Vehicle operation management device, vehicle operation management system, vehicle, vehicle operation management method, vehicle operation management program, and operation management device

Abstract

The present invention is characterized by comprising: a storage unit (20) that stores an operation plan (22) of a vehicle (83); a communication unit (30) that acquires a movement demand (21) of users; and a processing unit (40) that determines whether the vehicle (83) is to stop at a plurality of stops on the basis of the operation plan (22) and the movement demand (21), determines, on the basis of the movement demand (21) and an arrival time corresponding to the determined presence or absence of stopping of the vehicle (83), a departure time from a stop at which the vehicle (83) stops, and updates the operation plan (22) in the storage unit (20) on the basis of the determination result.

Description

Vehicle operation management device, vehicle operation management system, vehicle, vehicle operation management method, vehicle operation management program, and operation management device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle operation management device for managing the operation of a moving body such as a vehicle, a vehicle operation management system, a vehicle, a vehicle operation management method, a vehicle operation management program, and an operation management device.

[0002] There are services in which a mobile vehicle travels between multiple locations to transport a target object, such as a route bus that transports passengers by visiting multiple stops. Conventional route buses travel along a predetermined route and stop at predetermined stops to allow passengers to board and disembark. If there are no passengers disembarking and no passengers at a stop, the bus driver may pass by without stopping. In addition, buses may be delayed due to traffic congestion, etc. For this reason, passengers who wish to board a bus must wait at the stop so that the bus will stop at the stop, or in case the bus is delayed even after the departure time has passed.

[0003] For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a control device for smoothly operating an autonomous bus, even if it does not have a driver, by determining whether to stop the bus and the departure time. The control device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 stops the bus if the bus's expected arrival time is before the scheduled departure time, regardless of whether there are passengers. Furthermore, the control device of Patent Literature 1 calculates the passenger's expected arrival time at the bus stop using a boarding request signal indicating a desire to board the bus and the location from which the boarding request signal was transmitted. If the passenger's expected arrival time is before the scheduled bus departure time, the control device determines the departure time to be the scheduled departure time. Furthermore, even if the passenger's expected arrival time is later than the scheduled bus departure time, the control device delays the departure time from the scheduled departure time if the difference is within a threshold, and sets the departure time to the scheduled departure time if the difference exceeds the threshold. This makes it possible to reduce passengers who miss the bus in an autonomous bus, just as with a driver.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-018578

[0005] However, while the above-mentioned conventional technology can reduce the number of passengers who miss buses that operate according to a fixed operation plan, it does not anticipate accelerating the operation plan, and even if the travel time between bus stops can be reduced by passing through the bus without stopping at the stop, the bus cannot depart by the scheduled departure time. Furthermore, if the departure time is advanced depending on whether or not the bus will stop at a bus stop, there is a problem in that it is not possible to reduce the number of passengers who miss their bus.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a vehicle operation management device that can reduce the number of users who miss their buses even when the departure time is advanced depending on whether or not the bus stops at a bus stop.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the vehicle operation management device disclosed herein is characterized by comprising a memory unit that stores the vehicle operation plan, a communication unit that acquires the travel demands of users, and a processing unit that determines whether or not the vehicle will stop at multiple stops based on the operation plan and the travel demand, determines the departure time from the stop where the vehicle will stop based on the arrival time and travel demand corresponding to the determined whether or not the vehicle will stop, and updates the operation plan in the memory unit based on the determination result.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the number of passengers who miss their bus even if the departure time is advanced depending on whether or not the bus stops at certain bus stops.

