Transportation system

Abstract

To provide a transportation system configured to reduce waiting time of a user who uses a vehicle in a boarding and alighting place in a managed area, and increase operation efficiency of the vehicle.SOLUTION: A device equipped in a facility 20 outputs a facility status indicating a status of a facility having a boarding / alighting place and a parking lot. A control apparatus 10 manages arrangement of vehicles 30 using the facility status and a vehicle status indicating a state of a vehicle 30 output by the vehicle 30. A service vehicle request unit 40 of the control apparatus 10 generates service vehicle request data 214 based on a request from a user. An evacuation determination unit 50 determines an evacuation vehicle to be evacuated from the boarding / alighting place on the basis of the number of standby vehicles in the boarding / alighting place, to generate evacuation vehicle data 215. A replenishment determination unit 60 determines a replenishment vehicle to be replenished to the boarding / alighting place on the basis of the number of customers who are waiting in the boarding / alighting place and the number of standby vehicles, to generate replenishment vehicle data 216. A vehicle command unit 70 generates commands to the vehicles using the above data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a transportation system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technology for providing a shared vehicle management device that can improve the convenience of users and reduce the uneven distribution of shared vehicles by calculating the demand for shared vehicles in a parking lot based on the usage history of users, calculating the supply of shared vehicles based on the number of parked shared vehicles in the parking lot, and setting the combination of parking lots constituting each zone so as to minimize the total value of the difference between the demand and the supply.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the case of Patent Document 1, under the conditions that the area managed by the system is wide, the frequency of users using vehicles is not extremely high, the number of parking lot facilities where vehicles can be parked is large, and there is a margin in the number of vehicles that can be parked in the parking lot facilities, by setting the combination of parking lots constituting each zone so as to minimize the total value of the difference between the demand and the supply, presenting it to the users, and allowing the users to select a parking lot, it is possible to improve the convenience of the users while reducing the uneven distribution of vehicles. However, under conditions such as the fact that the area managed by the system is a narrow area like a closed-loop single track, the frequency of use is extremely high like public transportation during morning / evening rush hours, and the facilities where vehicles can be parked are limited to parking areas adjacent to the track and each boarding / alighting area, with no extra capacity at each facility, simply reducing the uneven distribution of vehicles will lead to problems such as longer waiting times for passengers and decreased operational efficiency, making it impossible to satisfy the demand for passenger transportation.

