Route guidance device and MaaS provision method

Abstract

To enable more seamless traveling.SOLUTION: A route guidance device disclosed herein provides route guidance to a user based on information on a destination and information on a departure point. The route guidance device determines whether the user boarded a vehicle associated with a route selected by the user or not on the basis of location information of the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user and location information of the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a route guidance device and a method for providing MaaS (Mobility as a Service).

Background Art

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, a device that proposes a travel route to a user based on information on a destination and a departure place is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a user rides in a vehicle, an operation such as touching an IC card is required, so that the user cannot move seamlessly. There is room for improvement in enabling the user to move more seamlessly.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to achieve more seamless movement.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A route guidance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure guides a user to a route based on information on a destination and information on a departure place. The route guidance device determines whether the user has boarded a vehicle associated with the route selected by the user based on position information of the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user and position information of the user.

[0007] A method for providing MaaS (Mobility as a Service) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure uses the above route guidance device.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to this disclosure, even more seamless travel will be realized. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows an example configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This block diagram shows an example configuration of an information processing system according to another embodiment. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows an example of the procedure the central system will follow. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of the procedure that a terminal device will perform. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on a terminal device. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an example where multiple routes exist. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Applications running on smartphones and other devices sometimes sell unlimited ride passes that allow users to use buses and other modes of transportation within a specified area. In this case, the price of the pass is predetermined, so the passes are sold without any problems.

[0011] On the other hand, application software running on smartphones and other devices may sell one-way tickets for users to ride buses or other vehicles. If the fare is calculated based on the distance traveled by the user, the fare calculation and payment must be based on the boarding point (bus stop, etc.) where the user boards the vehicle and the alighting point (bus stop, etc.) where the user alights. Therefore, a fare calculation system and a payment system are necessary.

[0012] As a bus fare calculation and payment system for the comparative example, it is conceivable that the user would touch their IC (Integrated Circuit) card to an IC card reader installed at the bus entrance and exit in order to identify the bus stop where the user boards and alights. It is also conceivable that the user would obtain a numbered ticket from a ticket dispensing machine installed at the bus entrance. In other words, the bus fare calculation and payment system for the comparative example requires physical operation by the user.

[0013] In order to implement a fare calculation system and payment system using application software running on a smartphone, the application software needs to identify the bus stop where the user boards the bus and the bus stop where the user alights from the bus.

[0014] However, it is difficult to install modules that communicate with smartphones on buses. Therefore, it is difficult to have smartphone application software communicate with bus terminals to identify the bus stops where users board and alight. Alternatively, users could input their boarding or alighting status into the application software. However, requiring users to input this information would reduce user convenience. Furthermore, there are issues with the accuracy of the input.

[0015] According to the embodiments described herein, when a user boards a vehicle, the fare calculation and payment are performed by smartphone application software without requiring any physical operation or input from the user.

[0016] Embodiments according to the present disclosure include a route guidance device that guides a route for a user to move from a departure point to a destination. The route guidance device searches for a route for the user to move from the departure point to the destination by the user inputting the departure point and the destination, presents the search results of at least one route as candidate routes, and allows the user to select a route. When the selected route includes a route for boarding a vehicle, the route guidance device identifies a boarding point and an alighting point for the user to board and alight from the vehicle based on the search results of the route and the user's position information, and may perform calculation and settlement of the boarding fare.

[0017] The vehicle may include a transportation means for which a boarding fare is charged according to the boarding and alighting points, such as a bus or a train. Hereinafter, embodiments when the vehicle is a bus will be described.

[0018] (Configuration example of information processing system 1) An information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a center system 10 and a terminal device 20, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The center system 10 may function as the above-described route guidance device. That is, the route guidance device may be configured to include the center system 10. The route guidance device may be further configured to include the terminal device 20. The route guidance device may be configured as a device integrating the center system 10 and the terminal device 20.

[0019] <Center system 10> The center system 10 includes a route search unit 11, a bus stop position management and fare calculation unit 12, a ticket management unit 13, a settlement unit 14, and an interface 15.