[0009] 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle operations management system according to a first embodiment; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a specific example of travel demand; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of an operation plan; FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a vehicle operations management device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a comparative example for explaining the effect of the vehicle operations management device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the effect of the vehicle operations management device according to the first embodiment;

[0010] A vehicle operation management device, a vehicle operation management system, a vehicle, a vehicle operation management method, a vehicle operation management program, and an operation management device according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] First Embodiment. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle traffic management system 100 according to a first embodiment. The vehicle traffic management system 100 has a function of managing the operation of a vehicle 83. The vehicle traffic management system 100 is an example of a traffic management system that manages the operation of a mobile object, and the vehicle 83 is an example of a mobile object. A person who uses a service that provides transportation using a mobile object is referred to as a "user." The object transported by the mobile object may be either an object or a person, and when the object transported is a person, the user is the transportation target.

[0012] The vehicle operation management system 100 includes a vehicle operation management device 10, a demand collection terminal 81, and a vehicle control terminal 82 or a vehicle 83. The vehicle operation management system 100 has a function of managing the operation of one or more vehicles 83.

[0013] The vehicle operation management device 10 manages the operation of a mobile body such as a vehicle 83. The vehicle 83 is, for example, an autonomous vehicle, but is not limited to this, and may also be a manually operated vehicle driven by a driver.

[0014] The vehicle 83 includes a transmission / reception unit 831, a driving control unit 832, a self-location identification unit 833, and a display unit 834, and drives in accordance with the operation plan 22 or driving instructions received from the traffic management device 10. The vehicle control terminal 82 is mounted on a moving body such as the vehicle 83. The vehicle control terminal 82 includes the transmission / reception unit 831, the driving control unit 832, the self-location identification unit 833, and the display unit 834 (not shown), and has functions such as controlling the vehicle 83. In other words, even if a moving body does not originally include functions such as the transmission / reception unit 831, the driving control unit 832, the self-location identification unit 833, and the display unit 834, installing the vehicle control terminal 82 makes it possible to control the moving body. The vehicles 83 to be controlled by the vehicle operation management system 100 may be only vehicles 83 that originally have functions such as a transceiver unit 831, a driving control unit 832, a self-location determination unit 833 and a display unit 834, or may be only vehicles 83 equipped with a vehicle control terminal 82, or may be a mixture of vehicles 83 that originally have functions such as a transceiver unit 831, a driving control unit 832, a self-location determination unit 833 and a display unit 834 and vehicles 83 equipped with a vehicle control terminal 82.

[0015] The transmitter / receiver 831 communicates with the vehicle operations management device 10, thereby transmitting and receiving information to and from the vehicle operations management device 10. For example, the transmitter / receiver 831 receives an operation plan 22 from the vehicle operations management device 10 and outputs the received operation plan 22 to the driving control unit 832. The transmitter / receiver 831 also receives driving instructions from the vehicle operations management device 10 and outputs the received driving instructions to the driving control unit 832. The driving instructions indicate the driving start timing, the destination, etc. Then, the transmitter / receiver 831 transmits position information of the vehicle 83, status information of the vehicle 83, etc. to the vehicle operations management device 10. The status information of the vehicle 83 indicates the status of the vehicle 83, such as a state in which the vehicle 83 is running, a state in which the vehicle 83 is stopped, a state in which an abnormality has occurred, etc.

[0016] The self-location identifying unit 833 identifies the position of the vehicle 83 and outputs position information indicating the identified position to each of the transmission / reception unit 831 and the driving control unit 832. The self-location identifying unit 833 can be, for example, a GPS receiver that performs GPS (Global Positioning System) positioning, a magnetic sensor, or the like, but is not limited to these.

[0017] The driving control unit 832 controls the driving of the vehicle 83 by autonomous driving using the position information received from the self-location identification unit 833 and the operation plan 22 and driving instructions received from the transmission / reception unit 831. For example, although not shown, the driving control unit 832 can use information acquired by sensors that detect obstacles, such as a camera, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR), or a millimeter-wave sensor, as well as map information. The driving control unit 832 controls a driving mechanism, not shown, based on the information from the obstacle detection sensor, the position information received from the self-location identification unit 833, and the map information. The driving mechanism is a mechanism for driving the vehicle 83, and includes, for example, a plurality of mechanisms for driving the vehicle 83, such as an accelerator operation device such as an accelerator pedal, a steering device, and a brake, but the configuration of the driving mechanism is not limited to these. For example, if the vehicle 83 is a manually driven vehicle, the operation plan 22 is displayed on a display device provided on the vehicle 83, and the driver of the manually driven vehicle can drive the vehicle 83 according to the operation plan 22 by driving according to the displayed operation plan 22.