[0005] This application discloses technology to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a transportation system that can shorten the waiting time for vehicle users and improve the operational efficiency of vehicles at boarding and alighting areas within the management area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The traffic system disclosed herein is a traffic system that manages a closed-loop road on which vehicles travel, and in which vehicles wait for passengers. multiple The system includes a facility monitoring device that monitors facilities including boarding / alighting areas and parking areas where vehicles are kept waiting outside of boarding / alighting areas, and outputs a facility status indicating the status of the facilities; a control device that manages the placement of vehicles using the facility status output by the facility monitoring device; the control device includes a vehicle evacuation selection unit that selects vehicles to be evacuated from boarding / alighting areas based on the number of waiting vehicles at the boarding / alighting areas and creates evacuation vehicle data; and a supplement vehicle selection unit that selects supplement vehicles to be delivered to boarding / alighting areas based on either the number of waiting passengers at the boarding / alighting areas or the number of waiting vehicles, or both, and creates supplement vehicle data. It has a vehicle command unit that generates commands to the relevant vehicles based on evacuated vehicle data and replacement vehicle data, and when a passenger boards or alights from one boarding / alighting point to another, it generates a dispatch command to send a replacement vehicle from the parking area to the boarding / alighting point where the passenger boarded or alighted. Evacuation vehicle data and supplementary vehicle data, as well as road links that can reach the boarding / alighting area. distance Based on, The vehicle that has been put into service is to wait at another station, and a dispatch command is generated to move the waiting vehicle at the other station where the vehicle that has been put into service is waiting to another station as a replacement vehicle. It is. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The transportation system disclosed herein makes it possible to reduce the waiting time for vehicle users at boarding and alighting areas within the management area, and to increase the operational efficiency of the vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows the configuration of the transportation system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the traffic control device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of facility-related equipment for a transportation system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle in the transportation system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] This block diagram shows the configuration of the traffic control unit of the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the evacuation determination unit of the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] This block diagram shows the configuration of the replenishment determination unit of the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] This figure shows the overall configuration of the transportation system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the state of each facility in the transportation system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates the vehicle replenishment and evacuation operations of the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 11] This figure shows facility definition information in the transportation system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 12] This figure shows the facility status in the transportation system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 13] This figure shows the vehicle definition information in the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] This figure shows the vehicle status in the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 15] This figure shows the hardware configuration of the traffic control system, facility equipment, and vehicles according to Embodiment 1.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Embodiment 1. Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. In FIG. 1, the traffic system 1 includes a control device 10, a facility auxiliary device 20 (facility monitoring device), and vehicles 30 described later. There may be a plurality of facility auxiliary devices 20.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device of the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. In FIG. 2, the control device 10 includes a control reception unit 11, a control transmission unit 12, and a control management unit 13. The control reception unit 11 receives requests from the applications of the mobile terminals of users, the facility auxiliary device 20, and the vehicles 30. The application request 110 is a request from the application, the facility auxiliary device request 111 is a request from the facility auxiliary device 20, and the vehicle request 112 is a request from the vehicle 30. The facility auxiliary device request 111 will be described later in FIG. 3. The control transmission unit 12 transmits a response 120 to the vehicle and a response 121 to the mobile terminal to the vehicle 30 and the mobile terminal of the user, respectively. Note that the control management unit 13 will be described later in FIG. 5.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the facility auxiliary device of the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. In FIG. 3, the facility auxiliary device 20 includes a facility reception unit 21, a facility transmission unit 22, a facility sensor 23, and a vehicle allocation request reception unit facility 24. The facility reception unit 21 receives setup definition information 211 for setting the facility status for maintaining the internal state of the facility to an appropriate initial state in the initial state due to system startup or reset. In addition, it receives the occupancy information 218 of the waiting vehicles at the boarding and alighting areas and the waiting status 219 of the passengers at the boarding and alighting areas. The occupancy information 218 includes information on the vehicles in boarding and alighting and the dispatched vehicles from the vicinity. The facility transmission unit 22, as needed, displays facility status information on the facility's HMI (Human Machine Interface) via a display instruction 220 to the facility's HMI. It also notifies the control unit 10 of the updated facility status via a notification 221 to the control unit. The facility sensor 23 is positioned to acquire at least the number of waiting vehicles and passengers at the boarding / alighting area. The dispatch request receiving facility 24 is configured to receive dispatch requests that users directly input into a reception terminal installed on the facility's auxiliary device 20, or that users input from a remote terminal such as a personal computer or smartphone, and to output that information as a request 111 from the facility's auxiliary device.

[0012] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle in the transportation system according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 4, the vehicle 30 has a vehicle receiving unit 31 for receiving information and a vehicle transmitting unit 32 for transmitting information. The received information received by the vehicle receiving unit 31 includes vehicle definition information 311, which will be described later, and vehicle commands 217 from the control device. The vehicle transmission unit 32 notifies the control device 10 of the updated vehicle status via notification 320 to the control device.

[0013] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the traffic control unit of the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 5, the control management unit 13 of the control device 10 includes a vehicle request unit 40, an evacuation determination unit 50 (evacuation vehicle selection unit), a replenishment determination unit 60 (replenishment vehicle selection unit), and a vehicle command unit 70. The vehicle request unit 40 updates the vehicle request data 214 based on the application request 110, the facility equipment request 111, or the vehicle request 112 received by the control receiving unit 11. The evacuation determination unit 50 uses the facility definition information 211, the latest facility status 212, the vehicle definition information 311, and the latest vehicle status 312 received by the facility receiving unit 21 to determine whether a vehicle should be evacuated and updates the evacuated vehicle data 215.

[0014] The replenishment determination unit 60 uses the facility definition information 211 received by the facility receiving unit 21, the latest facility status 212, the vehicle definition information 311, and the latest vehicle status 312 to determine whether a vehicle needs to be replenished and updates the replenishment vehicle data 216. The vehicle command unit 70 generates a vehicle command 217 (dispatch command) for the vehicle 30 based on the latest actual vehicle request data 214, evacuated vehicle data 215, and replacement vehicle data 216.

