Special vehicle information management method, special vehicle information management device, and special vehicle information management program

Abstract

To grasp and manage past traffic records of a special-purpose vehicle properly and quickly, including vehicle group information comprising transportation means and housing means which are to be coupled to each other appropriately.SOLUTION: A special-purpose vehicle information management method includes: a housing means group forming process which selects one housing means and another housing means having the same candidate spot to form a housing means group, the one housing means having a high-frequency candidate spot selected based on a past transportation record of the housing means that houses a transportation target, out of long-time parking spots of the housing means, and the other housing means having a high-frequency candidate spot selected based on a past transportation record of the other housing means, regarding the other housing means housing the transportation target, out of long-time parking spots of the other housing means; a transportation means group forming process which verifies whether coupling is appropriate or not regarding transportation means which transports the housing means, and selects the transportation means which are deemed to be coupled appropriately to form a transportation means group; and a vehicle group fixing process which verifies whether coupling between the other housing means and each of the transportation means is appropriate or not and fixes a vehicle group composed of the housing means and the transportation means which are deemed to be coupled appropriately.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a special vehicle information management method, a special vehicle information management device, and a special vehicle information management program.

Background Art

[0002] When a special vehicle (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "special vehicle") defined in Article 47-2 of the Road Act passes on a road, it is necessary to apply to the road administrator for a special vehicle passage permit and obtain a special vehicle passage permit. However, many land transportation companies and shipping companies may have insufficient management of the fact that a tractor (for example, a tractor) and a towed vehicle (for example, a trailer) are driving with a special vehicle passage permit. In addition, the validity verification of the connection between the trailer and the tractor based on the vehicle inspection certificate or the connection study document may not be sufficiently carried out. Therefore, even if the tractor and the trailer are connected and actually driving (so-called "set" (substantially the same) state), there may be no connection study document for the combination of the tractor and the trailer, or the type of the trailer towed by the tractor may not be described in the vehicle inspection certificate of the tractor, or the type of the tractor that can tow the trailer may not be described in the vehicle inspection certificate of the trailer. The proper connection validity of the tractor and the trailer cannot be verified, and the running stability and safety of the vehicle may be impaired.

[0003] In addition, a new special vehicle passage system for promoting digitalization has been introduced by the "Act for Partial Revision of the Road Act, etc." (Act No. 31 of 2020) implemented since April 1, 2022. However, not only shipping companies that own many towed vehicles and expect to promote the use of RORO ships, but also land transportation companies are struggling with the management of the special vehicle passage system and digital transformation (DX), and it is desired that the passage records of special vehicles can be accurately and quickly grasped and managed. This is the current situation.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned problems of the conventional approach and achieve the following objectives. Specifically, the present invention aims to provide a special vehicle information management method, a special vehicle information management device, and a special vehicle information management program that can appropriately and quickly grasp and manage the traffic history of special vehicles, including vehicle group information consisting of mutually compatible accommodation means and transport means. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The means to solve the aforementioned problem are as follows: <1> For a single storage means that accommodates the object to be transported, a candidate location is selected based on the transportation record of the said storage means, which is a high-frequency location among the long-term parking locations of the said storage means, A process for forming a storage means group by selecting one storage means and other storage means that are common to a candidate location that is frequently selected among the long-term parking locations of other storage means, based on the transportation performance of other storage means, for other storage means that accommodate the object to be transported, and other storage means, A transfer means group formation step involves verifying the compatibility of the transfer means for transferring one of the aforementioned storage means with respect to the transfer means, selecting the transfer means that are deemed to be compatible with the connection, and forming a transfer means group. A vehicle group determination step involves verifying the compatibility of the connections between other storage means in the storage means group and each transport means in the transport means group, and determining a vehicle group consisting of storage means and transport means that are compatible with each other. This is a special vehicle information management method characterized by including [a specific feature]. <2> The candidate location is either a representative position which is the average of the long-term parking locations of one of the accommodation means, or an expanded representative position which is selected by expanding the extracted area if there are different representative positions in the vicinity of the representative position, and is selected in order of frequency from the representative position and the expanded representative position. <1> This is the special vehicle information management method described below. <3> The verification of the connection validity described above, (1) Whether the receiving means has a first probe and the transporting means has a second probe, and whether the position information X1 at time X in the first probe information obtained from the first probe and the position information X2 at substantially the same time as time X in the second probe information obtained from a second probe different from the first probe information are substantially the same, and whether the position information Y1 at time Y sampled after time X in the first probe information and the position information Y2 at substantially the same time as time Y in the second probe information are substantially the same, (2) Whether the transport means is described as a type that can be connected to the vehicle inspection certificate of the storage means, (3) Whether the storage means is described as a type that can be connected to the vehicle registration certificate of the transport means, (4) Whether or not there is a connection study document for the combination of the transport means and the storage means, The above is performed by determining the <1> from <2> This is a special vehicle information management method described in one of the following. <4> The process includes selecting a confirmed location for each long-term parking location of the vehicle group, which is determined by selecting the location of each individual long-term parking location of the vehicle group. <1> from <2> This is a special vehicle information management method described in one of the following. <5> For a single storage means that accommodates the object to be transported, a candidate location is selected based on the transportation record of the said storage means, which is a high-frequency location among the long-term parking locations of the said storage means, A means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for which one of the means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for which a candidate location is frequently selected among the long-term parking locations of the other means for which the means for accommodating the object to be transported has been selected based on the transport record of the other means for which the other means for which the other means for which the object to be transported has a common characteristic, and a candidate location among the long-term parking locations of the other means for which A transport means for transporting one of the aforementioned storage means verifies the compatibility of the transport means with the aforementioned storage means, selects a transport means that is compatible with the transport means, and forms a transport means group, A vehicle group determination means that verifies the compatibility of the connection between other storage means in the storage means group and each transport means in the transport means group, and determines a group of vehicles consisting of storage means and transport means that are compatible with each other. This is a special vehicle information management device characterized by having [a certain feature]. <6> For a single storage means that accommodates the object to be transported, a candidate location is selected based on the transportation record of the said storage means, which is a high-frequency location among the long-term parking locations of the said storage means, A process to form a group of storage means by selecting one storage means and other storage means that are common to a candidate location that is frequently selected among the long-term parking locations of other storage means, based on the transportation performance of other storage means, for other storage means that accommodate the object to be transported, A process to verify the compatibility of a transfer means for transferring one of the aforementioned storage means with respect to the connection compatibility of the transfer means, and to select a transfer means that is compatible with the connection to form a transfer means group. A process to verify the compatibility of the connections between other storage means in the storage means group and each transport means in the transport means group, and to determine a group of vehicles consisting of storage means and transport means that are compatible with each other. This is a special vehicle information management program characterized by having a computer perform the following actions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a special vehicle information management method, a special vehicle information management device, and a special vehicle information management program that can appropriately and quickly grasp and manage the traffic history of special vehicles, including vehicle group information consisting of mutually compatible accommodation means and transport means. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the overview of the processing of the special vehicle information management method of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a corporate special vehicle-related information database. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the situation of registering various obtained information in the special vehicle-related information DB for enterprises. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the relationship among the information of the single vehicle, tractor, and trailer table, the information of the vehicle inspection certificate table, and the information of the connection study document table. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an overview of the processing at the time of applying for a special vehicle. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the special vehicle information management device of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the special vehicle information management device of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow in the special vehicle information management method of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow for verifying the connection validity between the trailer and the tractor. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the main process and sub-process constituting the vehicle group information management. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of the points where the trailer S1 has parked for a long time. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the candidate point selection, which is a sub-process of the vehicle group information management. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of determining a representative position. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of determining an enlarged representative position. [Figure 15] FIGS. 15(a) to (e) are diagrams for explaining the main process of the vehicle group information management. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow in the main process of the vehicle group information management. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing a case where the representative position x1 is included in the enlarged representative position Y1 regarding the definition of the same candidate point. [Figure 18]FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a case where intervals between a representative position x1 and an enlarged representative position Y1 slightly overlap with respect to the definition of the same location candidate. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing that the interval of the representative position x1 and the interval of the enlarged representative position Y1 do not overlap and that they are different location candidates. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing that a temporary "connectable group ID" is numbered by vehicle group information management and stored in a vehicle group information table and a connection consideration document table. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the process of OD group information management. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining an interval managed as an OD (departure and arrival place). [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing that a temporary "connectable group ID" is stored in an OD group information table by OD group information management.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] (Special Vehicle Information Management Method and Special Vehicle Information Management Device) The special vehicle information management method of the present invention includes a storage means group formation step, a transfer means group formation step, and a vehicle group determination step, and further includes other steps as necessary.