[0018] The demand collection terminal 81 is a terminal that accepts a reservation operation by a user to make a reservation for use of the vehicle 83. The demand collection terminal 81 may be a mobile terminal carried by the user, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, or may be a reservation terminal that is fixed to a bus stop or the like where the vehicle 83 stops.

[0019] The vehicle operation management device 10 includes a storage unit 20 , a communication unit 30 , and a processing unit 40 .

[0020] The storage unit 20 stores travel demands 21 and operation plans 22 .

[0021] The travel demand 21 is information that is dynamically updated in response to a user of the vehicle 83 registering or changing a reservation. The travel demand 21 includes the user's desired boarding stop and desired disembarking stop. The travel demand 21 may also include a desired departure time, which is the time the user wishes to board the vehicle 83. The desired departure time may be a specified time entered by the user on the reservation screen, or the reservation time, which is the time the reservation registration operation is performed, may be treated as the desired departure time. Alternatively, the travel demand 21 may include a reservation location expressed, for example, in latitude and longitude, and the desired departure time may be the time elapsed from the reservation time by the amount of time required to travel from the reservation location to the desired boarding stop. The reservation location is location information of the demand collection terminal 81 at the time the reservation was made. If the demand collection terminal 81 is a fixed reservation terminal, it may also be the identifier of the demand collection terminal 81. In this case, the vehicle operation management device 10 may acquire location information associated with the identifier of the demand collection terminal 81 and use the acquired location information as the reservation location.

[0022] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of travel demand 21. The travel demand 21 shown in Fig. 2 includes a travel demand ID (identifier) ​​assigned to each reservation, a user ID assigned to the user, a reservation time indicating the time when the reservation was registered, a desired boarding stop which is information for specifying the stop at which the user wishes to board, a desired disembarking stop which is information for specifying the stop at which the user wishes to disembark, and a desired departure time. Note that the desired departure time is assumed to be later than the reservation time.

[0023] The operation plan 22 is generated for each service, and includes stops where the vehicle 83 used on that service is scheduled to stop, the arrival time at each stop, and the departure time from each stop. Every time a new travel demand 21 is registered or the content registered in the travel demand 21 is changed, the operation plan 22 stored in the storage unit 20 is updated by the processing unit 40.

[0024] 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of the operation plan 22. FIG. 3 shows an example of the operation plan 22 at the time of reservation of the travel demand 21 represented by the travel demand ID "c," an example of the operation plan 22 before the vehicle 83 of the flight to which the travel demand 21 represented by the travel demand ID "c" is assigned arrives at stop [3], which is the desired boarding stop of the travel demand 21 represented by the travel demand ID "c," and an example of the operation plan 22 after the vehicle 83 arrives at stop [3]. These operation plans 22 include a flight ID assigned to each operated flight, a stop ID assigned to each stop, via / non-via indicating whether the flight indicated by the flight ID passes through the stop indicated by the stop ID, the arrival time of the flight indicated by the flight ID at the stop indicated by the stop ID, the departure time of the flight indicated by the flight ID from the stop indicated by the stop ID, and a boarding travel demand ID indicating the travel demand ID of the travel demand 21 that wishes to board the flight indicated by the flight ID from the stop indicated by the stop ID.

