The filter settings display window G403 is a menu for narrowing down the displayed travel route candidates based on conditions such as departure station, arrival station, departure time, and arrival time. The results display button G404 is used to display candidate travel routes that match the conditions set in the travel preference setting window G402 or the filter setting display window G403.

[0186] The Route Candidate Window G405 is a GUI window that displays route candidates that match the conditions set in the Route Preference Setting Window G402 and the Filter Setting Display Window G403, for each passenger group selected in the Passenger Group Selection Menu G409, in the Route Candidate Diagram G407 and the Route Candidate List G408. The Route Candidate Diagram G407 is a time-distance diagram that shows stations on the vertical axis, time on the horizontal axis, and the transportation route with diagonal lines. The numbers in parentheses within the diagonal lines indicate the number of passengers in that transportation route.

[0187] KPI display G406 shows the KPI evaluation results for travel route candidate information. As shown in Figure 26, KPI display G406 may also include a KPI analysis graph G410 that shows the utilization rate for each travel route in graph format, based on the number of passengers in the existing operation plan information 202D1, the number of passengers in the new operation plan information 202D9, and the number of passengers from a passenger flow simulation that takes into account the reduced service routes in the new operation plan information 202D9.

[0188] When the All Travel Routes button G411 is selected, travel route cancellation information 202D7 may be displayed for all travel routes, including information on the travel route, train ID, cancellation status, and number of passengers. On the other hand, when the filtered travel route button G412 is selected, the transport route cancellation information 202D7 can be displayed only for travel routes that match the conditions set in the filter settings display window G403.

[0189] In the travel route candidate information window G412, the travel route candidate information 202D8 mentioned above is displayed.

[0190] The user can save the evaluation results of the travel route candidate information to a file by pressing the "Save to file" button G414. The user can also end the analysis of the existing operation plan information 202D1, the new operation plan information 202D9, and the travel route candidate information 202D8 by pressing the "End analysis" button G415.

[0191] According to the evaluation result interface 2600 for candidate travel route information described above, recommended travel routes can be visualized and displayed in response to changes in passengers' travel preferences. Furthermore, by using travel route information that takes passengers' travel preferences into account, it becomes possible to generate operational plans that respond to fluctuations in travel demand, thereby improving the cost-effectiveness of operations and passenger satisfaction.

[0192] Next, with reference to Figure 27, the data flow in the operation plan creation system according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0193] Figure 27 is a diagram showing the flow of data flow 2700 in the operation plan creation system 50 according to the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0194] First, the operation plan creation device 200 acquires existing operation plan information 202D1, maintenance information 202D2, and service suspension rule information 202D3 from the transportation service provider 150, and also acquires travel preference information 202D4 and passenger travel plan information 202D5 from sensors 2710 such as ticket gates installed at the transportation service, and stores the acquired information in the storage unit 202 (not shown in Figure 27).

[0195] The transportation route network generation unit 201P1 performs a transportation route network information creation process 1700 based on existing operation plan information 202D1 and passenger movement plan information 202D5, generates transportation route network information 202D6, and stores it in the storage unit 202.

[0196] The service suspension determination unit 201P2 performs a transportation route service suspension feasibility information creation process 1800 based on the maintenance information 202D2, service suspension rule information 202D3, and transportation route network information 202D6, generates transportation route service suspension feasibility information 202D7, and stores it in the storage unit 202.

[0197] The travel route candidate determination unit 201P3 performs a travel route candidate information creation process 1900 based on the travel preference information 202D4, passenger travel plan information 202D5, and transport route network information 202D6, generates travel route candidate information 202D8, and stores it in the storage unit 202.

[0198] The human flow prediction unit 201P5 performs human flow prediction information creation processing 2000 based on the transportation route network information 202D6 and the travel route candidate information 202D8, and stores the human flow prediction information 202D11 and the unfulfilled demand information 202D10 in the storage unit 202.

[0199] The operation plan creation unit 201P4 performs a new operation plan information creation process 2100 based on the transportation route network information 202D6, transportation route cancellation feasibility information 202D7, unfulfilled demand information 202D10, and passenger flow forecast information 202D11, generating new operation plan information 202D9 and storing it in the storage unit 202.

[0200] The operation plan creation device 200 transmits the new operation plan information 202D9 to the transportation service provider 150. Alternatively, the operation plan creation device 200 may perform the evaluation and visualization process described above and transmit the evaluation results generated for the new operation plan information along with the new operation plan information 202D9 to the transportation service provider 150.

[0201] As explained above, generally speaking, a passenger's decision to use a transportation service is largely influenced by their preferences. Passengers may cancel their use of a transportation service if there are no routes or itineraries that suit their travel preferences.