[0009] The special vehicle information management device of the present invention has a storage means group formation means, a transfer means group formation means, and a vehicle group determination means, and further has other means as necessary.

[0010] The special vehicle information management method of the present invention can be preferably implemented by the special vehicle information management device of the present invention. The storage means group formation step can be performed by the storage means group formation means, the transfer means group formation step can be performed by the transfer means group formation means, the vehicle group determination step can be performed by the vehicle group determination means, and the other steps can be performed by the other means.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the special vehicle information management method and special vehicle information management device of the present invention enable the tracking of special vehicle travel records by dynamically managing vehicle group information and OD (origin / destination) group information of special vehicles in a timely, immediate, and automatic manner. Furthermore, based on the dynamic combination information of vehicle groups and OD groups, total information including the combination of tractors as means of transport and trailers as means of storage can be dynamically managed in a timely, immediate, and automatic manner. In addition, by dynamically managing and automatically generating vehicle groups and OD groups, the tracking of special vehicle travel records can be achieved. The special vehicle information management method and special vehicle information management device of the present invention can obtain and use information from the "Automobile Inspection and Registration Information Provision Service (abbreviated as "AIRIS")" provided by the Japan Automobile Inspection and Registration Information Association (abbreviated as "AIRIA").

[0012] <Special Vehicles> The aforementioned special vehicles (special vehicles) refer to vehicles with a special structure or vehicles that transport special cargo and exceed the general limits for width, length, height, and gross weight, or vehicles that exceed the limits for gross weight or height on bridges, elevated roads, tunnels, etc. (Road Act Article 47-2).

[0013] Examples of vehicles with special structures include self-propelled construction machinery such as truck cranes, five special types of trailer-attached vehicles (van type, tank type, canvas frame type, container type, and automobile transport type), and three additional types: side panel type, stanchion type, and boat-bottom type. The five special types and the three additional types together make up eight special types. The aforementioned special vehicles for transport include, for example, construction machinery, large generators, train car bodies, utility poles, and other cargo that cannot be divided and therefore exceed any of the general weight limits.

[0014] <Accommodation means group formation process and accommodation means group formation means> The aforementioned accommodation means group formation step is a step of forming an accommodation means group by selecting one accommodation means and other accommodation means that have in common a high-frequency candidate location among the long-term parking locations of one accommodation means selected based on the transportation performance of the one accommodation means for one accommodation means that accommodates an object to be transported, and a high-frequency candidate location among the long-term parking locations of other accommodation means selected based on the transportation performance of other accommodation means that accommodate an object to be transported, and the latter is carried out by an accommodation means group formation means.

[0015] The means for forming the accommodation means group is not particularly limited as long as it can realize the above functions, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, it can be implemented using a known computer, server device, or mobile terminal. As the mobile terminal, for example, a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet terminal can be used.

[0016] There are no particular restrictions on the "objects to be transported," and they can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. Examples include luggage, cargo, and containers.

[0017] Examples of the aforementioned "storage means" include towed vehicles such as trailers. The aforementioned means of transport are owned by an organization that owns the means of transport. Examples of such organizations include companies or bases (transportation operators) that own at least the means of transport. The organization that owns the means of transport may also own means of transportation. Examples of companies include land transport companies, sea transport companies, and air transport companies. Bases include business offices owned by companies.

[0018] The aforementioned parking / stopping point refers to a location that is the same location for a predetermined period, duration, and duration, among the location information itself obtained from an IoT device (e.g., a GPS tracking device) installed on the storage means that accommodates the object to be transported. "Same location" means a location where the GPS value of the GPS tracking device is the same. The aforementioned long-term parking locations refer to locations where a trailer, as a means of transport, parks for an extended period for loading and unloading cargo, and do not include locations where the trailer is parked for a short period for reasons such as connecting the transport and transport means or the driver taking a break. "Long period" refers to the time required for loading and unloading cargo, for example, parking for two hours or more. The aforementioned high frequency refers to a high frequency of long-term parking based on the movement history (probe information) of the trailer used as a means of storage. For example, this could include the top three locations based on the frequency of long-term parking in the last three months, sorted by the number of long-term parking occurrences.

[0019] The aforementioned candidate location refers to a representative location used when grouping storage means into storage means groups in vehicle group information management. The candidate locations are either a representative location which is the average of the long-term parking locations of one of the accommodation means, or an expanded representative location selected by expanding the extracted area if different representative locations exist in the vicinity of the representative location, and are selected in order of frequency from the representative location and the expanded representative location. The aforementioned representative position refers to the midpoint obtained by averaging the position information of parked vehicles within a certain area (for example, a 400m square: 16 seconds in each direction around 36 degrees north latitude). The aforementioned extended representative position refers to the midpoint of a section that has been reconstructed by lengthening the east-west and north-south directions of the section when a different representative position exists in the vicinity of the aforementioned representative position. For example, it refers to the midpoint of the average of representative positions within a section that is twice the length of the section containing the representative position (for example, an 800m square).

[0020] For a candidate location that is frequently used as a long-term parking point for one of the aforementioned storage means and a candidate location that is frequently used as a long-term parking point for another storage means that accommodates the object to be transported, based on the transport record of the other storage means, to be considered to be the same, it is sufficient that the individual candidate locations are the same, and the order of frequency of the candidate locations may be the same or different.

[0021] The aforementioned trailer, as a means of storage, has the characteristic of being parked for long periods of time at locations where loading and unloading of cargo and goods is necessary. On the other hand, since the tractor, as a means of transport, is responsible for towing the trailer, which serves as a means of storage, it does not typically park or stop for extended periods at loading and unloading points. Therefore, it is necessary to make a subordinate judgment based on the "complete set" (essentially identical) state of the tractor and trailer. In this invention, we first establish the concept of a storage means group by focusing on the movement of the trailer as a storage means, rather than the tractor as a means of transport. Then, taking into account various pieces of information and the relationship with the tractor as a means of transport, we construct a group of trailer and tractor vehicles.

[0022] <Transfer means group formation process and transfer means group formation means> The aforementioned storage means group formation step is a step in which the suitability of connecting a transfer means for transferring one of the storage means with one of the storage means is verified, and a transfer means that is determined to be suitable for connection is selected to form a transfer means group, and this is carried out by a transfer means group formation means.

[0023] The means for forming the transport means group is not particularly limited as long as it can realize the above functions, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, it can be implemented using a known computer, server device, or mobile terminal. As the mobile terminal, for example, a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet terminal can be used.

[0024] The aforementioned "means of transport" include, for example, "land transport," "sea transport," or "air transport," with "land transport" and "sea transport" accounting for the majority of domestic logistics. The aforementioned "land transport" refers to "transportation using land-based freight cars" such as tractors and freight trains, and is characterized by its broad range of transportable items. The aforementioned "maritime transport" refers to "transportation using vessels on the sea," such as ships, tankers, ferries, and RORO ships. Although it takes time to transport goods, it can transport large quantities of cargo, and is characterized by "lower costs" compared to land and air transport. The aforementioned RORO ship refers to a vessel that transports cargo along with the tractor or chassis (cargo bed). The aforementioned "air transport" refers to "transportation using aircraft," and while it is not suitable for mass transport or transporting heavy goods, it is an effective means of transporting small, lightweight, high-value-added goods (such as electronic products) and urgent shipments.

[0025] The means of transport are owned by an organization that owns the means of transport. Examples of such organizations include companies or bases (transportation operators) that own at least the means of transport. The organization that owns the means of transport may also own the means of storage. Examples of companies include land transport companies, sea transport companies, and air transport companies. Bases include business offices owned by companies.

[0026] In this invention, a transport means for transporting one of the aforementioned storage means and a company / location that shares the same storage means is verified for compatibility with the storage means, and a transport means group is formed by selecting the transport means that are deemed compatible for connection.

