Data distribution management system, data distribution management method, and data distribution management program

Abstract

A data distribution management system (90) includes a data distribution management device (200). The data distribution management device (200) includes: a usage status data acquisition unit (230) that acquires usage status data, which is provided by a mobility as a service (MaaS) related business and which indicates the usage status, in a data usage device (400), of usage data including at least part of provided data corresponding to the movement of a movement target; and a usage status data transmission unit (240) that transmits usage status data as data corresponding to the provided data to a data value calculation device (300), which includes an incentive calculation unit (310) that calculates an incentive for the MaaS related business to provide the provided data on the basis of the usage status data.

Description

Data distribution management system, data distribution management method, and data distribution management program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a data distribution management system, a data distribution management method, and a data distribution management program.

[0002] In the coming MaaS (Mobility as a Service) society, smart mobility solutions are expected to be realized by forming a federated ecosystem in which multiple stakeholders, such as transportation operators and other transportation medium operators, coexist and exchange information. To realize smart mobility solutions, data collaboration among stakeholders is required. A data distribution management system is a core component of data collaboration among stakeholders. Furthermore, to realize MaaS, collaboration among multiple operators is essential to increase each operator's transportation revenue, such as by sharing facility data and information data among multiple operators. Patent Document 1 (Patent Document 1) discloses a system that automatically reserves taxis using a central processing device that requests a taxi from a taxi dispatch system based on user entry date and time information, train operation status, etc., and a taxi dispatch system that transmits the results of the dispatch request to the central processing device.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-185494

[0004] Patent Literature 1 discloses a system for efficiently dispatching taxis using data provided by railway operators. However, Patent Literature 1 does not disclose or suggest a mechanism for grasping the utilization status, such as the number of times taxi operators have utilized data provided by the railway operators or the profits obtained by the taxi operators using the data, calculating incentives for the railway operators that provide the data based on the grasped utilization status, and providing the calculated incentives to the railway operators. Therefore, when the technology disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is used, there is a problem that MaaS-related operators, such as railway operators, may not provide data because there is little benefit for them in providing data.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to encourage MaaS-related businesses to provide data by setting a benefit for the MaaS-related businesses providing data.

[0006] The data distribution management system according to the present disclosure comprises a data distribution management device including: a utilization status data acquisition unit that acquires utilization status data indicating a utilization status in a data utilization device of utilization data provided by a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) related business and including at least a portion of provided data, which is data corresponding to the movement of a moving object; and a utilization status data transmission unit that transmits the utilization status data as data corresponding to the provided data to a data value calculation device that includes an incentive calculation unit that calculates an incentive for the MaaS related business to provide the provided data based on the utilization status data.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the incentive calculation unit calculates an incentive for the MaaS-related business to provide the provided data. Here, the calculated incentive may be set as a benefit for the MaaS-related business to provide the data. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, by setting a benefit for the MaaS-related business to provide the data, it is possible to encourage the MaaS-related business to provide the data.

[0008] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data distribution management system 90 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram explaining incentives according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram explaining incentives according to the first embodiment, where (a) is a table showing added points according to freshness, (b) is a table showing added points according to a sampling period, and (c) is a table showing added points according to the number of significant digits. FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining incentives according to the first embodiment, where (a) is a table showing added points according to profits, and (b) is a table showing added points according to the number of references. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the data distribution management system 90 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining processing according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the data distribution management system 90 according to the modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram explaining incentives according to the modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining processing according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the data distribution management system 90 according to the modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a data providing device 100 according to the modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data distribution management system 90 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data distribution management system 90 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the data distribution management system 90 according to the third embodiment.

[0009] In the description of the embodiments and the drawings, the same elements and corresponding elements are given the same reference numerals. The description of elements given the same reference numerals will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. Arrows in the drawings mainly indicate the flow of data or the flow of processing. Furthermore, "unit" may be read as "circuit," "step," "procedure," "process," or "circuitry" as appropriate.

[0010] First Embodiment Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] ***Description of Configuration*** FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a data distribution management system 90 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the data distribution management system 90 comprises a data providing device 100, a data distribution management device 200, a data value calculation device 300, and a data utilization device 400. The data providing device 100 comprises, as a functional component, a provided data transmission unit 110. As a specific example, the data providing device 100 is a server that collects data from a railway operator's traffic management system or a transfer application. The data distribution management device 200 comprises, as functional components, a provided data acquisition unit 210, a utilized data transmission unit 220, a utilization status data acquisition unit 230, a utilization status data transmission unit 240, a provided data storage unit 291, and a utilization status data storage unit 292. The data value calculation device 300 comprises, as functional components, an incentive calculation unit 310 and a data usage fee calculation unit 320. The data value calculation device 300 calculates an incentive for the data providing device 100 providing the provided data, and a data usage fee for the data utilization device 400. The data utilization device 400 includes, as functional components, a utilization data acquisition unit 410 and a utilization status data transmission unit 420. Specific examples of the data utilization device 400 include a taxi dispatch device or a bus operation management device.

[0012] The provided data transmission unit 110 transmits the provided data to the data distribution management device 200. The provided data is data provided by a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) related business, and corresponds to the movement of a moving object. The provided data is composed of at least one of facility-related data and information-related data of the MaaS related business, and a specific example is data related to train operation management. The facility-related data is data acquired in the facilities of the MaaS related business, and a specific example is data indicating the status of the facilities or data indicating people staying at the facilities. The information-related data is data related to movement using services provided by the MaaS related business, and a specific example is operation management information, tracking information on the location of objects, or information indicating each customer's movement history or movement schedule.

[0013] A MaaS-related business is a business that carries out a business related to MaaS, and is a data provider that acquires information regarding the movement of a moving object or processes information regarding the movement of a moving object. A moving object is a person or object moving toward a destination. Multiple people or multiple objects, such as a group of people, may be considered as a single moving object. Specific examples of MaaS-related businesses include railway operators, bus operators, taxi operators, car rental businesses, bicycle rental businesses, or businesses that operate transfer applications. Businesses that manage or operate buildings where people who travel by rail or other means stay, and that track people's movements using surveillance cameras or the like, may also be considered MaaS-related businesses.