[0020] The route search unit 11 and the bus stop position management and fare calculation unit 12 are connected to each other. The bus stop position management and fare calculation unit 12 and the ticket management unit 13 are connected to each other. The ticket management unit 13 and the settlement unit 14 are connected to each other. Each of the route search unit 11 and the ticket management unit 13 is connected to the interface 15. The interface 15 is communicably connected to the terminal device 20. That is, the route search unit 11 and the ticket management unit 13 are communicably connected to the terminal device 20 via the interface 15.

[0021] The route search unit 11 searches for a route in response to a request from the user. The bus stop position management and fare calculation unit 12 manages the positions of bus stops on the route used by the bus and calculates the fare when the user boards the bus between each bus stop. The ticket management unit 13 manages a ticket indicating that the user boards the bus when the user selects a route for using the bus. The settlement unit 14 settles the fare.

[0022] The route search unit 11, the bus stop position management and fare calculation unit 12, the ticket management unit 13, or the settlement unit 14 may be configured to include either a processor or a dedicated circuit, or may be configured to include both a processor and a dedicated circuit. In the present embodiment, the "processor" may be a general-purpose processor, a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, etc., but is not limited thereto. The dedicated circuit may include, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0023] The central system 10 may further include a storage unit. The storage unit may include, but is not limited to, semiconductor memory, magnetic memory, or optical memory. The storage unit may function as, for example, main memory, auxiliary memory, or cache memory. The storage unit may include an electromagnetic storage medium such as a magnetic disk. The storage unit may include a non-temporary computer-readable medium. The storage unit stores any information or programs used in the operation of the central system 10. The storage unit may store, for example, system programs or application software programs. The storage unit may be included in a processor or dedicated circuit.

[0024] Interface 15 connects the central system 10 and the terminal device 20 in a communicative manner. Interface 15 may include a communication module. The communication module may support wired or wireless communication standards. The communication module may support mobile communication standards, including, for example, 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation). The communication module may support, for example, LAN (Local Area Network) communication standards. The communication module is not limited to these and may support various communication standards. Interface 15 may be configured to be connectable to external communication devices.

[0025] The central system 10 may consist of one or multiple server devices that can communicate with each other. The central system 10 may be implemented as a cloud server. The number of central systems 10 included in the information processing system 1 is not limited to one, but may be two or more.

[0026] <Terminal device 20> The terminal device 20 is possessed by the user. The terminal device 20 comprises a screen display unit 21 and a location information acquisition unit 22. The screen display unit 21 is communicably connected to the interface 15 of the central system 10. The screen display unit 21 and the location information acquisition unit 22 are connected to each other.

[0027] The terminal device 20 may include a control unit that controls each component of the terminal device 20. The control unit may include either a processor or a dedicated circuit, or it may include both a processor and a dedicated circuit. The processor may be the same as or similar to the processor of the central system 10. The dedicated circuit may be the same as or similar to the dedicated circuit of the central system 10. In this embodiment, the control unit is included in the screen display unit 21.

[0028] The screen display unit 21 outputs information acquired from the central system 10 as visual information such as images, characters, or graphics. The screen display unit 21 may be configured to include, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display or an inorganic EL display, or a PDP (Plasma Display Panel). The screen display unit 21 is not limited to these displays and may be configured to include various other types of displays.

[0029] The location information acquisition unit 22 includes one or more devices for acquiring the location information of the terminal device 20. The location information acquisition unit 22 outputs the location information of the terminal device 20 to the central system 10. The location information of the terminal device 20 corresponds to the location information of the user who possesses the terminal device 20. In other words, the location information acquisition unit 22 acquires the location information of the user who possesses the terminal device 20 and outputs it to the central system 10. The location information acquisition unit 22 may be configured to include a receiver that corresponds to a satellite positioning system. The receiver that corresponds to a satellite positioning system may include, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, but is not limited to this and may include various other receivers. The location information acquisition unit 22 may continuously acquire the location information of the terminal device 20 and output it to the central system 10, or it may acquire the location information periodically or irregularly and output it to the central system 10.

[0030] The terminal device 20 may further include an input device for receiving information or data from the user. The input device may include, for example, a touch panel or touch sensor, or a pointing device such as a mouse. The input device may be configured as a touch display integrated with the display of the screen display unit 21. The input device may include physical keys. The input device may include an audio input device such as a microphone.