[0015] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the evacuation determination unit of the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 6, the evacuation determination unit 50 of the control management unit 13 includes an evacuation vehicle count calculation unit 51 that calculates the number of vehicles to be evacuated, an evacuation vehicle selection unit 52 that selects the vehicles to be evacuated, and an evacuation destination selection unit 53 that selects the destination for the vehicles. The evacuation determination unit 50 uses the facility definition information 211, the latest facility status 212, the vehicle definition information 311, and the latest vehicle status 312 received by the facility receiving unit 21 to determine the number of vehicles to be evacuated, the vehicle ID (identification), and the evacuation destination, and updates the evacuation vehicle data 215. Furthermore, if there are no available spaces at any of the boarding / alighting areas or parking areas, or if there is no other place for the vehicle to take refuge, it may be made to wait at any location on the track it is traveling on.

[0016] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the replenishment determination unit of the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 7, the replenishment determination unit 60 of the control management unit 13 includes a replenishment quantity calculation unit 61 that calculates the number of vehicles to be replenished, a replenishment vehicle selection unit 62 that selects the vehicles to be replenished, and a replenishment source selection unit 63 that selects the source of the vehicles to be replenished. The replenishment determination unit 60 uses the facility definition information 211, the latest facility status 212, the vehicle definition information 311, and the latest vehicle status 312 received by the facility receiving unit 21 to determine the number of replenishment vehicles, the vehicle ID, and the source of the replenishment, and updates the replenishment vehicle data 216.

[0017] Here, the replenishment unit 61 calculates the number of replenishment units based on the number of waiting customers. Furthermore, the replacement vehicle calculation unit 61 calculates the number of replacement vehicles based on the duration of time during which the number of waiting vehicles was zero. Furthermore, the replacement unit calculation unit 61 calculates the number of replacement units based on the duration during which the number of standby units fell below the minimum number of units to be secured. Furthermore, the replenishment unit calculation unit 61 calculates the number of replenishment units based on a value proportional to the difference between the number of standby units and the minimum number of units to be secured.

[0018] Figure 8 shows the overall configuration of the transportation system according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 8, reference numeral 10 is the same as the one in Figure 1. The track 500 is the track on which the vehicle travels, and it forms a single closed loop. It has a parking area and boarding / alighting area, which will be described later, and the vehicle 534 travels on track 500. The control system 10 is configured to communicate with all vehicles on the runway 500, all boarding / alighting areas and parking areas located adjacent to the runway 500, and with passengers' mobile terminals located near the runway, boarding / alighting areas, and parking areas.

[0019] Parking area 520 is a space for parking vehicles 30 that are not carrying passengers and are not waiting at the boarding / alighting area. Maintenance can also be performed at this location. It is also possible to replenish the energy required for operation. In Figure 8, at this moment, there are four parked vehicles 530 at parking area 520. Platforms A521, B522, and C523 are where passengers board or alight from the train, respectively. At this moment, there are two waiting vehicles (531) at boarding / alighting platform A521, three waiting vehicles (532) at boarding / alighting platform B522, and two waiting vehicles (533) at boarding / alighting platform C523. Additionally, at this moment, there are 4 passengers waiting at boarding / alighting platform A521 (541), 4 passengers waiting at boarding / alighting platform B522 (542), and 4 passengers waiting at boarding / alighting platform C523 (543).

[0020] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the state of each facility in the transportation system according to Embodiment 1. Figure 9 explains the status of each facility, including its name, conditions, and the actions taken when it occurs. The names used to describe the facility statuses are "Waiting," "Depleted," "Shortage," "Surplus," "Available," and "Excess," and each shows its conditions and the actions taken when it occurs.

[0021] Figure 10 illustrates the vehicle replenishment and evacuation operations of the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 10, the vertical axis represents position, and the horizontal axis represents time. In the initial state, there are four parked vehicles (vehicle 530) at parking area 520, two waiting vehicles (vehicle 531) at boarding / drop-off area A521, three waiting vehicles (vehicle 532) at boarding / drop-off area B522, and two waiting vehicles (vehicle 533) at boarding / drop-off area C523.

[0022] Figure 11 shows facility definition information in the transportation system according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 11, facility definition information 211 is a file that defines static information about the facility. The facility definition information 211 contains data that defines static information including the arrangement of facilities, facility ID, facility name, facility type, number of boarding / alighting / parking spots at the facility, maximum number of vehicles that can be reserved at the facility, minimum number of vehicles that can be reserved at the facility, a list of road link IDs belonging to the facility, a list of road links that can reach the facility, road link IDs, distance between the road link and the facility, node ID where the facility is located, and proximity threshold (a threshold indicating proximity in terms of distance).