[0014] The provided data acquisition unit 210 acquires the provided data.

[0015] The provided data storage unit 291 stores the provided data. Specific examples of the provided data include data indicating the freshness of the provided data and data indicating usage restrictions on the provided data. The freshness of the provided data is an index determined according to the time elapsed since the provided data was acquired. The higher the freshness of the provided data, the more recently acquired the provided data is.

[0016] The utilization data transmission unit 220 regards data including at least a part of the provided data stored in the provided data storage unit 291 as utilization data, and transmits the utilization data to the data utilization device 400. If there are usage restrictions on the provided data, the utilization data corresponding to the provided data is data that complies with the usage restrictions on the provided data.

[0017] The utilization status data acquisition unit 230 acquires utilization status data from the data utilization device 400. The utilization status data is data indicating the utilization status of the utilization data in the data utilization device 400. Specifically, the utilization status data is data indicating identification information of the provided data corresponding to the utilization data utilized by the data utilization device 400 and the gain obtained by the data utilization device 400 or the data user using the data utilization device 400 by utilizing the utilization data. The gain may be interpreted as revenue or profit. The gain may also be a non-monetary benefit, such as time saved by utilizing the utilization data. When the data utilization device 400 obtains a gain by using the utilization data and other data, the value of the gain corresponding to the utilization data may be a value obtained by multiplying the obtained gain by the contribution rate of the utilization data. The data user is a business operator or the like that utilizes the utilization data, such as a taxi business operator or a bus business operator. Note that if the data utilization device 400 does not appropriately provide information indicating the gain corresponding to the utilization data, a penalty, such as restricting the provision of new utilization data, may be imposed on the data utilization device 400.

[0018] The utilization status data storage unit 292 stores utilization status data in which provided data is associated with data indicating the freshness of the provided data when it is utilized.

[0019] The utilization status data transmission unit 240 transmits utilization status data as data corresponding to the provided data to the data value calculation device 300. Furthermore, in preparation for cases where the incentive calculation unit 310 calculates the value of the data based on the attributes or granularity of the data, the utilization status data transmission unit 240 transmits metadata of the utilized data to the data value calculation device 300 as necessary. Metadata is data related to data, and is data indicating supplementary information related to the main data.

[0020] The incentive calculation unit 310 calculates an incentive for the MaaS-related business operator to provide provided data corresponding to the utilization status data based on the utilization status data, and transmits incentive information indicating the calculated incentive to the data providing device 100. The incentive calculation unit 310 may calculate the incentive according to the freshness of the provided data. Specific examples of the policy for calculating the incentive by the incentive calculation unit 310 (incentive calculation policy) are classified into three types: a classification based on the type of data (Classification A), a classification based on the granularity of the data (Classification B), and a classification based on the utilization status (Classification C). Specific examples of policies included in each classification are described below. Note that the incentive calculation unit 310 may calculate incentives by adopting multiple policies. Here, the multiple policies may span multiple classifications.

[0021] (Category A) Policy A-1: ​​A policy that sets high incentives when data directly linked to personal information is provided. Policy A-2: A policy that sets high incentives when unprocessed data is provided. Policy A-3: A policy that sets low incentives when unprocessed data is provided, anticipating the effort required to appropriately process the provided data (such as anonymization in the case of personal information). Policy A-4: A policy that sets high incentives when data related to power consumption is provided. Policy A-5: A policy that sets high incentives when data related to traffic management is provided. Policy A-6: A policy that sets high incentives when data collected using sensors is provided. Policy A-7: A policy that calculates incentives based on information regarding the location where the data was acquired. As a specific example, a policy that sets high incentives for data acquired on board vehicles and low incentives for data acquired on the ground. As another specific example, a policy that sets high incentives for data acquired outside station premises and low incentives for data acquired inside station premises. A specific example of data acquired outside station premises is sensor data from railway equipment. Policy A-8: A policy to increase incentives when data obtained through communication between the vehicle and the ground is provided.

[0022] 2 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of added points when the incentive calculation unit 310 adopts a policy included in category A. The incentive calculation unit 310 checks the type of data indicated by the metadata of the utilized data, and if the checked data type corresponds to the data type shown in the table of FIG. 2, adds the corresponding points to the incentive.

[0023] (Category B) Policy B-1: When fresh data is utilized, a policy that sets high incentives by recognizing the value of the newness of the data. Policy B-2: When less fresh data is utilized, a policy that sets high incentives by anticipating the costs of managing the data. Policy B-3: A policy that sets incentives according to the level of data provided. As a specific example, a policy that sets high incentives when more detailed or more specific information is provided.

[0024] FIG. 3 illustrates a specific example of points added when the incentive calculation unit 310 adopts a policy included in category B. FIG. 3(a) is a table showing points added according to freshness, FIG. 3(b) is a table showing points added according to the sampling period, and FIG. 3(c) is a table showing points added according to the number of significant digits. Note that FIG. 3(a) is a table corresponding to policy B-1, and the order of points added in the table corresponding to policy B-2 is the reverse of the order shown in FIG. 3(a). FIG. 3(b) is a specific example of sensor data from railway equipment, and the value associated with a short sampling period may differ depending on the type of data. When using FIG. 3(a), the incentive calculation unit 310 checks the time elapsed since the data was provided by referring to the timestamp indicated in the metadata of the utilization data, and adds points to the incentive according to the freshness of the data. When using FIG. 3(b), the incentive calculation unit 310 checks the sampling period of the data indicated in the metadata of the utilization data, and adds more points to the incentive for data with a shorter sampling period. 3C, the incentive calculation unit 310 checks the number of significant digits of the data indicated by the metadata of the utilization data, and adds more points to the incentive as the data has finer granularity. The granularity may be determined according to the unit indicated by the metadata, etc.