[0031] The terminal device 20 may output the input information to the central system 10. The central system 10 may be configured to connect to the input device of the terminal device 20 via the interface 15. The central system 10 may acquire the information or data input to the input device of the terminal device 20 via the interface 15.

[0032] The terminal device 20 may include an output device that outputs information or data to the user, in addition to the screen display unit 21. The output device may include, for example, an audio output device such as a speaker that outputs auditory information such as voice. The output device is not limited to these examples and may include various other devices.

[0033] The terminal device 20 may include a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, or a PC such as a notebook PC (Personal Computer) or tablet PC. The terminal device 20 is not limited to these examples and may include various devices. The number of terminal devices 20 included in the information processing system 1 is not limited to one, but may be two or more.

[0034] <Bus information management systems 31 and 32> Another embodiment of the information processing system 1, as illustrated in Figure 2, further comprises a bus information management system 31 of transportation operator X1 and a bus information management system 32 of transportation operator X2, in addition to the central system 10 and terminal device 20. The bus information management system 31 of transportation operator X1 and the bus information management system 32 of transportation operator X2 manage bus routes or schedules, or bus fares.

[0035] The bus information management system 31 of transportation operator X1 provides the latest information regarding the routes, schedules, or fares of transportation operator X1's buses by allowing personnel of transportation operator X1 to input and update information. The bus information management system 32 of transportation operator X2 provides the latest information regarding the routes, schedules, or fares of transportation operator X2's buses by allowing personnel of transportation operator X2 to input and update information.

[0036] The bus information management system 31 or 32 may consist of one or more server devices that can communicate with each other. The bus information management system 31 or 32 may be implemented as a cloud server. The information processing system 1 does not need to include the bus information management system 31 or 32. In the information processing system 1, the route guidance device may acquire location information of buses operated by the transportation operator X1 or X2.

[0037] (Example configuration of Information Processing System 1) As described above, in the information processing system 1, the route guidance device may present the search results for routes for the user to travel from their starting point to their destination as candidate routes, and allow the user to select a route. If the user boards a bus along the selected route, the route guidance device may identify the bus stop where the user boards the bus and the bus stop where the user alights the bus, based on the route search results and the user's location information, and perform the calculation and payment of the bus fare.

[0038] If the route selected by the user includes a bus section, the bus operating on that bus section is associated with the route selected by the user. In other words, the bus associated with the route selected by the user is the bus operating on the bus section included in the route selected by the user. The route guidance system may determine whether or not the user has boarded the bus associated with the route selected by the user based on the location information of the bus associated with the route selected by the user and the user's location information. The route guidance system may also identify the bus stop where the user will alight when they disembark from the bus and process the bus fare.

[0039] <Example of operation of Center System 10> The center system 10, which functions as a route guidance device, may execute a route guidance method that includes the steps of the flowchart illustrated in Figure 3 in order to guide the user along a route. The route guidance method may be implemented as a route guidance program to be executed by the processor of the center system 10. The route guidance program may be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable medium.

[0040] The central system 10 receives a route search request from the terminal device 20 via interface 15 (S1). The route search request includes the user's departure point and destination. The route search request may also include the user's departure time or desired arrival time.

[0041] The central system 10 searches for a route using the route search unit 11 and outputs the route search results to the terminal device 20 via the interface 15 (S2). The central system 10 may output at least one route as a candidate route. The central system 10 searches for a route based on bus operation information such as bus routes or schedules. The central system 10 may store bus operation information in advance in a storage unit or manage it using the bus stop location management and fare calculation unit 12. As illustrated in Figure 2, the central system 10 may also obtain bus operation information by accessing the bus information management system 31 of transportation operator X1 or the bus information management system 32 of transportation operator X2 using the bus stop location management and fare calculation unit 12. When the central system 10 accesses the bus information management system 31 or 32, the management and updating of bus operation information can be entrusted to each transportation operator. As a result, the burden on the route guidance device is reduced.

[0042] The central system 10 obtains the route selection result from the terminal device 20 via interface 15 (S3). The user may select one route from at least one candidate route on the terminal device 20. If the route selected by the user includes a bus section, the central system 10 may consider that a ticket for the bus section has been purchased. However, payment for the bus section ticket is not executed at this point. Therefore, the central system 10 may consider that the purchase of the bus section ticket has been reserved. The central system 10 manages the purchase or reservation of bus section tickets through the ticket management unit 13.