[0027] The verification of the linkage validity is carried out by judging the following requirements (1) to (4). (1) Whether the receiving means has a first probe and the transporting means has a second probe, and whether the position information X1 at time X in the first probe information obtained from the first probe and the position information X2 at substantially the same time as time X in the second probe information obtained from a second probe different from the first probe information are substantially the same, and whether the position information Y1 at time Y sampled after time X in the first probe information and the position information Y2 at substantially the same time as time Y in the second probe information are substantially the same ("a set") (2) Whether the transport means is described in the vehicle registration certificate as a type that can be connected to the storage means. (3) Whether or not the storage means is listed as a type that can be connected to the vehicle inspection certificate of the transport means. (4) Whether or not a connection study document exists for the combination of the transport means and the storage means.

[0028] For the "complete set" (substantially identical) state described in (1) above, one can refer, for example, to the description in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-087036. The "single set" (substantially identical) state described in (1) above means that the first probe information and the second probe information are probe information relating to the same mobile object. Examples of the first probe that collects the first probe information include a GPS tracking device. Examples of the second probe used to collect the second probe information include a digital tachograph. The aforementioned "single unit" state means that the trailer and tractor, which are originally separate vehicles, are being operated in a "single unit" (essentially identical) state because the digital tachograph D and GPS tracking device installed on each can be linked. The "complete set" (substantially identical) state described in (1) above can be confirmed, for example, by the same method as in Example 2 of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-087036.

[0029] In (2) and (3) above, "vehicle inspection certificate" refers to the vehicle inspection certificate, which is an official document that certifies the owner or user of a vehicle under the vehicle inspection and registration system, and proves that the vehicle complies with the vehicle safety standards at the time of inspection. The remarks column of the vehicle inspection certificate can list up to 70 types of vehicles that can be connected. The vehicle types listed in the remarks column of the vehicle inspection certificate have been verified to be compatible with the vehicle on the certificate and are mutually connectable. The vehicle type information on the vehicle inspection certificate is stored, for example, in the vehicle inspection certificate table of the Corporate Special Vehicle Related Information DB.

[0030] The "Coupling Study Report" mentioned in (4) above is a document that examines and certifies the coupling performance between the tractor and trailer, as the trailer cannot be driven on its own as a means of transport, since the trailer cannot be driven alone as a means of transport. After performing coupling studies on each item, the trailer and tractor can be coupled and driven only after the coupling is recorded on the vehicle registration certificate. Submission of the coupling study report is required when registering the vehicle registration certificate. The information in the coupling study report is stored, for example, in the coupling study report table of the corporate special vehicle related information database.

[0031] If any of the above conditions (1) to (4) are met, there is a high probability that the transport means and the storage means constitute the same "group of vehicles." Furthermore, if all of the above conditions (1) to (4) are met, it is clear that the transport means and the storage means constitute the same "group of vehicles" substantively and legally, and that they are reliably and appropriately connected to each other.

[0032] <Vehicle group determination process and vehicle group determination means> The vehicle group determination step involves verifying the compatibility of the connections between other storage means in the storage means group and each transport means in the transport means group, and determining a vehicle group consisting of storage means and transport means that are compatible with each other. This step is carried out by the vehicle group determination means.

[0033] The means for determining the vehicle group is not particularly limited as long as it can realize the above-mentioned functions, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, it can be implemented using a known computer, server device, or mobile terminal. As the mobile terminal, for example, a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet device can be used.

[0034] The verification of the validity of the connection between other storage means in the storage means group and each transport means in the transport means group in the transport means group is the same as the verification of the validity of the connection in the transport means group formation process and the transport means group formation means.

[0035] The aforementioned group of vehicles is information indicating that the storage means and the transport means are mutually compatible and constitute the same "group of vehicles." If both the trailer (as a means of storage) and the tractor (as a means of transport) are equipped with IoT devices (e.g., GPS trackers, digital tachographs), probe information from both the trailer and the tractor can be obtained. In this case, since there is no direct coupling relationship between the trailers themselves or between the tractors themselves, if probe information from both the trailer and the tractor indicates that they are traveling between the same locations, it is highly likely that the trailer and the tractor belong to the same "vehicle group."

[0036] <Confirmed Site Selection Process and Confirmed Site Selection Method> The aforementioned confirmed base selection process is a process of selecting individual long-term parking locations of the vehicle group that are included in the vehicle storage means as confirmed bases, and is carried out by the confirmed base selection means. The means for selecting the confirmed base location is not particularly limited as long as it can realize the above functions, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, it can be implemented using a well-known computer, server device, or mobile terminal. As the mobile terminal, for example, a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet device can be used.

[0037] The aforementioned confirmed locations refer to all representative locations that form the basis for route generation when applying for special vehicle information in the OD group information management system. "OD" is an abbreviation for origin-destination. OD group information management covers all "potential locations" (hereinafter referred to as "confirmed locations") of trailers in a vehicle group. In this case, the frequency of long-term parking does not affect the management. This ensures that all locations where trailers have parked for extended periods are comprehensively and reliably managed as confirmed locations.

[0038] The aforementioned OD group information is information in which the individual long-term parking locations of the storage means included in the vehicle group have been selected as fixed locations. The section managed as "OD" refers to the section in which a tractor, as a means of transport, connects to and tows a trailer, as a means of storage. While the term used is "route" at the special vehicle application stage, managing "OD" (Destination / Destination) is more direct in dynamic management prior to the special vehicle application.

[0039] <Other processes and other means> The aforementioned other processes are not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, and examples include communication processes and input processes. The aforementioned other means are not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, and examples include communication means and input means.

[0040] The aforementioned communication unit is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of communicating with the special vehicle information management device of the present invention, and any known unit can be used as appropriate, such as a transceiver, information and communication network, or the Internet.

[0041] The input unit is not particularly limited as long as it can receive various requests for the special vehicle information management device of the present invention, and any known device can be used as appropriate, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, microphone, etc.

[0042] Here, various types of information, such as information on each company / location, vehicle group information, OD group information, vehicle registration certificates, and coupling study reports, are stored and centrally managed in, for example, the <Company Special Vehicle Related Information DB> described below.

[0043] <Database of information related to special-purpose vehicles for businesses> The aforementioned Corporate Special Vehicle-Related Information Database is a centralized database that manages information about companies and special vehicles by integrating the information stored in the four layers shown in Table 1 below: the "Company / Base Layer," the "Vehicle Layer," the "Vehicle Supplement Layer," and the "Special Vehicle Application-Related Layer." Each of the four layers has the following tables, as shown in Table 1 below.

[0044] [Table 1]

[0045] (1) Corporate / Location Layer The company / location layer stores various information related to companies and their locations. Examples of tables included in the aforementioned company / location layer include the [Trucking Company Table], [Shipping Company Table], and [Inter-Company Relationship Table]. The [Trucking Company Table] and [Shipping Company Table] are sometimes collectively referred to as the [Trucking Company and Shipping Company Table].

[0046] (2) Vehicle layer The vehicle layer stores various information related to special vehicles. Tables included in the aforementioned vehicle layer include, for example, the [single vehicle table], the [tractor (towing vehicle) table], and the "trailer table (hereinafter, the towed vehicle will be referred to as the trailer)." These tables are sometimes collectively referred to as the [single vehicle, tractor, and trailer table].

[0047] (3) Vehicle supplementary layer The vehicle supplementary layer stores information about special vehicles that is not stored in the vehicle layer. Examples of tables included in the aforementioned vehicle supplementary layer include the [vehicle registration certificate table] and the [coupling study table].

[0048] (4) Layers related to special vehicle application Tables included in the special vehicle application related layer include, for example, the [Special Vehicle Application Main Table], the [Vehicle Group Information Table], and the [OD Group Information Table].