[0025] (Classification C) Policy C-1: A policy that sets high incentives when data is provided that is used multiple times or when the data user generates large profits from the provided data.

[0026] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of added points when the incentive calculation unit 310 adopts a policy included in category C. Fig. 4(a) is a table showing added points according to profits, and Fig. 4(b) is a table showing added points according to the number of times of reference. As shown in Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b), when the data user utilizes the utilized data, the incentive calculation unit 310 adds points to the incentive according to the profit the data user has obtained by utilizing the utilized data, or the number of times the data user references the utilized data, etc.

[0027] The data usage fee calculation unit 320 calculates the data usage fee for the utilization of the utilized data by the data utilization device 400 based on the utilization status data, and transmits data usage fee information indicating the calculated data usage fee to the data utilization device 400. The higher the corresponding incentive for provided data, the higher the data usage fee will usually be. As a specific example, the formula for calculating the data usage fee is (usage fee for the data distribution management device 200) + (fixed percentage of the incentive).

[0028] The data providing device 100 is a computer, and includes hardware components such as a processor 11, a memory 12, a storage 13, and a communication interface 14. These hardware components are connected as appropriate via signal lines. The data providing device 100 may be made up of multiple computers. The hardware configurations of the data distribution management device 200, the data value calculation device 300, and the data utilization device 400 are the same as the hardware configuration of the data providing device 100. Two or more devices that make up the data distribution management system 90 may be configured integrally as appropriate. The data distribution management device 200 is also called a first computer. The data value calculation device 300 is also called a second computer.

[0029] The processor 11 is an integrated circuit (IC) that performs arithmetic processing and controls the hardware of the computer. Specific examples of the processor 11 include a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), or a graphics processing unit (GPU). The data providing device 100 may include multiple processors that replace the processor 11. The multiple processors share the role of the processor 11. The processors 21, 31, and 41 are each similar to the processor 11.

[0030] The memory 12 is typically a volatile storage device, and a specific example is RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 12 is also called a primary storage device or main memory. Data stored in the memory 12 is saved in the storage 13 as needed. Each of the memory 22, the memory 32, and the memory 42 is similar to the memory 12.

[0031] The storage 13 is typically a non-volatile storage device, and specific examples thereof include a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or a flash memory. Data stored in the storage 13 is loaded into the memory 12 as needed. Each of the storage 23, the storage 33, and the storage 43 is similar to the storage 13. The memory 12 and the storage 13 may be configured integrally.

[0032] The communication interface 14 is a receiver and a transmitter. Specific examples of the communication interface 14 include a communication chip or a NIC (Network Interface Card). The communication interfaces 24, 34, and 44 are similar to the communication interface 14. Each part of the data distribution management system 90 may use the communication interface 14 as appropriate when communicating with other devices, etc.

[0033] The storage of each device that constitutes the data distribution management system 90 stores a program that realizes the function of each functional component. The program stored in each device is loaded into the memory of each device by the processor of each device and executed by the processor of each device. This realizes the function of each functional component of each device. The programs stored in the storage of each device are collectively called the data distribution management program.

[0034] Data used when executing the data distribution management program and data obtained by executing the data distribution management program are stored in a storage device as appropriate. Each part of the data distribution management system 90 uses a storage device as appropriate. As a specific example, the storage device consists of at least one of the memory 12, storage 13, a register in the processor 11, and a cache memory in the processor 11. Note that the terms "data" and "information" may have the same meaning. The storage device may be independent of the computer. The functions of the memory 12 and storage 13 may be realized by other storage devices.

[0035] The data distribution management program may be recorded on a computer-readable non-volatile recording medium. Specific examples of the non-volatile recording medium include an optical disk and a flash memory. The data distribution management program may be provided as a program product.

[0036] ***Explanation of Operation*** The operation procedure of the data distribution management system 90 corresponds to a data distribution management method. Also, the program that realizes the operation of the data distribution management system 90 corresponds to a data distribution management program.

[0037] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the data distribution management system 90. The operation of the data distribution management system 90 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0038] (Step S101 ) The provided data transmission unit 110 transmits provided data held by a MaaS-related business to the data distribution management device 200 .

[0039] (Step S102) The data providing device 100 acquires incentive information from the data value calculation device 300. Note that when the incentive calculation unit 310 adopts a policy included in category A or a policy included in category B, the data provider may be able to receive an incentive for providing the data even if the provided data is not utilized.

[0040] (Step S201 ) The provided data acquisition unit 210 acquires provided data from the data providing device 100 .

[0041] (Step S202) The provided data acquisition unit 210 associates the acquired provided data with data indicating the freshness of the acquired provided data and data indicating usage restrictions on the acquired provided data, and stores the associated provided data in the provided data storage unit 291.

[0042] (Step S203) The utilization data transmission unit 220 acquires data indicating a request for providing utilization data from the data utilization device 400.

[0043] (Step S204) The utilization data transmission unit 220 transmits data including at least a part of the provided data corresponding to the provision request indicated by the acquired data to the data utilization device 400 as utilization data.

[0044] (Step S205 ) The utilization status data acquisition unit 230 acquires utilization status data from the data utilization device 400 .

[0045] (Step S206) The utilization status data acquisition unit 230 associates the acquired utilization status data with data indicating the freshness of the utilization data when the utilization data was utilized in the data utilization device 400, and stores the associated utilization status data in the utilization status data storage unit 292.

[0046] (Step S301) The incentive calculation unit 310 calculates an incentive for the data providing device 100 providing the provided data corresponding to the utilized data, based on the characteristics of the utilized data and the utilization status indicated by the utilization status data corresponding to the utilized data. The data usage fee calculation unit 320 calculates a data usage fee for the data utilization device 400 using the utilized data, based on the characteristics of the utilized data and the utilization status indicated by the utilization status data corresponding to the utilized data.