[0043] If the route selected by the user includes a route using a bus, the central system 10 uses the bus stop location management and fare calculation unit 12 to identify the location of the bus stop where the user boards the bus and the location of the bus stop where the user alights (S4). The bus stop where the user boards the bus is also called the boarding bus stop. The bus stop where the user alights is also called the alighting bus stop.

[0044] The central system 10 obtains the user's location information from the terminal device 20 (S5). The central system 10 determines whether the user has boarded the bus based on the location of the boarding bus stop and the user's location information (S6). The central system 10 may determine that the user has boarded the bus if the user arrives within a predetermined range from the boarding bus stop and then moves along the bus route. The predetermined range may be, for example, a range where the distance between the boarding bus stop and the user is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance may be set to, for example, 20m, but is not limited to this and may be set to various lengths. If the central system 10 does not determine that the user has boarded the bus (S6: NO), it returns to the procedure for obtaining the user's location information (S5).

[0045] If the center system 10 determines that the user has boarded the bus (S6:YES), it obtains the user's location information from the terminal device 20 (S7). Based on the location of the disembarking bus stop and the user's location information, the center system 10 determines whether the user is approaching the disembarking bus stop (S8). The center system 10 may determine that the user is approaching the disembarking bus stop if the bus the user is on enters a predetermined range from the disembarking bus stop. The predetermined range may be, for example, a range in which the distance between the disembarking bus stop and the user is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance may be set to, for example, 20m, but is not limited to this and may be set to various lengths. If the center system 10 does not determine that the bus the user is on is approaching the disembarking bus stop (S8:NO), it returns to the procedure for obtaining the user's location information (S7).

[0046] The central system 10 determines that the bus the user is riding is approaching the disembarking bus stop (S8: YES), and predicts that the user will soon disembark from the bus. The central system 10 calculates the fare from the boarding bus stop to the disembarking bus stop using the bus stop location management and fare calculation unit 12. The central system 10 outputs bus fare information and ticket screen display information to the terminal device 20 via the interface 15 using the ticket management unit 13 (S9). The bus fare information is information about the bus fare. The ticket screen display information is information that displays the ticket from the boarding bus stop to the disembarking bus stop on the screen.

[0047] The terminal device 20 displays bus fare information and ticket screen display information on the screen display unit 21, receives a payment instruction from the user for the fare, and notifies the center system 10. When the center system 10 receives a payment instruction from the terminal device 20, the payment unit 14 performs the payment and notifies the terminal device 20 that the payment has been completed (S10). The terminal device 20 displays a payment completion notification on the screen display unit 21. The user shows the screen displaying the payment completion notification to the bus driver and disembarks from the bus. After executing the procedure in S10, the center system 10 finishes executing the procedure in the flowchart in Figure 3.

[0048] <Example of operation of terminal device 20> A terminal device 20, which functions as a route guidance device, may execute a route guidance method that includes the steps of the flowchart illustrated in Figure 4 in order to guide the user along a route. The route guidance method may be implemented as a route guidance program to be executed by the processor of the terminal device 20. The route guidance program may be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable medium.

[0049] The terminal device 20 receives input from the user for a route search operation and requests a route search from the central system 10 (S21). When the terminal device 20 receives input for a route search operation, it may display the route search input screen shown in Figure 5 on the screen display unit 21. In the example in Figure 5, the departure point is set to Y and the destination is set to Z.

[0050] The central system 10 outputs the route search results to the terminal device 20. The terminal device 20 may display the route search results screen, as illustrated in Figure 5, on the screen display unit 21. In the example in Figure 5, three candidate routes, (1), (2), and (3), are displayed as route search results. Route (1) is a route where you walk from the starting point (Y) to station ab, travel by train from station ab to station cd, and then walk from station cd to the destination (Z). Route (2) is a route where you walk from the starting point (Y) to bus stop ef, travel by bus from bus stop ef to bus stop gh, and then walk from bus stop gh to the destination (Z). Route (3) is a route where you travel by taxi from the starting point (Y) to the destination (Z).