[0049] <<Company / Location Layer>> The company / base layer can consist of just one trucking company or shipping company, while multiple companies are involved in a sharing arrangement. Table 2 below shows the [Trucking Company and Shipping Company Table], which summarizes information on trucking companies and shipping companies at the aforementioned company / base layer. This information is registered statically at the initial stage (when operations begin, companies are added, vehicles are added, or special vehicle applications / changes are made). In this invention, the "owner code" of the "Automobile Inspection and Registration Information Provision Service" (abbreviated as "AIRIS") provided by the Japan Automobile Inspection and Registration Information Association (abbreviated as "AIRIA") is used as the "company code α", and the "address code" is used as the "location code β". The aforementioned AIRIS "owner code" and "owner code" are data assigned by a national agency, ensuring uniqueness and making them highly valuable information.

[0050] [Table of Trucking and Shipping Companies] [Table 2] In Table 2, based on "AIRIS," for example, the company codes are T-α for trucking companies and K-α for shipping companies. In Table 2, based on "AIRIS," for example, the company / location codes are T-α·β for trucking companies and K-α·β for shipping companies.

[0051] [Inter-company relationship table] [Table 3] In environments where there are no companies or locations utilizing the sharing mechanism, the relationship evaluation value is "1" (registration with the sharing mechanism only, refusal to share all information), as shown in the [Inter-Company Relationship Table] in Table 3 above. On the other hand, if there are companies or locations utilizing the sharing mechanism and are conscious of sharing, the relationship evaluation value should be "4" or higher (joint special vehicle access permits are possible).

[0052] Major transportation companies already lease trailers in their relationships with shipping companies. Meanwhile, container (semi-trailer) operators near international strategic ports also lease container chassis in their relationships with large and small businesses. The "relationships" described above are merely objective observations based on actual operational data. However, by standardizing these relationships as cases where trailers are shared under special vehicle applications, compliance rates for special vehicle applications will improve, and various KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) such as CO2 emissions can be made more visible.

[0053] Here, the relationship between companies and locations can be defined, for example, in accordance with the description in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-30758. The degree of relationship between the aforementioned companies and locations is represented by the relationship evaluation values ​​shown in Table 4 below, and is pre-registered in the database. The aforementioned relationship evaluation values ​​are registered and modified during initial and periodic reviews (for example, every six months). Furthermore, if the strength of the relationship changes due to negotiations or discussions between companies or locations, the database will be updated accordingly. The initial default value for the relationship evaluation is "5". A relationship evaluation value closer to "9" indicates a stronger relationship, while a value closer to "0" indicates a weaker relationship. A relationship evaluation value of "0" indicates an absolute competitor.

[0054] [Table 4]

[0055] <<Vehicle Layer>> The vehicle layer includes a [Single Truck / Tractor / Trailer Table] containing information on single trucks, tractors, and trailers, as shown in Table 5 below. This information is registered statically at the initial stage (when operations begin, a company is added, a vehicle is added, or a special vehicle is applied for or modified).

[0056] [Motorcycle, Tractor, Trailer Table] [Table 5]

[0057] The characteristics of the digital tachograph (digital tachograph), GPS tracking device, and ETC2.0 as in-vehicle devices, as shown in Table 5, are as shown in Table 6 below.

[0058] [Table 6]

[0059] Digital tachographs (sometimes abbreviated as "Digi-Tach") are certified by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Road Transport Bureau and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in cooperation with the aim of visualizing the working conditions of truck and bus operators and mandating the acquisition of operational records. Approximately 20 private companies ship certified equipment, such as TransTron Corporation and Yazaki Energy Systems Corporation. In this invention, a Digi-Tach manufactured by TransTron Corporation, which is strong in cloud-based systems, is used, but there are no particular restrictions as long as it is a cloud-based system. The Digi-Tach has a power supply and the GPS acquisition interval is 1 second.

[0060] Because GPS tracking devices do not require a power supply and only function when towed (e.g., trailers, container truck chassis, double-hung vehicles), obtaining location information has become a challenge for logistics operators in recent years. Therefore, several private companies have begun developing such products. The GPS tracking devices do not require a power supply, and the GPS acquisition interval can be changed from 5 seconds to 1 hour depending on the application and battery life.

[0061] ETC2.0 is a system developed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Road Bureau, which has been standardizing ETC onboard units for use on expressways. It involves installing roadside units to acquire information on road congestion, uploading data stored in the onboard unit as vehicles pass by. ETC2.0 requires a power supply, a GPS acquisition interval of 200m, and a cumulative change in direction of travel of 45°. Its adoption is being promoted through expressway discount programs for logistics companies, and approximately 10 private companies, such as Panasonic Corporation, are shipping certified equipment.

[0062] <<Vehicle Supplementary Layer>> The vehicle supplementary layers include the [Vehicle Registration Table] in Table 7 and the [Coupling Study Table] in Table 8 below. If it is necessary to manage information related to inspections other than vehicle inspections (such as 3-month inspections and daily inspections), this can be managed in the [Vehicle Registration Table] or the [Single Vehicle / Tractor / Trailer Table]. The information in these tables is statically registered at the time of initial setup (start of operation, company addition, vehicle addition, special vehicle application / change).

[0063] The [Vehicle Registration Table] shown in Table 7 below uses "Vehicle Registration Number" as the linking key.

[0064] [Vehicle Registration Table] [Table 7]

[0065] The [Coupling Study Table] shown in Table 8 below uses the "chassis number" of the towing vehicle and the "chassis number" of the towed vehicle as the linking keys.

[0066] [Consolidation Study Report Table] [Table 8] *In Table 8, the "Linkable Group ID" is the key that governs the <Special Vehicle Application Related Layer> described below. Based on "AIRIS," the linkable group IDs are as follows: Trucking companies: T-α·β·γ, Shipping companies: K-α·β·γ. Here, γ is a unique 5-digit company / location code.

[0067] <<Special Vehicle Application Related Layers>> In the special vehicle application related layer, the "permission number" assigned to the special vehicle application form is matched with the "connectable group ID" from the [connection study table] as information registered during the initial stage (when processing the special vehicle application or during the update process). In the special vehicle application related layer, initially, a connectable group ID is assigned, and one [Special Vehicle Application Main Text Table] is prepared to manage the main text of the special vehicle application information shown in Table 9 below, one [Vehicle Group Information Table] is prepared for each vehicle, which manages the "Vehicle Registration Number" belonging to the "Special Vehicle Application Main Text Table" shown in Table 10 below, and one [OD Group Information Table] is prepared for each OD group, which manages the OD groups belonging to the "Special Vehicle Application Main Text Table" shown in Table 11 below (this table sets all ODs other than (number of confirmed locations - 2 (excluding O·D)) as intermediate points 1, ..., n).

[0068] The [Special Vehicle Application Main Table] shown in Table 9 below uses "Linkable Group ID" as the jurisdiction key.

[0069] [Special Vehicle Application Main Table] [Table 9]

[0070] The [Vehicle Group Information Table] shown in Table 10 below manages "Vehicle Registration Numbers" using "Linkable Group ID" as the governing key. It is also conceivable to use the "Representative Vehicle Number" from the "Special Vehicle Online Application Manual" (Road Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; All Japan Truck Association) as the jurisdiction key. However, if the aforementioned "Representative Vehicle Number" is used as the jurisdiction key, the impact of changes would be significant, for example, if the relevant special vehicle is scrapped. Therefore, in this invention, a new "Linkable Group ID" has been established as a logical numbering system.

[0071] [Vehicle Group Information Table] [Table 10] Regarding the [Vehicle Group Information Table], a provisional concept called "Connectable Group ID" will be introduced and used when structuring a vehicle group before formally submitting a special vehicle application.

[0072] [OD Group Information Table] [Table 11] Regarding the [OD Group Information Table], a provisional concept called "Linkable Group ID" will be introduced and used when configuring the OD group before formally submitting a special vehicle application.

[0073] The company special vehicle-related information DB is updated based on the initial registration information in the tables included in the company / base layer, the tables included in the vehicle layer, the tables included in the vehicle supplement layer, and the tables included in the special vehicle application-related layer, and at least one of the current probe information and past accumulated probe information collected from the onboard device installed in the special vehicle.

[0074] The aforementioned current probe information refers to real-time probe information acquired at predetermined transmission intervals from each on-board device installed in the special vehicle. The previously accumulated probe information refers to big data obtained by accumulating current probe information acquired in real time over a predetermined period. There are no particular restrictions on the predetermined period, and it can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose; for example, it could be about six months.