[0047] (Step S302) The incentive calculation unit 310 transmits incentive information indicating the calculated incentive to the data providing device 100. The data usage fee calculation unit 320 transmits data usage fee information indicating the calculated data usage fee to the data utilization device 400.

[0048] (Step S401) The utilization data acquisition unit 410 transmits data indicating a request for providing utilization data to the data distribution management device 200.

[0049] (Step S402) The utilization data acquisition unit 410 acquires utilization data corresponding to the provision request from the data distribution management device 200.

[0050] (Step S403) The utilization status data transmission unit 420 utilizes the acquired utilization data to generate utilization status data indicating the results of utilization of the utilization data, and transmits the generated utilization status data to the data distribution management device 200.

[0051] (Step S404) The data utilization device 400 acquires data usage fee information from the data value calculation device 300.

[0052] ***Explanation of Effect of First Embodiment*** Conventional technologies have a problem in that "MaaS-related businesses may not provide data because there is little benefit to them in providing data." In contrast, in the present embodiment, each piece of utilization data utilized by a data user is managed in association with utilization status data indicating the benefit the data user has gained by utilizing each piece of utilization data. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to grasp the utilization status of each piece of utilization data by the data user. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the value of each piece of provided data is calculated based on the benefit indicated by the utilization status data corresponding to each piece of provided data and information such as freshness managed in association with each piece of provided data. An incentive corresponding to the calculated value is presented to the data provider, making it easier for the data provider to appreciate the benefit of providing data. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the provision of facility data and information data held by MaaS businesses is promoted. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to accelerate data distribution among MaaS businesses and contribute to realizing the expansion of transportation revenues of other transportation modes adjacent to rail, such as taxis and buses, with rail as the core.

[0053] Furthermore, in the prior art, the data distribution management device 200 only requests a taxi dispatch system to dispatch a taxi based on data indicating train operation status, etc., provided from the traffic management system, and receives the results of the dispatch request; however, it is not possible to grasp the status of utilization of the data provided from the traffic management system in the taxi dispatch system. Therefore, in the prior art, it is not possible to calculate the value of the provided data based on the utilization status of the provided data and provide an incentive corresponding to the calculated value to the traffic management system, which is the provider of the provided data. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the data utilization device 400 is equipped with a utilization status data acquisition unit 230 that acquires utilization status data indicating profits, etc., obtained by utilizing the utilization data, and a utilization status data storage unit 292 that stores the utilization status data in association with the provided data and the freshness of the provided data at the time of utilization, thereby making it possible to grasp the utilization status of the provided data. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the data distribution management device 200 is equipped with an incentive calculation unit 310 that calculates the value of the provided data based on the utilization status of the provided data and calculates an incentive for the provider of the provided data according to the calculated value, thereby making it possible to provide an incentive to the data provider according to the value of the provided data. Therefore, according to this embodiment, data providers can be made to feel more aware of the benefits of providing data, which can promote data provision by MaaS-related businesses. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, data users can obtain sufficient facility data and information data held by MaaS-related businesses.

[0054] ***Other Configurations*** <Variation 1> In this variation, the provided data includes data indicating movement of a moving object using a railroad, and includes information regarding congestion in railroad facilities. The information regarding congestion is also called congestion information, and may be information indicating congestion in railroad facilities or data used to estimate congestion in railroad facilities. Specific examples of data used to estimate congestion in railroad facilities include vehicle load-adjusted information, surveillance camera footage (such as footage of station premises and footage of the interior of the railroad cars), information indicating the temperature inside the train, information acquired by ticket gates, train reservation status (such as the number of reservations for Shinkansen and limited express trains), visual information observed by station staff or passengers, information indicating events being held in the vicinity of the station, or information transmitted from passenger terminals (such as GPS (Global Positioning System) information and information indicating transfer search history).

[0055] The incentive calculation unit 310 may adopt the following policy in addition to the policy of the first embodiment. That is, the incentive calculation unit 310 may calculate the incentive based on the utilization status data and information on whether the congestion information indicates the congestion of each train car, or may calculate the incentive based on the utilization status data and information on the freshness of the congestion information.

[0056] Policy 1-1: A policy to set a high incentive when data used to estimate congestion for each vehicle is provided. Specific examples of data used to estimate congestion for each vehicle include load-adjusted information for the vehicle or video data from surveillance cameras inside the vehicle. Policy 1-2: A policy to set a high incentive when fresh data regarding congestion is provided. Specific examples of such data include load-adjusted information or video data from surveillance cameras inside the vehicle.

[0057] As described above, according to this modified example, it is possible to provide data users with data that has not previously been provided, data that can be used to estimate real-time congestion conditions at railway facilities, and real-time railway facility data and information data held by railway operators.

[0058] <Variation 2> In this variation, the provided data includes information related to the operation management of railway facilities. Information related to the operation management of railway facilities is useful when multiple railway companies operate direct trains, or when transferring from a train to other public transportation such as a taxi or bus, and is therefore in high demand among other operators. Here, by obtaining more detailed information related to operation management, other operators can provide users with better services.

[0059] Below, a specific example will be described in which the data provider is a railway operator and the data user is a taxi operator. FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining the flow of data and the flow of incentives in this example. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing part of the processing carried out by the data distribution management system 90 in this example. The processing of the data distribution management system 90 will be explained using FIG. 7.

[0060] (Step S221) The taxi company acquires, as utilization data, detailed information related to train operation management provided by the railway company, such as information indicating the number of passengers carrying suitcases on the train.

[0061] (Step S421) The taxi business operator predicts demand for taxis using the acquired utilization data, and dispatches taxis to stations based on the predicted demand in accordance with the arrival time of trains at the stations.