[0051] The terminal device 20 prompts the user to select a route from at least one candidate route included in the route search results. The terminal device 20 outputs the selected route to the central system 10, and if a route including a bus section is selected, it outputs a ticket purchase intention to the central system 10 and prompts the user to start moving (S22). The terminal device 20 may display a result selection and purchase intention intention screen on the screen display unit 21, as illustrated in Figure 5. In the example in Figure 5, route (2) among the candidate routes is selected and displayed as a selected route. A confirmation prompt asking whether to purchase a bus ticket is also displayed. The ticket purchase intention prompt may be replaced with a reservation to purchase a ticket. The user indicates their intention to purchase a ticket by selecting YES in response to the confirmation prompt asking whether to purchase a bus ticket.

[0052] The terminal device 20 determines whether the user has arrived at the bus stop based on its own location information and the location of the bus stop (S23). The terminal device 20 may determine that the user has arrived at the bus stop if the distance between its own location and the location of the bus stop falls below a predetermined distance. If the terminal device 20 does not determine that the user has arrived at the bus stop (S23: NO), it repeats the determination procedure (S23).

[0053] If the terminal device 20 determines that the user has arrived at the boarding bus stop (S23:YES), it determines whether the user is on the bus and moving along the scheduled bus route (S24). The terminal device 20 may determine whether the user is moving along the bus route based on the terminal device 20's own location information. The terminal device 20 may also determine whether the user is on the bus and moving along the bus route based on the terminal device 20's own location information and the bus's location information. Before executing the determination procedure (S24), or while executing the determination procedure (S24), the terminal device 20 may display a screen indicating arrival at the boarding bus stop, as illustrated in Figure 5, on the screen display unit 21. In the example in Figure 5, the user's status shows that they have arrived at bus stop ef and are on the bus. If the terminal device 20 does not determine that the user is moving along the bus route (S24:NO), it repeats the determination procedure (S24).

[0054] The terminal device 20 may acquire its own location information more frequently when the distance between the bus and the user is less than the pre-boarding threshold, compared to when the distance between the bus and the user is greater than or equal to the pre-boarding threshold. The terminal device 20 may output its own location information to the central system 10 more frequently when the distance between the bus and the user is less than the pre-boarding threshold. In other words, when the distance between the bus and the user is less than the pre-boarding threshold, the central system 10 or the terminal device 20 may acquire the user's location information more frequently than when the distance between the bus and the user is greater than or equal to the pre-boarding threshold. By doing so, the route guidance device can reduce the amount of location information transmitted while maintaining the accuracy of determining whether a user has boarded the bus.

[0055] If the terminal device 20 determines that the user is moving along the bus route (S24: YES), it executes the bus boarding process (S25). As part of the bus boarding process, the terminal device 20 may output its own location information to the central system 10 as the user's location information. The terminal device 20 may reduce the frequency of acquiring its own location information when the user is on the bus and the distance to the disembarking bus stop is greater than or equal to the boarding threshold. The terminal device 20 may reduce the frequency of outputting its own location information to the central system 10 when the user is on the bus and the distance to the disembarking bus stop is greater than or equal to the boarding threshold. In other words, when the distance between the disembarking bus stop and the user's location is greater than or equal to the boarding threshold, the central system 10 or the terminal device 20 may acquire the user's location information less frequently than when the distance between the disembarking bus stop and the user's location is less than the boarding threshold. The route guidance system can reduce the amount of location information transmitted while maintaining the accuracy of determining whether a user is alighting from the bus by changing the frequency of location information acquisition. The terminal device 20 may perform other processes as part of the bus ride process, not limited to changing the frequency of location information acquisition.

[0056] The terminal device 20 determines whether the bus the user is riding has arrived near the disembarking bus stop based on its own location information or the location information of the bus and the location of the disembarking bus stop (S26). The terminal device 20 may determine that the bus the user is riding has arrived near the disembarking bus stop if the distance between the terminal device 20's own location or the bus's location information and the location of the disembarking bus stop falls below a predetermined distance. If the bus the user is riding has arrived near the disembarking bus stop, the center system 10 outputs bus fare information and ticket screen display information to the terminal device 20. The terminal device 20 may also determine that the bus the user is riding has arrived near the disembarking bus stop if it has obtained the bus fare information and ticket screen display information from the center system 10. If the terminal device 20 does not determine that the user has arrived near the disembarking bus stop (S26: NO), it returns to the bus boarding procedure (S25).