[0075] The aforementioned probe information includes, for example, data items such as "Vehicle ID," "Route ID," "Location (Longitude, Latitude)," "Speed," "Departure Date and Time," "Departure Point (Longitude, Latitude)," "Arrival Date and Time," "Destination (Longitude, Latitude)," "Distance Traveled," and "Travel Time," as shown in Table 12 below.

[0076] [Table 12]

[0077] The "Vehicle ID" data item is used to identify the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed, and is pre-set. The "Driving Route ID" data item is used to identify a driving route, which is a unit of movement from a specific starting point to a specific destination. The data items "Date and Time" and "Location (Longitude, Latitude)" are acquired by the GPS (Global Positioning System) unit installed in each vehicle. The "speed" data item is synchronized with the GPS unit and acquired from the vehicle's axle using the speed sensor on the in-vehicle device. The data items "Departure Date and Time" and "Departure Point (Longitude, Latitude)" represent the departure date and time and the longitude and latitude of the departure point for the relevant travel route. The data items "Arrival Date and Time" and "Destination (Longitude, Latitude)" represent the arrival date and time of the travel route and the longitude and latitude of the destination. The "Distance Traveled" data item represents the distance traveled from the starting point to the current location. The "Travel Time" data item represents the travel time from the starting point to the current location.

[0078] Next, the information stored in the aforementioned corporate special vehicle-related information database includes, for example, (i) static information registered initially, (ii) dynamic information verified during daily operations, (iii) information updated in near real-time, and (iv) information that is fed back as a candidate for correction information as a detection result in a cycle of about six months.

[0079] The static information that is initially registered is saved in the tables included in the <Vehicle Layer>, the tables included in the <Vehicle Supplement Layer>, and the tables included in the <Special Vehicle Application Related Layer> at the time of initial registration (when operations start, when a company / location is added, when a vehicle is added, or when a special vehicle application is made or modified). The information verified during daily operations is dynamically collected and automatically updated to ensure and verify the consistency and up-to-dateness of the special vehicle-related information integrated during daily operations. In addition, to obtain the latest vehicle location information, the "Location Information" and "Latest Date and Time" in the [Single Vehicle / Truck / Trailer Table] of the <Vehicle Layer> are updated sequentially during daily operations.

[0080] In the corporate special vehicle-related information database shown in Figure 2, information is statically registered in the <Corporate / Location Layer>, <Vehicle Layer>, <Vehicle Supplement Layer>, and <Special Vehicle Application Related Layer> during initial registration (start of operation, addition of corporate / location, addition of vehicle, and application / modification of special vehicle).

[0081] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the process of registering information from the transportation company's request and information provided by the AIRS service based on that request into the corporate special vehicle-related information database shown in Figure 2 is performed (solid lines in Figure 3 indicate storage at this registration timing, while dotted lines in Figure 3 indicate storage that is not done at this timing but will be stored separately). Note that the dashed line from the company / location code is the "linkable group ID," which is not stored at this timing but will be stored separately.

[0082] During routine operational verification, the system automatically updates the information in the <Vehicle Layer> and <Special Vehicle Application Related Layer> based on the acquired probe information. Specifically, it collects and verifies information on the "complete set" status of the digital tachograph and GPS tracking device within the same connectable group ID in the [Vehicle Group Information Table] for tractors and trailers. If it is verified that they are in a proper "complete set" state, it automatically updates the "latest verification date and time" in the [Single Vehicle Table] or "Tractor Table" of the <Vehicle Layer> and the [Connecting Study Table] of the <Special Vehicle Application Related Layer>.

[0083] Furthermore, during daily operation, the "location information" and "latest date and time" from the probe information acquired by the digital tachograph, ETC2.0, and GPS tracking devices are saved as "latest location information" in the <vehicle layer>.

[0084] Here, referring to Figure 4, we will explain the relationship between the processing of information in the "Single Vehicle / Tractor / Trailer Table" in the <<Vehicle Layer>> and the information in the [Vehicle Registration Table] and [Coupling Study Table] in the <<Vehicle Supplementary Layer>>.

[0085] As shown in Figure 4, the system searches for a vehicle registration number in the [Single-Bike / Tractor / Trailer Table] that matches the vehicle registration number "Miyazaki 100 ka 1111" in the [Vehicle Registration Table]. This finds that the vehicle registration number in the [Tractor Table] is "Miyazaki 100 ka 1111," and from the [Tractor Table], it can be determined that the chassis number for the vehicle registration number "Miyazaki 100 ka 1111" is "SH1EDX-1234." Next, searching the "chassis number" in the [Coupling Study Table] for a "chassis number" that matches "SH1EDX-1234", we find the chassis number of the "towing vehicle" "SH1EDX-1234", and from the [Coupling Study Table] we find that the chassis number of the "towed vehicle" is "CTB34003-666", and we find that the "Coupling Possible Group ID" between the chassis number of the "towing vehicle" "SH1EDX-1234" and the chassis number of the "towed vehicle" "CTB34003-666" is "T-α·β·γ".

[0086] As shown in Figure 5, by assigning a provisional "connectable group ID" to the trailer for which a special vehicle application is to be submitted, route group information can be obtained through the special vehicle application process, the necessary documents for the special vehicle application can be created, the "connectable group ID" can be finalized, and the necessary special vehicle application can be submitted at that time.

[0087] When applying for special vehicle status, a vehicle group and a route group are required. Already, through the optimal dynamic management function for vehicle groups and OD groups, the vehicle group and OD group linked to a particular trailer are optimally managed as a confirmed base using a provisional "connectable group ID". The route set required when applying for special vehicle permits is derived from a group of locations that include the vehicle depots of the company / location in question. As a method for this, a method for deriving the optimal route set from the "OD" (origin / destination) group has already been proposed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6237801).

[0088] (Special Vehicle Information Management Program) The special vehicle information management program of the present invention selects, based on the transportation performance of one of the storage means for accommodating a transport target, a candidate location that is frequently used among the long-term parking locations of the said storage means, A process to form a group of storage means by selecting one storage means and other storage means that are common to a candidate location that is frequently selected among the long-term parking locations of other storage means, based on the transportation performance of other storage means, for other storage means that accommodate the object to be transported, A process to verify the compatibility of the connection between a transfer means for transferring one of the aforementioned storage means and the aforementioned storage means, and to select a transfer means that is deemed to be compatible for connection and form a transfer means group, The computer is instructed to perform a process to verify the compatibility of the connections between other storage means in the storage means group and each transport means in the transport means group, and to determine a group of vehicles consisting of storage means and transport means that are compatible with each other.

[0089] The special vehicle information management program of the present invention can be, for example, a program that causes a computer to execute the special vehicle information management method of the present invention. Furthermore, a preferred embodiment of the special vehicle information management program of the present invention can be, for example, similar to a preferred embodiment of the special vehicle information management method of the present invention.

[0090] The special vehicle information management program of the present invention can be created using various known programming languages, depending on the configuration of the computer system used and the type and version of the operating system.

[0091] The special vehicle information management program of the present invention may be recorded on a recording medium such as an internal hard disk or an external hard disk, or on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, MO disk, or USB memory. Furthermore, when recording the special vehicle information management program of the present invention on the above-mentioned recording medium, it can be used by directly installing it on a hard disk or through a recording medium reader of a computer system, as needed. Alternatively, the special vehicle information management program of the present invention may be recorded on an external storage area (such as another computer) accessible from the computer system via an information and communication network. In this case, the special vehicle information management program of the present invention recorded on the external storage area can be used by directly installing it on a hard disk or through an information and communication network, as needed. Furthermore, the special vehicle information management program of the present invention may be recorded on multiple recording media, divided into sections for each arbitrary process.

[0092] <Computer-readable recording medium> The computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention records the special vehicle information management program of the present invention. The computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. Examples include internal hard disks, external hard disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, MO disks, USB memory sticks, and the like. Furthermore, the computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention may be a plurality of recording media in which the special vehicle information management program of the present invention is divided and recorded for each arbitrary process.

[0093] In the following section, an example of the technology disclosed in this invention will be described in more detail using an example of the device configuration. Figure 6 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the special vehicle information management device of the present invention. In the special vehicle information management device 100 of the present invention, for example, a control unit 101, a main memory 102, an auxiliary memory 103, an I / O interface 104, a communication interface 105, an input device 106, an output device 107, and a display device 108 are connected via a system bus 109.