[0062] (Step S422) The shorter the passenger's waiting time, the larger the incentive the taxi company receives from the passenger, and the longer the passenger's waiting time, the smaller the incentive the taxi company receives from the passenger. Figure 8 shows a specific example of incentives received by a taxi company. Each fare shown in this example corresponds to a certain distance. Conventionally, taxi companies have received the same fare from passengers regardless of the passenger's waiting time. However, in this example, the taxi company receives an incentive of 100 yen in addition to the regular fare from a passenger when the passenger's waiting time is 0 minutes, and does not receive an incentive from the passenger when the passenger's waiting time is 10 minutes. Furthermore, the taxi company may discount the fare regardless of the incentive when the passenger's waiting time is as long as 20 minutes.

[0063] (Step S423) The utilization status data transmission unit 420 transmits to the data distribution management device 200 utilization status data indicating the utilization status of the incentives obtained by the taxi company from passengers.

[0064] (Step S321) The incentive calculation unit 310 calculates the incentive to be received by the railway operator in accordance with the incentive (profit) obtained by the taxi operator, in accordance with the incentive calculation policy described above.

[0065] According to this example, there is an advantage for the railway operators in providing more detailed information, and therefore it is expected that the railway operators will cooperate in providing more detailed information.

[0066] A specific example will be described below in which the data provider is a railway operator and the data user is an application development company. "Application" is an abbreviation for software application. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the flow of data and incentives in this example. First, the application development company acquires detailed information related to train operation management as utilization data. Next, a passenger uses the application to search for a route to their destination, and the application displays multiple routes as search results. Next, the passenger selects a route from the multiple routes. If the passenger selects a route with low congestion, a coupon that can be used at affiliated stores is distributed to the passenger. An affiliated store is a store that is affiliated with the application and provides the coupon. Next, the passenger uses the distributed coupon at the affiliated store. Note that when passengers visit an affiliated store, they may purchase products other than those covered by the coupon, which may result in profits for the affiliated store. Therefore, the application development company receives a portion of the profits generated by the affiliated store as an application usage fee. Next, the incentive calculation unit 310 calculates the incentive to be received by the railway operator based on the profits received by the application development company in accordance with the incentive calculation policy described above.

[0067] As described above, according to this modification, an incentive is given to railway operators for providing information related to traffic management, and therefore it is expected that railway operators will provide more detailed information related to traffic management.

[0068] <Variation 3> In this variation, the provided data includes sensor data of railway equipment, i.e., data acquired by sensors equipped in the railway equipment. The sensor data of railway equipment owned by a railway operator may be useful not only to transportation operators but also to other operators. Furthermore, a railway operator may be considering entering a new business outside of its main business (railway operation) and may wish to earn additional income by utilizing sensor data previously used for railway operation in the new business. Specific examples of railway equipment sensors include road surface water volume measurement sensors (sensors for checking whether the tracks are submerged), slope angle measurement sensors (sensors for measuring inclination), sensors for measuring soil moisture (sensors for predicting landslides), brightness measurement sensors, surveillance cameras (sensors installed in stations, on trains, along the tracks, etc.), and wind speed sensors.

[0069] The following are some specific examples of situations in which other businesses might utilize the data from each sensor. Road surface water volume measurement sensors, trackside surveillance cameras, wind speed sensors: The Japan Meteorological Agency and weather information companies use these sensors to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts. Transport companies also use these sensors to select safe transport routes. Surveillance cameras inside stations and in trains: Transfer applications use these sensors to obtain congestion information. Local governments and other organizations also use these sensors to search for suspicious individuals and missing people. Brightness measurement sensors: Car navigation system manufacturers use brightness measurement sensors to measure the risk of driving around railroad crossings.

[0070] As described above, when another operator uses sensor data of railway facilities, the incentive calculation unit 310 calculates incentives for the railway operator that owns the railway facilities in accordance with the incentive calculation policy described above.

[0071] As described above, according to this modified example, data users can utilize various sensor data held by railway operators, which have not previously been provided to other operators.

[0072] <Variation 4> This variation relates to an idea (idea 1-1) in which the incentive calculation unit 310 uses evaluation data corresponding to utilization data when calculating incentives, and an idea (idea 1-2) in which evaluation data is used when a data user selects provided data. The evaluation data corresponding to utilization data is data indicating at least one of an evaluation of the utilization data and an evaluation of the data provider corresponding to the utilization data. The evaluation data is also data indicating at least one of an evaluation of utilization data corresponding to each MaaS-related business and an evaluation of each MaaS-related business for each MaaS-related business. The evaluation indicated by the evaluation data is, for example, an evaluation method using about a five-point scale, in which the more useful the data is to the data user, the higher the score is assigned.

[0073] The provided data acquisition unit 210 according to this modification acquires provided data from each of a plurality of MaaS-related businesses. The utilized data transmission unit 220 according to this modification transmits evaluation data to the data utilization device 400, receives data indicating a data provision request generated by the data utilization device 400 based on the transmitted evaluation data, and transmits to the data utilization device 400 utilized data corresponding to the data provision request indicated by the received data.

[0074] The following mainly describes the differences between the operation of the data distribution management system 90 according to Idea 1-1 and the operation of the data distribution management system 90 according to the first embodiment.

[0075] (Step S205) The utilization status data acquisition unit 230 acquires, from the data utilization device 400, evaluation data corresponding to the utilization data, along with the utilization status data.

[0076] (Step S206) In addition to performing the above-mentioned processing, the utilization status data acquisition unit 230 associates the acquired evaluation data with the provided data corresponding to the evaluation data, and stores the evaluation data associated with the provided data in the utilization status data storage unit 292.

[0077] (Step S301) When calculating an incentive, the incentive calculation unit 310 uses the above-mentioned data as well as evaluation data corresponding to the utilized data. When calculating a data usage fee, the data usage fee calculation unit 320 uses the above-mentioned data as well as evaluation data corresponding to the utilized data.