[0057] If the terminal device 20 determines that the bus the user is riding has arrived near the disembarking bus stop (S26: YES), it displays the fare amount on the screen display unit 21 and prompts the user to pay the fare (S27). The terminal device 20 may obtain bus fare information and ticket screen display information from the center system 10 before determining that the bus the user is riding has arrived near the disembarking bus stop. The terminal device 20 may obtain bus fare information and ticket screen display information from the center system 10 after determining that the bus the user is riding has arrived near the disembarking bus stop.

[0058] The terminal device 20 may display a screen on the screen display unit 21 indicating that the bus stop is approaching, as illustrated in Figure 5. In the example in Figure 5, the user's status is that they are approaching bus stop gh, along with bus fare information and a confirmation prompt asking whether they want to pay the bus fare.

[0059] The user instructs the payment of the bus fare by selecting YES in response to a confirmation that they wish to pay the bus fare. Terminal device 20 outputs the user's instruction to pay the bus fare to the central system 10. When the central system 10 receives the instruction to pay the bus fare from terminal device 20, it performs the payment and notifies terminal device 20 that the payment has been completed.

[0060] The terminal device 20 determines whether the payment has been made (S28). The terminal device 20 may determine that the payment has been made if it receives a payment completion notification from the central system 10. If the terminal device 20 does not determine that the payment has been made (S28: NO), it repeats the determination procedure (S28).

[0061] If the terminal device 20 determines that payment has been made (S28: YES), it displays the payment information on the screen display unit 21 (S29). The terminal device 20 may display the bus fare payment and alighting screen on the screen display unit 21, as illustrated in Figure 5. In the example in Figure 5, it is displayed that the bus fare has been paid and that the user has alighted. The user shows the screen indicating that the bus fare has been paid to the bus driver and alights from the bus. After executing the procedure in S29, the terminal device 20 finishes executing the procedure in the flowchart in Figure 4.

[0062] <Summary> As described above, the route guidance device according to this embodiment can identify the user's boarding and alighting bus stops based on the user's location information and process the bus fare when the route selected by the user includes a bus section. This eliminates the need for the user to record or input their boarding and alighting information when getting on or off the bus. As a result, a more seamless travel experience is achieved. Furthermore, the amount of communication required to record or input the user's boarding and alighting information is reduced.

[0063] Furthermore, the route guidance device according to this embodiment can identify the bus route the user will take based on the results of a pre-searched route. In this case, the route guidance device can determine whether the user is approaching a bus stop based on the distance between the location of the bus stop included in the route search results and the user's location. In other words, the route guidance device can determine whether the user is approaching the bus stop to be used by the user, while having already recognized the locations of the boarding and alighting bus stops. As a result, the boarding and alighting bus stops can be identified with higher accuracy than when the bus stop to be used by the user is identified simply based on the user's location information.

[0064] (Other embodiments) The following describes an example configuration of the information processing system 1 according to another embodiment.

[0065] <Application to vehicles other than buses> In the embodiments described above, an example of operation when the vehicle is a bus has been explained. The route guidance device according to this disclosure can be applied to vehicles where the fare is calculated based on the boarding position and the alighting position, and can be applied to trains, for example. When the vehicle is a train, the route guidance device may operate so that the user can pay the fare without passing through a ticket gate. In this case, the route guidance device may be configured to be pre-configurable to automatically process the payment without asking the user for confirmation of payment.

[0066] When the route guidance system is applied to vehicles other than buses, the operation of the route guidance system is described as follows: The route guidance system may determine whether or not the user has boarded the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user, based on the location information of the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user and the user's location information. When the user alights from the vehicle, the route guidance system may identify the location where the user alights from the vehicle and settle the fare for the vehicle. The route guidance system may acquire the user's location information or the location information of the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user more frequently than when the distance between the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user and the user is less than the pre-boarding threshold, if the distance between the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user and the user is less than the pre-boarding threshold. The route guidance system may acquire the user's location information less frequently than when the distance between the alighting location and the user's location is less than the onboard threshold, if the distance between the alighting location and the user's location is greater than or equal to the onboard threshold.