[0202] However, conventional operational planning methods, such as those described in Patent Document 1, use predictions of travel demand based on passengers' past travel history, and therefore do not take into account passenger preferences regarding travel time, number of transfers, etc. Because such travel demand predictions do not reflect the actual behavioral tendencies of passengers, their accuracy is limited and they may not accurately represent the actual travel demand.

[0203] On the other hand, in one embodiment of the operation plan creation means according to the present disclosure, a passenger flow simulation is performed on travel routes determined based on passengers' travel preferences, such as travel time, congestion level, and number of transfers. By performing a passenger flow simulation on travel routes determined based on passengers' travel preferences, it is possible to obtain passenger flow prediction results that reflect the actual travel trends of passengers, taking into account the conditions under which passengers use the transportation service and the conditions under which passengers discontinue using the transportation service. Furthermore, this passenger flow simulation makes it possible to grasp the number of passengers who discontinue using the transportation service because there is no transportation route that suits their travel preferences (unmet demand).

[0204] Furthermore, by using the passenger flow forecast results generated in this way, it is possible to create a service plan that prioritizes reducing services on routes with low demand while suppressing congestion and unmet demand. By using the service plan created in this way, transportation service providers such as railway operators can provide transportation services that match actual demand, thereby reducing operating costs associated with routes with low demand and improving operational efficiency. In addition, passengers, who are users of transportation services, can use routes with less congestion and shorter travel times to their destinations, thereby improving their satisfaction with transportation services.

[0205] Thus, according to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a means for creating operational plans that take into account the travel preferences of passengers in transportation services and generate operational plans that match actual travel demand, thereby improving passenger satisfaction with transportation services and reducing the operating costs of transportation service providers.

[0206] As described above, the operation plan creation means according to the embodiments of this disclosure includes the following aspects.

[0207] (Aspect 1) A device for creating operation plans, It comprises a processor, memory, and storage unit, The aforementioned storage unit is Existing operational plan information showing existing operational plans for transportation services, Passenger travel plan information showing the travel plans of passengers using the aforementioned transportation service, The transportation service includes travel preference information indicating the travel preferences of the passengers, Includes, a suspension rule information indicating the suspension rules for the aforementioned transportation service, The aforementioned memory is A transportation route network generation unit generates transportation route network information that defines each transportation route in the transportation service based on the existing operation plan information and the passenger movement plan information, A service suspension determination unit generates service suspension information indicating whether each service in the service can be suspended, based on the aforementioned service route network information and the service suspension rule information. A travel route candidate determination unit generates travel route candidate information indicating travel route candidates for each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information, based on the aforementioned transportation route network information, the aforementioned passenger travel plan information, and the aforementioned travel preference information. A human flow prediction unit generates human flow prediction information that indicates the predicted flow of people in the transportation service based on the transportation route network information and the candidate travel route information, A service plan generation unit generates new service plan information that reduces the number of services on a specific transportation route in the transportation service, based on the aforementioned transportation route network information, the information on whether or not the transportation route can be suspended, and the passenger flow prediction information. A flight plan creation device characterized by including processing instructions for causing the processor to function as such.

[0208] (Aspect 2) The aforementioned transportation process network generation unit, The aforementioned existing operational plan information is converted into a transportation route network graph in a graph format where the departure point is the starting node and the arrival point is the ending node, The passenger travel plan information is reflected in the transportation route network graph to generate the transportation route network information. The operation plan creation device according to embodiment 1, characterized in that

[0209] (Aspect 3) The aforementioned service suspension determination unit, By analyzing the aforementioned transportation route network information based on the aforementioned suspension rule information, the system generates transportation route suspension feasibility information that indicates transportation routes that satisfy the suspension rules in the aforementioned suspension rule information as transportation routes that can be suspended, and transportation routes that do not satisfy the aforementioned suspension rules as transportation routes that cannot be suspended. A train operation plan creation device according to embodiment 1 or 2, characterized in that...