[0078] (Step S403 ) The utilization status data transmission unit 420 executes the above-mentioned processes, and also generates evaluation data corresponding to the utilization data, and transmits the generated evaluation data to the data distribution management device 200 .

[0079] 10 is a flowchart showing part of an example of the operation of the data distribution management system 90 according to idea 1-2. Below, the differences between the operation of the data distribution management system 90 according to idea 1-2 and the operation of the data distribution management system 90 according to embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

[0080] (Step S241) The utilization data transmission unit 220 transmits to the data user evaluation data corresponding to each utilization data item corresponding to the provision request indicated by the data acquired in step S203.

[0081] (Step S242) The utilization data transmission unit 220 acquires information indicating the selected data provider from the data utilization device 400.

[0082] (Step S243) The utilization data transmission unit 220 transmits data including at least a portion of the provided data corresponding to the data provider indicated by the information acquired in step S242 to the data utilization device 400 as utilization data.

[0083] (Step S441) The utilization data acquisition unit 410 acquires evaluation data corresponding to each utilization data item requested in step S401 from the data distribution management device 200. The data user selects, in the data utilization device 400, from which data provider the data provided by which data is to be acquired based on the evaluation data.

[0084] (Step S442) The utilized data acquisition unit 410 transmits data indicating the data provider selected by the data user to the data distribution management device 200.

[0085] As described above, according to this modification, when there are multiple data providers who hold the same data or similar data, the data user can select from which data provider's provided data to acquire based on the evaluation data. Therefore, according to this modification, competition regarding data provision among multiple data providers is promoted, and it is expected that data providers will compete to provide more accurate data or more usable data.

[0086] <Variation 5> This variation relates to a method for distributing incentives to each data provider when there are multiple data providers. The provided data acquisition unit 210 according to this variation acquires provided data from each of multiple MaaS-related businesses. The utilized data transmission unit 220 according to this variation generates utilized data using the multiple provided data and transmits the generated utilized data to the data utilization device 400. The incentive calculation unit 310 according to this variation calculates an incentive for each data provider based on the data utilization status and the contribution rate of each data provider to the utilized data. The incentive calculation unit 310 may determine the contribution rate corresponding to each of the multiple MaaS-related businesses according to the utilization purpose of the utilized data in the data utilization device 400.

[0087] In the case where each data provider is a railway operator, the contribution rate corresponding to each data provider is determined, for example, according to at least one of the length of the line, the number of stations, the number of trains, the number of sensors, the number of sensor variations, and the sensor coverage rate for each data provider. Here, the coverage rate of a given sensor is the range that the given sensor can detect. In addition, in urban areas, the coverage rates of each sensor are expected to be low because the detection ranges of each sensor often overlap, whereas in suburban areas, the detection ranges of each sensor rarely overlap, so the coverage rates of each sensor are expected to be high.

[0088] Below, we will explain a specific example of a method for determining a contribution rate according to the purpose of data utilization of the data utilization device 400. As a specific example, if the purpose of data utilization is route search, the incentive calculation unit 310 determines a contribution rate according to the length of the route owned by each data provider. In this case, the longer the route, the higher the contribution rate.

[0089] As described above, according to this modification, when the utilized data is data related to multiple data providers, the incentive calculation unit 310 calculates the incentive for each data provider according to the contribution rate of each data provider to the utilized data. Therefore, according to this modification, incentives can be provided relatively fairly to each data provider.

[0090] <Modification 6> In this modification, the incentive reflects the data provider's wishes regarding the incentive.

[0091] A lower limit of the incentive corresponding to the utilization data is set for the utilization data according to this modification. The data distribution management device 200 according to this modification manages a data catalog. The data catalog manages data such as data indicating minimum incentive points corresponding to each utilization data. The minimum incentive points correspond to the minimum value of the incentive requested by the data provider for providing the provided data. If the incentive corresponding to the provided data is lower than the minimum incentive points corresponding to the provided data, the data provider will usually not provide the provided data to the data user. The utilization data transmission unit 220 according to this modification transmits the utilization data to the data utilization device 400 when the user of the data utilization device 400 accepts the lower limit of the incentive corresponding to the utilization data. Below, the differences between the operation of the data distribution management system 90 according to this modification and the operation of the data distribution management system 90 according to embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

[0092] (Step S101) The provided data transmission unit 110 executes the above-described process. However, when providing provided data, the data provider sets minimum incentive points in part of the metadata of the provided data, and transmits the metadata of the provided data in which the minimum incentive points have been set to the data distribution management device 200.

[0093] (Step S401) When requesting the provision of data, a data user refers to the data catalog managed by the data distribution management device 200 and determines whether or not to request the provision of usable data based on the minimum incentive points indicated in the data catalog. Here, the higher the minimum incentive points corresponding to certain usable data, the higher the incentive given to the data provider corresponding to that certain usable data, and therefore the higher the data usage fee imposed on the data user who utilizes that certain usable data.

[0094] The data user may be able to negotiate with the data provider regarding the minimum incentive points, for example, by informing the data provider of their intention to "request data provision if the minimum incentive points are X points or less." Furthermore, the data provider may decide the minimum incentive points depending on the presented incentive.

[0095] 11 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a data providing device 100 according to this modification. The data providing device 100 includes a processing circuit 18 instead of the processor 11, the processor 11 and memory 12, the processor 11 and storage 13, or the processor 11, memory 12, and storage 13. The processing circuit 18 is hardware that realizes at least a part of the components included in the data providing device 100. The processing circuit 18 may be dedicated hardware, or may be a processor that executes a program stored in the memory 12.

[0096] When the processing circuitry 18 is dedicated hardware, the processing circuitry 18 may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. The data providing device 100 may include multiple processing circuits that replace the processing circuitry 18. The multiple processing circuits share the role of the processing circuitry 18.

[0097] In the data providing device 100, some of the functions may be realized by dedicated hardware, and the remaining functions may be realized by software or firmware.