[0023] Figure 12 shows the facility status in the transportation system according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 12, facility status 212 is data that manages the status of the facility. Facility Status 212 is data that manages dynamic information including facility ID, current time, current number of vehicles waiting, current number of vehicles being requested, current number of vehicles secured (number of vehicles waiting + number of vehicles being requested), current number of vehicles in short supply (minimum number of vehicles secured - number of vehicles waiting), current number of passengers waiting, current depletion time, and current number of occupied vehicles (number of vehicles waiting + number of vehicles boarding / alighting + number of vehicles being requested from nearby).

[0024] Figure 13 shows the vehicle definition information in the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 13, the vehicle definition information 311 is a file that defines static information about a vehicle, with each record representing information for one vehicle. This includes the vehicle ID, vehicle type, and initial placement (the facility ID where the vehicle is placed at system startup).

[0025] Figure 14 shows the vehicle status in the traffic system according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 14, Vehicle Status 312 is data that manages the status of the vehicle. It includes Vehicle ID, current time, location information, current location, destination, current vehicle locator status, current operation ID (command ID), current routing status, and list of available replacement vehicles.

[0026] Next, I will explain how it works. The traffic system of Embodiment 1 manages in real time the number of passengers waiting, waiting time, and number of waiting vehicles at each boarding / alighting station, which change moment by moment. Furthermore, in response to the demand from passengers at each boarding and alighting station, the system was designed to manage the replenishment and relocation of vehicles to ensure that the necessary number of waiting vehicles are always maintained at each station, without any surplus or shortage. This will minimize waiting times for passengers and maximize the operational efficiency of vehicles throughout the entire area.

[0027] In each boarding / alighting area of ​​Embodiment 1, the entire system is controlled to maintain a state where there are always at least the minimum number of vehicles available (lower limit of the number of waiting vehicles) and no more than the maximum number of vehicles available (upper limit of the number of waiting vehicles), allowing passengers to board a vehicle without waiting and travel to their destination. In other words, control is performed through the exchange of information between the control device 10, the facility equipment 20, and the vehicle 30. The details are explained below.

[0028] The facility-related device 20 takes in facility definition information 211 defined for each facility, namely the parking area and the loading / unloading area, when the system starts up, and performs the initial setup for each facility. Then, the facility receiving unit 21 receives information 218 about the occupancy of waiting vehicles at the boarding / alighting area and information 219 about the waiting status of passengers at the boarding / alighting area. The facility ancillary device 20 constantly updates the facility status 212 information, which is data that manages dynamic information such as time information, number of waiting vehicles, number of vehicles ordered, number of vehicles secured, number of vehicles in short supply, number of waiting passengers, depletion time, and number of vehicles occupied, to the latest values ​​while the system is in operation. The updated facility status is notified to the control device 10 by the facility transmission unit 22 via notification 221 to the control device. Furthermore, the facility transmission unit 22 displays information required by the user on the facility's HMI based on the display instruction 220 to the facility's HMI.

[0029] Meanwhile, when the system starts up, vehicle 30 takes in vehicle definition information 311, which is data defining static information such as the vehicle type and initial placement of each vehicle, and performs the initial setup of each vehicle. Furthermore, it receives vehicle commands 217 from the control device. Vehicle 30 constantly updates the vehicle status 312 information, which is data that manages dynamic information for each vehicle, such as time information, location information, current location, destination, locator information, command ID, route information, and list of available replacement vehicles, to the latest values ​​while the system is running. The updated vehicle status is notified to the control unit 10 by a notification 320 from the vehicle transmission unit 32 to the control unit.

[0030] In the control system 10, the control receiving unit 11 receives user requests from the application, facility equipment 20, or vehicle 30. The control transmitting unit 12 transmits a response to the request to the vehicle 30 or the user's mobile terminal. The vehicle request unit 40 of the control device 10 updates the vehicle request data 214, and the evacuation determination unit 50 takes in the facility definition information 211, vehicle definition information 311, facility status 212, and vehicle status 312 information and updates the evacuation vehicle data 215. Furthermore, the replenishment determination unit 60 takes in the facility definition information 211, vehicle definition information 311, facility status 212, and vehicle status 312, and updates the replenishment vehicle data 216. The vehicle command unit 70 then takes in the actual vehicle request data 214, the evacuated vehicle data 215, and the replacement vehicle data 216, and generates a vehicle command 217 for the vehicle 30.