[0210] (Aspect 4) The suspension rules in the aforementioned suspension rule information are: The station indicates that the available transportation routes can be suspended. This indicates that transportation routes where the number of passengers meets a predetermined demand threshold cannot be suspended. The operation plan creation device according to embodiment 3, characterized in that

[0211] (Appendix 5) The aforementioned travel path candidate determination unit, Based on the aforementioned transportation route network information, for each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information, the available travel routes for that travel plan are determined. By analyzing the determined available travel routes based on the travel preference information, candidate travel routes that satisfy the preference conditions in the travel preference information are identified from among the available travel routes. The identified candidate movement paths are generated as candidate movement path information. A train operation plan creation device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, characterized in that

[0212] (Aspect 6) The aforementioned movement preference information is, This shows preference conditions regarding travel time, preference conditions regarding congestion, and preference conditions for discontinuing the use of transportation services. The operation plan creation device according to embodiment 5, characterized in that

[0213] (Aspect 7) The aforementioned pedestrian flow prediction unit is For each travel route candidate in the aforementioned travel route candidate information, calculate the first number of passengers who are predicted to use that travel route candidate. Based on the aforementioned passenger travel plan information, the second number of passengers for the travel plan corresponding to the candidate travel route is calculated. The difference between the first number of passengers and the second number of passengers is generated as unmet demand information, which indicates that the use of the transportation service is expected to be canceled because no travel route matching the travel preference information exists. A train operation plan creation device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, characterized in that

[0214] (Aspect 8) The operation plan generation unit When the insufficient demand information exceeds a predetermined insufficient demand threshold generates corrected operation plan information obtained by correcting the insufficient demand information so as to be below the insufficient demand threshold. The operation plan creation device according to aspect 7, characterized in that.

[0215] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

[0216] 50 Operation plan creation system 100 Passenger movement plan information acquisition device 150 Transportation service provider 151 Moving body 152 Transportation service infrastructure 200 Operation plan creation device 201P Memory 201P Operation plan creation application 201P1 Transportation route network generation unit 201P2 Operation suspension determination unit 201P3 Moving route candidate determination unit 201P4 Operation plan generation unit 201P5 People flow prediction unit 201P6 Evaluation / visualization unit 202 Storage unit 202D1 Existing operation plan information [[ID=V52]] 202D2 Maintenance information 202D3 Operation suspension rule information 202D4 Movement preference information 202D5 Passenger movement plan information 202D6 Transportation route network information 202D7 Transportation route operation suspension availability information 202D8 Moving route candidate information 202D9 New operation plan information 202D10 Insufficient intelligence required 202D11 Crowd Flow Forecast Information 203 CPU 204 indicates the section 205 Ministry of Communications 300 Traffic Management Device 350 Communication Technology

Claims

1. A device for creating operation plans, It comprises a processor, memory, and storage unit, The aforementioned storage unit is Existing operational plan information showing existing operational plans for transportation services, Passenger travel plan information showing the travel plans of passengers using the aforementioned transportation service, The transportation service includes travel preference information indicating the travel preferences of the passengers, Includes, a suspension rule information indicating the suspension rules for the aforementioned transportation service, The aforementioned memory is A transportation route network generation unit generates transportation route network information that defines each transportation route in the transportation service based on the existing operation plan information and the passenger movement plan information, A service suspension determination unit generates service suspension information indicating whether each service in the service can be suspended, based on the aforementioned service route network information and the service suspension rule information. A travel route candidate determination unit generates travel route candidate information indicating travel route candidates for each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information, based on the aforementioned transportation route network information, the aforementioned passenger travel plan information, and the aforementioned travel preference information. A human flow prediction unit generates human flow prediction information that indicates the predicted flow of people in the transportation service based on the transportation route network information and the candidate travel route information, A service plan generation unit generates new service plan information that reduces the number of services on a specific transportation route in the transportation service, based on the aforementioned transportation route network information, the information on whether or not the transportation route can be suspended, and the passenger flow prediction information. A flight plan creation device characterized by including processing instructions for causing the processor to function as such.

2. The aforementioned transportation process network generation unit, The aforementioned existing operational plan information is converted into a transportation route network graph in a graph format where the departure point is the starting node and the arrival point is the ending node, The passenger travel plan information is reflected in the transportation route network graph to generate the transportation route network information. The operation plan creation device according to claim 1, characterized in that

3. The aforementioned service suspension determination unit, By analyzing the aforementioned transportation route network information based on the aforementioned suspension rule information, the system generates transportation route suspension feasibility information that indicates transportation routes that satisfy the suspension rules in the aforementioned suspension rule information as transportation routes that can be suspended, and transportation routes that do not satisfy the aforementioned suspension rules as transportation routes that cannot be suspended. The operation plan creation device according to claim 1, characterized in that

4. The suspension rules in the aforementioned suspension rule information are: The station indicates that the available transportation routes can be suspended. This indicates that transportation routes where the number of passengers meets a predetermined demand threshold cannot be suspended. The operation plan creation device according to claim 3, characterized in that