[0098] As a specific example, the processing circuitry 18 is realized by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these. The processor 11, memory 12, storage 13, and processing circuitry 18 are collectively referred to as the "processing circuitry." In other words, the functions of each functional component of the data providing device 100 are realized by the processing circuitry. The hardware configurations of the data distribution management device 200, data value calculation device 300, and data utilization device 400 may be similar to the hardware configuration of the data providing device 100 according to this modification. Each device according to other embodiments may also have a similar configuration to this modification.

[0099] Second Embodiment The following mainly describes the differences from the above-described embodiment with reference to the drawings.

[0100] ***Description of Configuration*** Fig. 12 shows an example of the configuration of a data distribution management system 90 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 12, the data distribution management system 90 does not include a data value calculation device 300. Furthermore, the data distribution management device 200 includes an incentive calculation unit 310 and a data usage fee calculation unit 320, but does not include a utilization status data transmission unit 240.

[0101] ***Operation Description*** The processing flow of the data distribution management system 90 according to this embodiment is the same as the processing flow of the data distribution management system 90 according to embodiment 1, except that the process of transmitting utilization status data from the data distribution management device 200 is eliminated.

[0102] ***Explanation of the Effects of Embodiment 2*** As described above, according to this embodiment, the data distribution management device 200 and the data value calculation device 300 are integrally configured. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the number of devices used in the data distribution management system 90, and also to reduce processing delays due to communication between devices.

[0103] Third Embodiment Hereinafter, differences from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described with reference to the drawings.

[0104] ***Configuration*** FIG. 13 shows an example configuration of a data distribution management system 90 according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the data providing device 100 includes the provided data storage unit 291 and the utilized data transmission unit 220 that are included in the data distribution management device 200 in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the data providing device 100 transmits utilized data to the data utilization device 400 using P2P (Peer to Peer) without going through the data distribution management device 200. Therefore, the function of the data distribution management device 200 is limited to managing utilization status data transmitted from the data utilization device 400. Note that in the configuration shown in FIG. 13, there may be an infinite number of pairs of data providers and data users exchanging data. Blockchain technology may be used to ensure tamper resistance for data exchanges between all pairs.

[0105] In the third embodiment, in order to deal with the case where data provided from the data providing device 100 is not stored in the data distribution management device 200, the utilization status data acquisition unit 230 acquires, in addition to the utilization status data, metadata of the utilization data from the data utilization device 400. Specific examples of items indicated by the metadata of the utilization data include the creator name, user name, editor name, creation date, update date, storage location, size, and data definition.

[0106] ***Explanation of Operation*** Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the data distribution management system 90. The operation of the data distribution management system 90 will be described using Fig. 14.

[0107] (Step S161) This step is similar to step S203.

[0108] (Step S162) This step is similar to step S204.

[0109] (Step S261 ) The utilization status data acquisition unit 230 acquires the utilization status data and the metadata of the utilization data from the data utilization device 400 .

[0110] (Step S262) This step is the same as step S206, except that the utilization status data acquiring unit 230 associates the utilization status data with the metadata of the utilization data.

[0111] (Step S361) This step is similar to step S301.

[0112] (Step S461) The utilization status data transmission unit 420 executes the process of step S403 and also transmits metadata of the utilization data to the data distribution management device 200.

[0113] ***Explanation of Effect of Third Embodiment*** As described above, according to the present embodiment, instead of the data distribution management device 200 being provided with the provided data storage unit 291, the data providing device 100 is provided with the provided data storage unit 291. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the cost of storage for storing the provided data in the data distribution management device 200.

[0114] ***Other Embodiments*** The above-described embodiments can be freely combined, or any of the components of each embodiment can be modified, or any of the components can be omitted from each embodiment. Furthermore, the embodiments are not limited to those shown in embodiments 1 to 3, and various modifications are possible as needed. The procedures described using flowcharts, etc., can be modified as appropriate.

[0115] 11, 21, 31, 41 Processor, 12, 22, 32, 42 Memory, 13, 23, 33, 43 Storage, 14, 24, 34, 44 Communication interface, 18 Processing circuit, 90 Data distribution management system, 100 Data providing device, 110 Provided data transmission unit, 200 Data distribution management device, 210 Provided data acquisition unit, 220 Utilization data transmission unit, 230 Utilization status data acquisition unit, 240 Utilization status data transmission unit, 291 Provided data storage unit, 292 Utilization status data storage unit, 300 Data value calculation device, 310 Incentive calculation unit, 320 Data usage fee calculation unit, 400 Data utilization device, 410 Utilization data acquisition unit, 420 Utilization status data transmission unit.

Claims

1. a utilization status data acquisition unit that acquires utilization status data indicating a utilization status in a data utilization device of utilization data including at least a portion of provided data, which is data provided by a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) related business operator and corresponds to the movement of a moving object; a utilization status data transmission unit that transmits the utilization status data as data corresponding to the provided data to a data value calculation device that includes an incentive calculation unit that calculates an incentive for the MaaS-related business to provide the provided data based on the utilization status data; A data distribution management device comprising: A data distribution management system comprising:

2. An incentive calculation unit that calculates an incentive for the provision of the provided data by the MaaS (Mobility as a Service) related business based on utilization status data indicating a utilization status in a data utilization device of utilization data including at least a part of the provided data, which is data provided by the MaaS related business and corresponds to the movement of a moving object. A data value calculation device comprising: A data distribution management system comprising:

3. A utilization status data acquisition unit that acquires utilization status data indicating a utilization status in a data utilization device of utilization data including at least a portion of provided data, which is data provided by a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) related business operator and corresponds to the movement of a moving object. A data distribution management device comprising: An incentive calculation unit that calculates an incentive for the MaaS-related business to provide the provided data based on the utilization status data. A data value calculation device comprising: A data distribution management system comprising: The data distribution management device further includes: a utilization status data transmission unit that transmits the utilization status data to the data value calculation device as data corresponding to the provided data; A data distribution management system comprising:

4. The data distribution management system according to claim 1 , wherein the utilization status data includes information indicating a benefit obtained by utilizing the utilization data.