[0094] The control unit 101 performs calculations (arithmetic operations, comparison operations, etc.), hardware and software operation control, etc. The control unit 101 may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a part of the machine used in the special vehicle information management method of the present invention, or a combination of these. The control unit 101 implements various functions by executing a program (for example, the special vehicle information management program of the present invention) loaded into the main memory 102 or the like. The processing performed by the storage means group formation means (storage means group formation unit), the transport means group formation means (transport means group formation unit), and the vehicle group determination means (vehicle group determination unit) in the special vehicle information management device of the present invention can be performed, for example, by the control unit 101.

[0095] The main memory 102 stores various programs as well as data necessary for executing those programs. For example, the main memory 102 can be one that includes at least one of ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). ROM stores various programs, such as the BIOS (Basic Input / Output System). There are no particular restrictions on the type of ROM; it can be selected appropriately depending on the purpose, and examples include mask ROM and PROM (Programmable ROM). RAM functions as a working range that is expanded when various programs stored in ROM or auxiliary storage device 103 are executed by the control unit 101. There are no particular restrictions on the type of RAM, and it can be appropriately selected according to the purpose, such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and SRAM (Static Random Access Memory).

[0096] The auxiliary storage device 103 is not particularly limited as long as it can store various types of information, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. Examples include solid-state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs). Alternatively, the auxiliary storage device 103 may be a portable storage device such as a CD drive, DVD drive, or BD (Blu-ray® Disc) drive. Furthermore, the special vehicle information management program of the present invention is stored, for example, in the auxiliary storage device 103, loaded into the RAM (main memory) of the main storage device 102, and executed by the control unit 101.

[0097] The I / O interface 104 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The I / O interface 104 enables data input and output from devices such as CD-ROMs (Compact Disc ROMs), DVD-ROMs (Digital Versatile Disk ROMs), MO disks (Magneto-Optical disks), and USB memory (USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash drives).

[0098] There are no particular restrictions on the communication interface 105, and any known interface can be used as appropriate, such as wireless or wired communication devices.

[0099] The input device 106 is not particularly limited as long as it can receive various requests and information input to the special vehicle information management device 100 of the present invention, and any known device can be used as appropriate, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, or microphone. Furthermore, if the input device 106 is a touch panel (touch display), the input device 106 can also function as the display device 108.

[0100] There are no particular restrictions on the output device 107, and any known device can be used as appropriate, such as a printer. There are no particular restrictions on the display device 108, and any known device can be used as appropriate, such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0101] Figure 7 shows an example of the functional configuration of the special vehicle information management device of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, the special vehicle information management device 100 of the present invention comprises a communication function unit 120, an input function unit 130, an output function unit 140, a display function unit 150, a storage function unit 160, and a control function unit 170.

[0102] The communication function unit 120 transmits and receives various types of data to and from external devices. The communication function unit 120 may also receive data such as probe information from external devices. The input function unit 130 receives, for example, various instructions for the special vehicle information management device 100 of the present invention. The input function unit 130 also receives, for example, probe information from the storage means and the transport means. The output function unit 140 prints out, for example, information regarding the confirmed vehicle group and information regarding the confirmed OD group. The display function unit 150 displays, for example, information regarding the confirmed vehicle group and information regarding the confirmed OD group on the display.

[0103] The memory function unit 160 stores various programs, and also has a corporate special vehicle-related information DB 161, a vehicle group information DB 162, and an OD group information DB 163. Corporate Special Vehicle Related Information DB161 is a database that stores information from the corporate / base layer table, the vehicle layer table, the vehicle supplementary layer table, the special vehicle application related layer table, and the detection result layer table. Vehicle Group Information DB162 is a database that stores information about confirmed vehicle groups. OD group information DB163 is a database that stores information about confirmed OD groups.

[0104] The control function unit 170 includes a housing means group formation unit 171, a transport means group formation unit 172, and a vehicle group determination unit 173. The control function unit 170 executes various programs stored in the memory function unit 160, for example, and controls the operation of the entire special vehicle information management device 100 of the present invention.

[0105] The storage means group forming unit 171 selects a frequently occurring location candidate among the long-term parking locations of a storage means that accommodates an object to be transported, based on the transport record of that storage means, and forms a storage means group by selecting other storage means that have the same location candidate as the selected location candidate. The transport means group formation unit 172 verifies the compatibility of transport means for transporting a single storage means and a storage means common to a company or base, and selects transport means that are compatible with the single storage means to form a transport means group. The vehicle group determination unit 173 verifies the compatibility of the connections between other storage means in the storage means group and each transport means in the transport means group, and determines a vehicle group consisting of storage means and transport means that are compatible with each other.

[0106] Here, Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow in the special vehicle information management method of the present invention. The processing flow of the special vehicle information management method of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figure 7.

[0107] In step S1, the accommodation means group formation unit 171 of the control function unit 170 in the special vehicle information management device 100 selects a candidate location among the long-term parking locations of a single accommodation means that accommodates a transport target, based on the transport record of that single accommodation means, and then selects other accommodation means that have the same candidate location as the candidate location to form an accommodation means group, and then proceeds to S2.

[0108] In step S2, the transport means group formation unit 172 of the control function unit 170 in the special vehicle information management device 100 verifies the linkage validity of a transport means that transports a transport means that is common to one of the aforementioned transport means and a transport means that is common to the company / base. After selecting a transport means that is linkage valid and forming a transport means group, the process moves to S3. The linkage validity verification process is as shown in Figure 9, which will be described later.

[0109] In step S3, the vehicle group determination unit 173 of the control function unit 170 in the special vehicle information management device 100 verifies the compatibility of the connections between other storage means in the storage means group and each transport means in the transport means group. Once it determines a vehicle group consisting of storage means and transport means that are compatible with each other, it terminates this process. The verification process for compatibility of connections is shown in Figure 9, which will be described later.

[0110] Next, Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow for verifying the compatibility of the connection between a trailer as a means of storage and a tractor as a means of transport. The process flow for verifying the compatibility of the connection between trailer S and tractor H will be explained below with reference to Figure 7, Table 3, Table 7, and Table 8. Trailer S is equipped with a GPS tracking device (e.g., a GPS tracker), and tractor H is equipped with a digital tachograph. Note that the process for verifying the compatibility of the connection may change depending on whether or not a sharing mechanism is present. The connection compatibility function, when confined to a specific company or location, involves processes S11 to S23, but when a sharing mechanism is present, it involves processes S11 to S26.

[0111] In step S11, if the GPS tracking device ID is set in the trailer table of trailer S, and if there is one month's worth of location information for the GPS tracking device (probe information for trailer S), the process proceeds to S12.

[0112] In step S12, if the digital tachograph ID for tractor H is set in the tractor table and one month's worth of location information for the digital tachograph (probe information for tractor H) is available, the process proceeds to S13.

[0113] In step S13, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 confirms, based on the probe information of the trailer S and the probe information of the tractor H, whether the trailer S and the tractor H were in a "single set" (substantially identical) state, and then proceeds to S14. The "single set" (substantially identical) state can be confirmed, for example, by the same method as in Embodiment 2 of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-087036.

[0114] In step S14, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines whether the trailer S and tractor H have a history of being in a "set" state. If there is a history of being in a "set" state, the process moves to S16; otherwise, the process moves to S15.

[0115] In step S15, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines that the coupling validity of the trailer S and tractor H is NG (not valid), and terminates this process.

[0116] In step S16, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines whether the model of tractor H is listed in the vehicle registration table (Table 7) of trailer S as a connectable model. If the model of tractor H is listed, the process moves to S18; otherwise, the process moves to S17.

[0117] In step S17, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines that the coupling validity of the trailer S and tractor H is NG (not valid), and terminates this process.

[0118] In step S18, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines whether the trailer S model is listed in the connectable model table (Table 7) of the tractor H. If the trailer S model is listed, the process moves to S20; otherwise, the process moves to S19.

[0119] In step S19, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines that the coupling validity of the trailer S and tractor H is NG (not valid), and terminates this process.