[0031] Next, a specific example of the control system according to Embodiment 1 will be explained using Figures 8 to 10. In Figure 8, there are four parked vehicles 530 at apron 520. At this moment, there are two waiting vehicles 531 at boarding / drop-off area A521, three waiting vehicles 532 at boarding / drop-off area B522, and two waiting vehicles 533 at boarding / drop-off area C523. Additionally, at this moment, there are 4 passengers waiting at boarding / alighting platform A521 (number 541), 4 passengers waiting at boarding / alighting platform B522 (number 542), and 4 passengers waiting at boarding / alighting platform C523 (number 543).

[0032] The conditions for the facility's state, as defined in Figure 9, and the actions taken when these conditions occur are described. In other words, in Figure 9, the "waiting" state indicates a situation where the number of waiting passengers is greater than zero, meaning there is a shortage of waiting vehicles. When this situation occurs, the system determines that it is necessary to replenish the vehicles from the parking area or other drop-off / pick-up points. The "depletion" state refers to a situation where the number of waiting vehicles becomes zero. When this state occurs, the system determines that vehicles are needed to replenish the fleet from the parking area or other drop-off / pick-up points. A "shortage" indicates that the number of waiting vehicles is less than the minimum required number. When this occurs, the system determines that additional vehicles are needed from the parking area or other drop-off / pick-up points.

[0033] A "surplus" state indicates that the number of waiting vehicles exceeds the minimum number required. When this state occurs, the system determines that it is possible to move the vehicles to the parking area or another drop-off / pick-up area. A "capacity" state indicates that the number of waiting vehicles is less than the maximum number of vehicles that can be accommodated. When this state occurs, the system determines that it is possible to accept vehicles from the parking area or other drop-off / pick-up areas. An "excess" situation refers to a state where the number of waiting vehicles exceeds the maximum number of vehicles that can be accommodated. When this situation occurs, the system determines that it is necessary to move the vehicles to a parking area or another drop-off / pick-up area.

[0034] Let's explain the example in Figure 10, using the state shown in Figure 8. In the initial state shown in Figure 10, there are four parked vehicles 530 at parking area 520, two waiting vehicles 531 at boarding / drop-off area A521, three waiting vehicles 532 at boarding / drop-off area B522, and two waiting vehicles 533 at boarding / drop-off area C523.

[0035] Each boarding / alighting area is constantly managed to ensure that the number of vehicles available remains within a range of a minimum of two and a maximum of four, and vehicle replenishment and evacuation are carried out accordingly.

[0036] Next, let's assume that a passenger boards / alights from boarding / alighting point A521 to boarding / alighting point B522 (flow a). At this time, the number of waiting vehicles at boarding / alighting area A521 decreases from two to one, falling below the minimum number required and resulting in a shortage. Therefore, a dispatch order is issued from parking area 520, which has ample waiting capacity, to boarding / alighting area A521, which is experiencing a shortage, to provide additional vehicles. (Flow b) Furthermore, if things continue as they are, it is predicted that the number of waiting vehicles at boarding / alighting platform B522 will increase from 3 to 4 in the near future, reaching the maximum number of vehicles that can be accommodated. Therefore, a dispatch order is issued from boarding / alighting area B522 to boarding / alighting area C523, which has sufficient capacity for waiting vehicles, to allow the vehicles to move to a safer location. (Flow c)

[0037] According to Embodiment 1, in situations where there is insufficient capacity for parking vehicles in a parking lot, the number of waiting vehicles at each boarding / alighting point can be managed appropriately in real time according to the current passenger demand. This makes it possible to realize a transportation system that avoids congestion, minimizes waiting times for users, and maximizes the operational efficiency of vehicles throughout the entire area.

[0038] The traffic system control device 10, facility ancillary equipment 20, and vehicle 30 consist of a processor 1000 and a storage device 1001, as shown in Figure 15 as an example of the hardware. Although not shown, the storage device comprises a volatile storage device such as random access memory and a non-volatile auxiliary storage device such as flash memory. Alternatively, a hard disk may be provided as an auxiliary storage device instead of flash memory. The processor 1000 executes a program input from the storage device 1001. In this case, the program is input from the auxiliary storage device to the processor 1000 via the volatile storage device. The processor 1000 may also output data such as calculation results to the volatile storage device of the storage device 1001, or it may save the data to the auxiliary storage device via the volatile storage device.