5. The provided data is associated with data indicating the freshness of the provided data, The data distribution management system according to claim 1 , wherein the incentive calculation unit calculates the incentive according to the freshness of the provided data.

6. The provided data is associated with data indicating a usage restriction on the provided data, The data distribution management system according to claim 1 , wherein the utilized data is data that complies with usage restrictions on the provided data.

7. The data value calculation device further comprises: a data usage fee calculation unit that calculates a data usage fee for the data utilization by the data utilization device based on the utilization status data; The data distribution management system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

8. The MaaS-related business is a railway business, The data distribution management system according to claim 1 , wherein the provided data includes data indicating a movement of the moving object by a train.

9. The data distribution management system according to claim 8 , wherein the provided data includes congestion information that is information regarding congestion in railway facilities.

10. 10. The data distribution management system according to claim 9, wherein the incentive calculation unit calculates the incentive based on the utilization status data and information regarding whether the congestion information is information indicating congestion in each car of a train.

11. The data distribution management system according to claim 9 , wherein the incentive calculation unit calculates the incentive based on the utilization status data and information indicating the freshness of the congestion information.

12. The MaaS-related business is a railway business, The data distribution management system according to claim 1 , wherein the provided data includes information relating to operation management of railway facilities.

13. The MaaS-related business is a railway business, The data distribution management system according to claim 1 , wherein the provided data includes data acquired by a sensor provided in railway equipment.

14. The data utilization device generates evaluation data indicating at least one of an evaluation of the utilization data and an evaluation of a MaaS-related business that provided the provided data, The data distribution management system according to claim 1 , wherein the incentive calculation unit calculates the incentive based on the utilization status data and the evaluation data.

15. In the case where there are multiple MaaS-related businesses, each of which is the MaaS-related business, The data distribution management device further includes: A provided data acquisition unit that acquires the provided data from each MaaS-related business of the plurality of MaaS-related businesses; a utilization data transmission unit that transmits evaluation data indicating at least one of an evaluation of utilization data corresponding to each MaaS-related business and an evaluation of each MaaS-related business to the data utilization device for each of the plurality of MaaS-related businesses, receives data indicating a request for provision of data generated in the data utilization device based on the transmitted evaluation data, and transmits utilization data corresponding to the request for provision of data indicated by the received data to the data utilization device; The data distribution management system according to claim 1 or 3, comprising:

16. In the case where there are multiple MaaS-related businesses, each of which is the MaaS-related business, The utilization data is data generated using provided data acquired from each MaaS-related business of the plurality of MaaS-related businesses, The data distribution management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the incentive calculation unit calculates an incentive for each of the plurality of MaaS-related businesses based on the utilization status data and the contribution rate of each of the plurality of MaaS-related businesses to the utilization data.

17. The data distribution management system according to claim 16 , wherein the incentive calculation unit determines a contribution rate corresponding to each of the plurality of MaaS-related businesses in accordance with a utilization purpose of the utilization data in the data utilization device.

18. A lower limit of an incentive corresponding to the utilization data is set for the utilization data, The data distribution management device further includes: a utilization data transmission section that transmits the utilization data to the data utilization device when a user of the data utilization device accepts a lower limit of the incentive corresponding to the utilization data; The data distribution management system according to claim 1 or 3, comprising:

19. A computer acquires utilization status data indicating a utilization status in a data utilization device of utilization data including at least a portion of provided data, which is data provided by a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) related business operator and corresponds to the movement of a movement target; The data distribution management method includes the computer transmitting the utilization status data as data corresponding to the provided data to a data value calculation device having an incentive calculation unit that calculates an incentive for the MaaS-related business to provide the provided data based on the utilization status data.

20. A data distribution management method in which a computer calculates an incentive for a Mobility as a Service (MaaS)-related business for providing provided data, the provided data including at least a portion of the provided data corresponding to the movement of a moving object, based on utilization status data indicating a utilization status in a data utilization device of the utilization data.

21. A first computer acquires utilization status data indicating a utilization status in a data utilization device of utilization data including at least a portion of provided data, which is data provided by a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) related business operator and corresponds to a movement of a moving object; a second computer calculates an incentive for the MaaS-related business to provide the provided data based on the utilization status data; A data distribution management method, in which the first computer transmits the utilization status data to the second computer as data corresponding to the provided data.

22. A utilization status data acquisition process for acquiring utilization status data indicating a utilization status in a data utilization device of utilization data including at least a portion of provided data, which is data provided by a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) related business operator and corresponds to the movement of a moving object; a utilization status data transmission process for transmitting the utilization status data as data corresponding to the provided data to a data value calculation device that executes an incentive calculation process for calculating an incentive for the MaaS-related business to provide the provided data based on the utilization status data; A data distribution management program that causes a data distribution management device, which is a computer, to execute the above.

23. An incentive calculation process for calculating an incentive for a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) related business providing the provided data based on utilization status data indicating a utilization status in a data utilization device of utilization data including at least a part of the provided data, which is data provided by the MaaS related business and corresponds to the movement of a moving object. A data distribution management program that causes a data value calculation device, which is a computer, to execute the above.

24. A utilization status data acquisition process for acquiring utilization status data indicating a utilization status in a data utilization device of utilization data including at least a portion of the provided data, which is data provided by a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) related business operator and corresponds to the movement of a moving object. a data distribution management device which is a computer, An incentive calculation process for calculating an incentive for the MaaS-related business to provide the provided data based on the utilization status data. A data distribution management program for causing a data value calculation device, which is a computer, to execute the following: The data distribution management program further includes: A utilization status data transmission process for transmitting the utilization status data to the data value calculation device as data corresponding to the provided data. A data distribution management program for causing the data distribution management device to execute the above.