[0120] In step S20, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines whether a "coupling study table" exists, which is searched using the chassis numbers of the trailer S and tractor H. If a coupling study table (Table 8) exists, the process moves to S22; if a coupling study table does not exist, the process moves to S21.

[0121] In step S21, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines that the coupling validity of the trailer S and tractor H is NG (not compatible), and terminates this process. If a "coupling study table" for the trailer S and tractor H does not exist, there is a possibility that the trailer S and tractor H are incompatible.

[0122] In step S22, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines whether the trailer S and the tractor H belong to the same company / location. If they belong to the same company / location, the process moves to S23; otherwise, the process moves to S24.

[0123] In step S23, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines that the coupling validity of the trailer S and tractor H is OK (coupling valid), and terminates this process.

[0124] In step S24, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines whether the relationship evaluation value of the inter-company relationship table (Table 3) retrieved from the company / location codes of the trailer S and tractor H is 4 or higher. If the relationship evaluation value is 4 or higher, the process moves to S26; otherwise, the process moves to S25.

[0125] In step S25, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines that the coupling validity of the trailer S and tractor H is NG (not valid), and terminates this process.

[0126] In step S26, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines that the coupling of the trailer S and the tractor H is OK (coupling is valid), and terminates this process.

[0127] The connection validity of trailer S and tractor H is considered OK (connection validity) to mean that when trailer S and tractor H travel to the same "OD" (origin / destination), there is legal and technical justification for the "set" (substantially identical) state of trailer S and tractor H. [Examples]

[0128] The following describes embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments.

[0129] (Example 1) <Vehicle Group Information Management> The key to vehicle group information management technology lies in first establishing and constructing the concept of a storage group by focusing on the movement of trailers, which are the storage means, rather than tractors, which are the means of transport. Then, taking into account various pieces of information and their relationship with tractors, the vehicle group of trailers and tractors is constructed. Trailers are designed to be parked for extended periods at locations where loading and unloading of cargo is necessary, whereas tractors are primarily for towing trailers and do not typically park for extended periods at loading and unloading locations. Therefore, a subordinate judgment must be made based on the "complete set" (essentially identical) state.

[0130] The vehicle group information management process, as part of the optimal dynamic management of vehicle groups and OD groups, operates automatically and routinely once the company / location code and the vehicle registration number of the target trailer are specified. As shown in Figure 10, vehicle group information management consists of a main process and sub-processes.

[0131] <Sub-processing for vehicle group information management> In the sub-processing of vehicle group information management, location candidate selection processing is performed. We identify locations where the trailer S1 has been parked for extended periods from its movement history (probe information). For example, extracting the number of times the trailer was parked for more than two hours in the last three months reveals six locations (x1 to x6) where the trailer was parked for extended periods, as shown in Figure 11. The frequency of these parking occurrences is shown in Table 13 below.

[0132] [Table 13] Based on the results in Table 13, selecting the three locations with the highest frequency of parking out of the six long-term parking locations results in the long-term parking locations x5, x3, and x6 shown in Table 14 below, which are selected as "candidate locations".

[0133] [Table 14]

[0134] Here, Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the site candidate selection process. The site candidate selection process will be explained below with reference to Figures 7, 13, and 14.

[0135] In step S31, when the vehicle registration number of the target trailer S1 is specified, the control function unit 170 in the special vehicle information management device 100 proceeds to S32.

[0136] In step S32, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 collects location information from the movement history of the trailer S1 indicating that it has been parked or stopped in the same place for a predetermined period of time or longer, and then proceeds to process S33. "Parking in the same location for a specified period or duration" means, for example, collecting location information for parking in the same location for two hours or more within the last three months. "Same location" means that the GPS values ​​are the same.

[0137] In step S33, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 sorts all the collected location information in order of latitude and longitude, extracts those that are within a certain range, determines a representative location, and then proceeds to S34. A typical area is a square with sides of 400m, as shown in Figure 13. 400m corresponds to 16 seconds in all directions (east, west, north, south) at approximately 36 degrees north latitude. The representative position is, for example, the midpoint (average) x1 of position information p1, p2, p3, and p4 within a square section with sides of 400m, as shown in Figure 13.

[0138] In step S34, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines whether there are other representative positions in the vicinity of the confirmed representative position. If there are other representative positions in the vicinity, the process moves to S35; if there are no other representative positions in the vicinity, the process moves to S36.

[0139] In step S35, if multiple other representative positions exist in the vicinity, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 creates a section twice the length and combines them to determine the enlarged representative position, then proceeds to S34. As shown in Figure 14, if representative positions x1 and x2 are in close proximity, the area is expanded to a square section with sides of 800m, and the midpoint average point X1 is designated as the expanded representative position.

[0140] In step S36, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 sorts the locations in descending order of the number of location information entries included in all representative location sections, and then proceeds to S37. If no location information exists for a given area, that location information itself becomes the representative location. Similarly, any expanded representative location is also referred to as a representative location.

[0141] In step S37, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 selects a predetermined location in descending order of the number of location information points, and once the candidate location for the trailer S1 is determined, this process ends. The predetermined location refers to, for example, three locations where parking and stopping are frequent.

[0142] <Main processing for vehicle group information management> First, the company / location code T-α·β and the vehicle registration number of the target trailer S1 are specified. Next, for each trailer in the set of trailers whose company / location code is T-α·β, the location candidate selection process shown in Figure 12 above is performed. Next, trailers that have the same candidate locations as trailer S1 (for example, the three most frequent locations, regardless of their ranking) are selected to form the trailer group (S1, S2, S3, ...Sn) shown in Figure 15(a). Next, for each tractor in the set of tractors with company / location codes T-α and T-β listed in the vehicle registration table (Table 7) of trailer S1, we check whether the connection validity in combination with trailer S1 as shown in Figure 15(b) is OK as shown in Figure 9 above. Tractors whose connection validity with trailer S1 as shown in Figure 9 is OK (connection valid) are selected to form the tractor groups (H1, H2, H3, ...Hm) shown in Figure 15(c). Next, as shown in Figure 15(d), for each trailer in the trailer group, a tractor is selected from the trailer's vehicle registration table (Table 7) that is compatible with the trailer and has a proven track record of being compatible with the trailer as shown in Figure 9. As a result, as shown in Figure 15(e), the vehicle group is determined based on the specified company / location code and the trailer's vehicle registration number. Next, for the confirmed vehicle groups, a provisional "connectable group ID" T-α·β·γ is assigned, and as shown in Figure 20, it is registered and added to the vehicle group information table (Table 10) and the connection study table (Table 8).

[0143] Here, Figure 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the main processing flow for vehicle group information management. The main processing flow for vehicle group information management will be explained below with reference to Figures 7, 17, 18, 19, Tables 7, 8, and 10.

[0144] In step S41, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 is selected for the trailer S1 whose company / base code is T-α / β. After performing the location candidate selection process shown in Figure 12 for the trailer S1, the process moves to S42.

[0145] In step S42, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines whether the company / base code is T-α·β and whether there are other trailers other than trailer S1. If other trailers exist, the process moves to S43; if no other trailers exist, the process moves to S44.

[0146] In step S43, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 performs the location candidate selection process shown in Figure 12 for trailers other than trailer S1, and then proceeds to S42.

[0147] In step S44, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 selects other trailers that have the same location candidate as trailer S1 to form a trailer group, and then proceeds to S45. For the same candidate location, for example, the three most frequent locations are selected, regardless of their ranking. Furthermore, candidate locations can be either representative locations or expanded representative locations. For example, Figure 17 shows the case where representative location x1 is included within expanded representative location Y1; Figure 18 shows the case where the intervals of representative location x1 and expanded representative location Y1 slightly overlap; and Figure 19 shows the case where the intervals of representative location x1 and expanded representative location Y1 do not overlap. In Figures 17 and 18, representative location x1 and expanded representative location Y1 belong to the same candidate location, while in Figure 19, representative location x1 and expanded representative location Y1 do not belong to the same candidate location.

[0148] In step S45, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines whether there is a tractor of the type that can be connected to the trailer S1, given that the company / base code is T-α·β and the vehicle registration table (Table 7) for the trailer S1. If there is a tractor of the type that can be connected to the trailer, the process moves to S46; if there is no tractor of the type that can be connected to the trailer, the process moves to S47.