5. The aforementioned travel path candidate determination unit, Based on the aforementioned transportation route network information, for each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information, the available travel routes for that travel plan are determined. By analyzing the determined available travel routes based on the travel preference information, candidate travel routes that satisfy the preference conditions in the travel preference information are identified from among the available travel routes. The identified candidate movement paths are generated as candidate movement path information. The operation plan creation device according to claim 1, characterized in that

6. The aforementioned movement preference information is, This shows preference conditions regarding travel time, preference conditions regarding congestion, and preference conditions for discontinuing the use of transportation services. The operation plan creation device according to claim 5, characterized in that

7. The aforementioned pedestrian flow prediction unit is For each travel route candidate in the aforementioned travel route candidate information, calculate the first number of passengers who are predicted to use that travel route candidate. Based on the aforementioned passenger travel plan information, the second number of passengers for the travel plan corresponding to the candidate travel route is calculated. The difference between the first number of passengers and the second number of passengers is generated as unmet demand information, which indicates that the use of the transportation service is expected to be canceled because no travel route matching the travel preference information exists. The operation plan creation device according to claim 1, characterized in that

8. The aforementioned operation plan generation unit, If the aforementioned unfulfilled demand information exceeds a predetermined unfulfilled demand threshold, The system generates revised operation plan information, which is modified so that the unfulfilled demand information is below the unfulfilled demand threshold. The operation plan creation device according to claim 7, characterized in that

9. A terminal of a transportation service provider that provides transportation services, A transportation planning system is connected via a communication network to a transportation planning device that generates a transportation plan for managing the transportation route of the aforementioned transportation service, The aforementioned operation plan creation device, It comprises a processor, memory, and storage unit, The aforementioned storage unit is Existing operation plan information showing existing operation plans for the aforementioned transportation service, Passenger travel plan information showing the travel plans of passengers using the aforementioned transportation service, The transportation service includes travel preference information indicating the travel preferences of the passengers, Includes, a suspension rule information indicating the suspension rules for the aforementioned transportation service, The aforementioned memory is A transportation route network generation unit generates transportation route network information that defines each transportation route in the transportation service based on the existing operation plan information and the passenger movement plan information, A service suspension determination unit generates service suspension information indicating whether each service in the service can be suspended, based on the aforementioned service route network information and the service suspension rule information. A travel route candidate determination unit generates travel route candidate information indicating travel route candidates for each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information, based on the aforementioned transportation route network information, the aforementioned passenger travel plan information, and the aforementioned travel preference information. A human flow prediction unit generates human flow prediction information that indicates the predicted flow of people in the transportation service based on the transportation route network information and the candidate travel route information, A transportation plan generation unit generates new transportation plan information that reduces the number of services on a specific transportation route in the transportation service, based on the transportation route network information, the information on whether or not the transportation route can be suspended, and the passenger flow prediction information, and transmits this information to the transportation service provider terminal. A train schedule creation system characterized by including processing instructions for causing the processor to function as described above.

10. Processor and Memory for storing processing instructions, A method for creating an operation plan, which is performed in an operation plan creation device that includes a memory unit, The aforementioned storage unit is Existing operational plan information showing existing operational plans for transportation services, Passenger travel plan information showing the travel plans of passengers using the aforementioned transportation service, The transportation service includes travel preference information indicating the travel preferences of the passengers, Includes, a suspension rule information indicating the suspension rules for the aforementioned transportation service, The processing instructions stored in the memory are The process of generating a transportation route network graph by converting the aforementioned existing operation plan information into a graph format in which the departure point is the starting node and the arrival point is the destination node, The process of generating transportation route network information that defines each transportation route in the transportation service by reflecting the passenger travel plan information in the transportation route network graph, The process of generating transportation route suspension feasibility information by analyzing the transportation route network information based on the suspension rule information, thereby indicating transportation routes that satisfy the suspension rules in the suspension rule information as transportation routes that can be suspended, and transportation routes that do not satisfy the suspension rules as transportation routes that cannot be suspended. Based on the aforementioned transportation route network information, the process of determining the available travel routes for each travel plan in the passenger travel plan information, The process involves analyzing the determined available travel routes based on the travel preference information to identify candidate travel routes that satisfy the preference conditions in the travel preference information from among the available travel routes, A process to generate the identified candidate movement paths as candidate movement path information, A process of generating, based on the transportation route network information and the candidate travel route information, passenger flow information indicating the number of passengers expected to use the candidate travel route, and unfulfilled demand information indicating the number of passengers expected to cancel the use of the transportation service because no travel route matching the travel preference information exists. The processor is characterized by performing the following steps: reducing the number of unsupported passengers and generating new operational plan information that reduces the number of specific transportation routes in the transportation service. How to create a train schedule.

Images