[0039] While this disclosure describes exemplary embodiments, the various features, aspects, and functions described in the embodiments are not limited to the application of any particular embodiment, but can be applied individually or in various combinations to the embodiments. Accordingly, countless variations not illustrated are conceivable within the scope of the technology disclosed in this specification. These include, for example, modifications, additions, or omissions of at least one component. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1 traffic system, 10 control device, 11 control receiver, 12 control transmitter, 13 Control and Management Unit, 20 Facility Ancillary Equipment, 21 Facility Receiving Unit, 22 Facility Transmitting Unit, 23 Facility sensor, 24 Vehicle dispatch request reception unit facility, 30 Vehicle, 31 Vehicle receiving unit, 32 Vehicle transmission unit, 40 Actual vehicle request unit, 50 Evacuation determination unit, 51 Evacuation vehicle count calculation unit, 52 Evacuation vehicle selection unit, 53 Evacuation destination selection unit, 60 Replenishment determination unit, 61 Replenishment unit calculation unit, 62 Replenishment vehicle selection unit, 63 Replenishment source selection unit, 70 Vehicle command center, 110 Application requirements, 111 Facility and equipment requirements, 112 Vehicle requests, 120 Responses to vehicles, 121 Responses to mobile devices, 211 Facility definition information, 212 Facility status, 214 Actual vehicle request data, 215 Evacuation vehicle data, 216 Replacement vehicle data, 217 Vehicle command, 218 Information on the occupancy of waiting vehicles at boarding / alighting areas, 219 Waiting status of passengers at boarding / alighting areas, 220 Display instructions to facility HMIs, 221 Notification to control devices, 311 Vehicle definition information, 312 Vehicle status, 320 Notification to control system, 500 Track, 520 Parking area, 521 Boarding / Disembarking area A, 522 Boarding / Disembarking area B, 523 Boarding / Alighting Area C, 530 Parking vehicles at the apron, 531 Waiting vehicles at Boarding / Alighting Area A, 532 Waiting vehicles at boarding / alighting area B, 533 Waiting vehicles at boarding / alighting area C, 534 Vehicles in operation, 541 Passengers waiting at boarding area A, 542 Passengers waiting at boarding area B, 543 Passengers waiting at boarding area C, 1000 processors, 1001 memory devices

Claims

1. A traffic system that manages a closed-loop road on which vehicles travel, A facility monitoring device that monitors facilities including multiple boarding / alighting areas where vehicles wait for passengers and parking areas where vehicles wait in locations other than the aforementioned boarding / alighting areas, and outputs a facility status indicating the status of the said facilities. This facility monitoring device outputs facility status information to provide a control system that manages the placement of the aforementioned vehicles. The above-mentioned control device, Based on the number of vehicles waiting at the above-mentioned boarding / alighting area, a vehicle selection unit selects vehicles to be evacuated from the above-mentioned boarding / alighting area and creates evacuated vehicle data. A supplement vehicle selection unit selects supplement vehicles for the aforementioned boarding / alighting area and creates supplement vehicle data based on either the number of waiting passengers or the number of waiting vehicles, or both. The system includes a vehicle command unit that generates commands to the corresponding vehicles based on the above-mentioned evacuation vehicle data and the above-mentioned replacement vehicle data. When a passenger uses a vehicle to travel from one of the above boarding / alighting points to another, a dispatch command is generated to send a replacement vehicle from the parking area to the boarding / alighting point from which the vehicle was used. A traffic system characterized by having the actual vehicle wait at another of the above-mentioned boarding / alighting stations based on the above-mentioned evacuation vehicle data and the above-mentioned supplementary vehicle data, as well as the road links and distances that can reach the above-mentioned boarding / alighting station, and generating a dispatch command to have the waiting vehicle at the other above-mentioned boarding / alighting station where the actual vehicle is waiting to be used as a supplementary vehicle to evacuate to another above-mentioned boarding / alighting station.

2. The above control device includes a vehicle request unit that creates vehicle request data based on the user's request. Based on the above actual vehicle request data, select the vehicles to be replaced from the above evacuation vehicle data, and update the above evacuation vehicle data. The traffic system according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle command unit generates commands to the relevant vehicles based on the evacuation vehicle data and the replacement vehicle data updated by the actual vehicle request data.

3. For each of the above boarding / alighting areas, an upper and lower limit is set for the number of waiting vehicles. The above-mentioned evacuation vehicle selection unit selects the above-mentioned evacuation vehicle when the number of waiting vehicles exceeds the above-mentioned upper limit. The traffic system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the above-mentioned replacement vehicle selection unit selects a replacement vehicle when the number of waiting vehicles falls below the above-mentioned lower limit.

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