[0149] In step S46, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 verifies the compatibility of the tractor and trailer S1 with the type of connectable tractor as shown in Figure 9, and then proceeds to process S45.

[0150] In step S47, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 selects only tractors that are OK (compatible with the trailer S1) to form a tractor group, and then proceeds to S48.

[0151] In step S48, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines whether there are any other trailers besides trailer S1 in the trailer group. If there are other trailers besides trailer S1, the process moves to S49. If there are no other trailers besides trailer S1, the process moves to S52.

[0152] In step S49, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 verifies the validity of the connection between trailers other than trailer S1 and each tractor in the tractor group as shown in Figure 9, and then proceeds to S50.

[0153] In step S50, the control function unit 170 of the special vehicle information management device 100 determines whether the connection validity between trailers other than trailer S1 and each tractor in the tractor group is NG (not valid). If the connection validity is NG (not valid), the process moves to S48; otherwise, the process moves to S51.

[0154] In step S51, when the control function unit 170 in the special vehicle information management device 100 removes a trailer with NG (not properly connected) connection validity from the trailer group and a tractor with NG (not properly connected) connection validity from the tractor group, the process proceeds to S52.

[0155] In step S52, the control function unit 170 in the special vehicle information management device 100 numbers T-α·β·γ, which is a temporary connectable group ID, after the vehicle group is determined, and registers and adds them to the vehicle group information table (Table 10) and the connection consideration document table (Table 8) as shown in FIG. 20, and then completes this process.

[0156] (Example 2) <OD Group Information Management> The process of OD group information management operates daily and automatically after the company / base code and the vehicle registration number of the target trailer are specified as part of the process of optimal dynamic management of the vehicle group and OD group. The structure of the process of OD group information management is processed referring to the vehicle group and location candidates of the vehicle group information management as shown in FIG. 21. That is, it is processed referring to the vehicle group and location candidates of trailer S1.

[0157] Here, for the section managed as "OD" (origin-destination), for example, as shown in FIG. 22, when the trailer parks for a long time at location B for loading and unloading of goods and cargo, in the case where the tractor goes from location A to location B without towing, connects the trailer at location B, and then tows the trailer to location C, it is sufficient to manage location B~location C as OD.

[0158] First, from Example 1, the vehicle group is composed of 3 trailers and 2 tractors as follows. However, since the section managed as OD is the section where the trailer is towed by the tractor (see FIG. 22), attention is paid to the trailer group. Next, the candidate locations for trailer S1 are as shown in Table 13 above. Adding the candidate locations for trailers S4 and Sn to the candidate locations for trailer S1 results in the following Table 15.

[0159] [Table 15] The representative locations in Table 15 represent the parking and stopping locations of each trailer. The candidate locations are representative locations that constitute the trailer group, based on the most frequent locations of the specified trailer S1. These are the top three most frequent locations for trailer S1, so there may be multiple locations, such as trailer S4, and the order of frequency may also differ. Furthermore, although they are intrinsic locations, some candidate locations may overlap with those of trailer S1. The degree of frequency is based on the specified trailer S1; for example, x1 in trailer Sn could be the most frequent location.

[0160] In OD group information management, all potential locations (confirmed locations) for trailers within a vehicle group are managed. In this case, the frequency of long-term parking does not affect the management. That is, any location where a long-term parking has occurred even once is included as a confirmed location. Therefore, with company / location codes T-α and β, the confirmed locations based on the vehicle registration number of the target trailer S1 are "x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x7, x8, x9"—a total of nine locations. This ensures that all locations where trailer S1 has been parked for extended periods are comprehensively and reliably managed as confirmed locations. Next, as shown in Figure 23, the provisional "linkable group ID" T-α·β·γ is registered and added to the OD group information table for the confirmed OD group information. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0161] 100 Special vehicle information management device 101 Control Unit 102 Main storage 103 Auxiliary storage device 104 I / O Interfaces 105 Communication Interface 106 Input device 107 Output device 108 Display device 109 System Bus 120 Communication Function Unit 130 Input Function Unit 140 Output Function Section 150 Display function section 160 Memory Function Unit 161 Corporate Special Vehicle Related Information Database 162 Vehicle Group Information Database 163 OD group information DB 170 Control Function Unit 171 Housing means group forming section 172 Transfer means group forming section 173 Vehicle Group Confirmation Section

Claims

1. For a single storage means that accommodates the object to be transported, a candidate location is selected based on the transportation record of the said storage means, which is a high-frequency location among the long-term parking locations of the said storage means, A process for forming a storage means group by selecting one storage means and other storage means that are common to a candidate location that is frequently selected among the long-term parking locations of other storage means, based on the transportation performance of other storage means, for other storage means that accommodate the object to be transported, and other storage means, A transfer means group formation step involves verifying the compatibility of the transfer means for transferring one of the aforementioned storage means with respect to the transfer means, selecting the transfer means that are deemed to be compatible with the connection, and forming a transfer means group. A vehicle group determination step involves verifying the compatibility of the connections between other storage means in the storage means group and each transport means in the transport means group, and determining a vehicle group consisting of storage means and transport means that are compatible with each other. A computer-based method for managing special vehicle information, characterized by including the following:

2. The special vehicle information management method executed by a computer according to claim 1, wherein the candidate location is either a representative location which is the average of the long-term parking locations of one of the accommodation means, or an expanded representative location selected by expanding the extracted area if a different representative location exists in the vicinity of the representative location, and the representative location and the expanded representative location are selected in order of frequency from one to the other.

3. The verification of the connection validity described above, (1) Whether the receiving means has a first probe and the transporting means has a second probe, and whether the position information X1 at time X in the first probe information obtained from the first probe and the position information X2 at substantially the same time as time X in the second probe information obtained from a second probe different from the first probe information are substantially the same, and whether the position information Y1 at time Y sampled after time X in the first probe information and the position information Y2 at substantially the same time as time Y in the second probe information are substantially the same, (2) Whether the transport means is described as a type that can be connected to the vehicle registration certificate of the storage means, (3) Whether the storage means is described as a type that can be connected to the vehicle registration certificate of the transport means, (4) Whether or not there is a document showing the connection of the combination of the transport means and the storage means. A special vehicle information management method performed by a computer according to any one of claims 1 to 2, which is carried out by determining the above.

4. A special vehicle information management method performed by a computer according to any one of claims 1 to 2, comprising a confirmed base selection step of selecting individual long-term parking locations of the storage means included in the vehicle group as confirmed bases.

5. For a single storage means that accommodates the object to be transported, a candidate location is selected based on the transportation record of the said storage means, which is a high-frequency location among the long-term parking locations of the said storage means, A means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for which one of the means for forming a means for forming a means for forming a means for which a candidate location is frequently selected among the long-term parking locations of the other means for which the means for accommodating the object to be transported has been selected based on the transport record of the other means for which the other means for which the other means for which the object to be transported has a common characteristic, and a candidate location among the long-term parking locations of the other means for which A transport means for transporting one of the aforementioned storage means verifies the compatibility of the transport means with the aforementioned storage means, selects a transport means that is compatible with the transport means, and forms a transport means group, A vehicle group determination means that verifies the compatibility of the connection between other storage means in the storage means group and each transport means in the transport means group, and determines a group of vehicles consisting of storage means and transport means that are compatible with each other. A special vehicle information management device characterized by having the following features.

6. For a single storage means that accommodates the object to be transported, a candidate location is selected based on the transportation record of the said storage means, which is a high-frequency location among the long-term parking locations of the said storage means, A process to form a group of storage means by selecting one storage means and other storage means that are common to a candidate location that is frequently selected among the long-term parking locations of other storage means, based on the transportation performance of other storage means, for other storage means that accommodate the object to be transported, A process to verify the compatibility of the connection between a transfer means for transferring one of the aforementioned storage means and the aforementioned storage means, and to select a transfer means that is deemed to be compatible for the connection and form a transfer means group, A process to verify the compatibility of the connections between other storage means in the storage means group and each transport means in the transport means group, and to determine a group of vehicles consisting of storage means and transport means that are compatible with each other. A special vehicle information management program characterized by having a computer perform the following actions.

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