[0067] <If you board a bus that operates on a different route with the same boarding and alighting bus stops> In the embodiments described above, the center system 10 determines that the user boarded the bus at a boarding bus stop and alighted at a disembarking bus stop within the bus section included in the route selected by the user, and then settles the bus fare. Here, as illustrated in Figure 6, the bus may operate on multiple routes from bus stop A, which is the boarding bus stop, to bus stop E, which is the disembarking bus stop. Bus stop A, which is the boarding bus stop, corresponds to bus stop ef in the example in Figure 5. Bus stop E, which is the disembarking bus stop, corresponds to bus stop gh in the example in Figure 5. In the example in Figure 6, there are routes from bus stop A to bus stop E that pass through bus stops B and C, a route that passes through bus stop D, and a route that passes through bus stops F and G. If the distance traveled by each route is different, the fare for each route will be different. In this case, even if the center system 10 identifies the location of the boarding bus stop and the location of the disembarking bus stop, it may not be able to accurately calculate the fare for the actual route taken by the user.

[0068] Therefore, the center system 10 may determine the bus route based on the user's location information while the user is on the bus or the location information of the bus the user is on. For example, the center system 10 determines that the user has boarded a bus after determining that the user has arrived at bus stop A from the departure point, and then determines that the bus the user is on has passed bus stop B, in which case it determines that the user is on a bus that passes through bus stop B. When the center system 10 determines that the user has arrived at bus stop E, the nearest bus stop to the destination, it calculates the bus fare for the route that passes through bus stop B, outputs it to the terminal device 20, and settles the bus fare. In other words, the route guidance device may calculate the user's fare based on the alternative route if the user is on a vehicle that operates on a different route than the vehicle associated with the route the user has selected.

[0069] The route guidance device described herein can accurately identify which bus route a user has boarded, even on complex bus routes, by acquiring information on the user's boarding and alighting bus stops based on a pre-searched route.

[0070] <Method for Providing MaaS> As an example, the route guidance device may be used for providing Mobility as a Service (MaaS), which is a service that utilizes mobility. Also, as an example, the procedure of the route guidance method illustrated in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 may be executed when providing a service (MaaS) using a vehicle such as a bus. In this case, the route guidance method including the above-described procedure is an example of a method for providing a service (MaaS) using a vehicle such as a bus.

[0071] Although the embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can perform various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means or each procedure, etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and a plurality of means or procedures, etc. can be combined into one or divided.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0072] 1 Information processing system 10 Center system (11: Route search unit, 12: Bus stop position management and fare calculation unit, 13: Ticket management unit, 14: Settlement unit, 15: Interface) 20 Terminal device (21: Screen display unit, 22: Position information acquisition unit) 31, 32 Bus information management system

Claims

1. A route guidance device that guides a user along a route based on destination information and departure information, Based on the location information of the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user and the user's location information, it is determined whether or not the user boarded the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user. Before the user disembarks from the vehicle, the location where the user will disembark from the vehicle is identified. When it is determined that the vehicle the user is riding in is approaching the location where the user is to disembark from the vehicle, the fare for the vehicle is calculated and output to the terminal device held by the user. A route guidance device that, upon receiving an instruction from the terminal device to pay the fare for the ride, pays the fare for the ride and notifies the terminal device that the payment has been completed before the ride arrives at the location where the user will disembark.

2. The route guidance device according to claim 1, wherein when the user is riding on a vehicle that operates on a different route from the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user, the device calculates the user's fare based on the different route.

3. The route guidance device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the distance between the user and the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user is less than a pre-boarding threshold, the device acquires the user's location information or the location information of the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user more frequently than when the distance between the user and the vehicle associated with the route selected by the user is greater than or equal to the pre-boarding threshold.

4. The route guidance device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the distance between the disembarking location of a vehicle associated with the route selected by the user and the user's location is greater than or equal to a threshold during boarding, the frequency of acquiring the user's location information is reduced compared to when the distance between the disembarking location and the user's location is less than the threshold during boarding.

5. A method for providing MaaS (Mobility as a Service), comprising providing a service for settling the fare for the ride of the vehicle, using the route guidance device described in claim 1 or 2.

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