[0025] Returning to the explanation of Figure 1, the communication unit 30 has a function of communicating with devices external to the vehicle operation management device 10. Specifically, the communication unit 30 can communicate with each of the demand collection terminal 81 and the vehicle control terminal 82 or the vehicle 83. The communication unit 30 receives travel demand 21 from the demand collection terminal 81. The communication unit 30 transmits an operation plan 22 or a driving instruction to the vehicle control terminal 82 or the vehicle 83, and receives position information, status information, and the like of the vehicle 83 from the vehicle 83 that is driving in accordance with the operation plan 22 or the driving instruction.

[0026] The processing unit 40 controls the operation of the vehicle operation management device 10. The processing unit 40 includes a travel demand management unit 41, an operation plan update unit 42, and an operation plan implementation unit 43.

[0027] The travel demand management unit 41 stores the travel demand 21 received by the communication unit 30 in the storage unit 20. The travel demand management unit 41 may store the travel demand 21 received by the communication unit 30 directly in the storage unit 20, or may process the travel demand 21 received by the communication unit 30 into a format suitable for storage in the storage unit 20 and then store it in the storage unit 20. The travel demand management unit 41 stores the received travel demand 21 in the storage unit 20 every time the communication unit 30 receives travel demand 21 from the demand collection terminal 81.

[0028] The operation plan update unit 42 updates the operation plan 22 stored in the storage unit 20 based on the travel demands 21 and the operation plan 22 stored in the storage unit 20. Specifically, the operation plan update unit 42 determines whether or not the vehicle 83 will stop at each of a plurality of stops based on the operation plan 22 and the travel demands 21. Then, the operation plan update unit 42 calculates the arrival time at each stop according to the determined whether or not the vehicle 83 will stop, and determines the departure time from the stop at which the vehicle 83 will stop based on the departure time determined from the calculated arrival time and the travel demand 21. After determining whether or not the vehicle 83 will stop at the stop and the departure time, the operation plan update unit 42 can update the operation plan 22 in the storage unit 20 based on the determination results.

[0029] The timing at which the operation plan update unit 42 determines whether the vehicle 83 will stop at a bus stop may be, for example, the scheduled arrival time at a bus stop one upstream from the target bus stop, the scheduled departure time, five minutes before the scheduled arrival time, or five minutes before the scheduled departure time. Furthermore, the operation plan update unit 42 may determine whether the vehicle 83 will stop at a bus stop every time the travel demand 21 is updated. The operation plan update unit 42 determines whether the vehicle 83 will stop at the target bus stop at least after terminating the allocation of reservations to get on and off at the target bus stop.

[0030] For example, if the vehicle 83 is an autonomous vehicle and cannot change its destination while traveling, it is necessary to determine which stop to stop at after a certain stop. Therefore, if the traveling vehicle 83 is scheduled to travel through stops [1], [2], [3], [4], and [5] in this order and is scheduled to stop at stop [2] next, it is necessary to determine which stop to stop at after stop [2] before departing from stop [2]. In this case, the operation plan update unit 42 determines whether to stop at stop [3] before departing from stop [2]. If the vehicle 83 does not stop at stop [3], it determines whether to stop at stop [4] next, and so on until a stop at which to stop is found. For example, if it is determined that vehicle 83 will not stop at stops [3] and [4], but will stop at stop [5] after stop [2], and the next destination of vehicle 83 is set to stop [5], it is desirable to close the allocation of travel demand 21 to stops [3] and [4] for that flight.

[0031] Alternatively, if the vehicle 83 is capable of changing its destination while traveling, it may determine whether or not to stop at each stop one by one. For example, the operation plan update unit 42 may determine whether or not to stop at each of multiple stops on the travel route each time the vehicle stops at or passes each stop. In this case, it is possible to respond to sudden travel demands 21, but the travel route cannot be significantly changed, so the effect of reducing travel time is small. Note that even if the vehicle 83 is capable of changing its destination while traveling, a method may be adopted in which the next stop is determined at the time of departure from a stop. When the next stop is determined at the time of departure from a stop, if the vehicle does not stop at multiple consecutive stops, it is possible to change the travel route to avoid passing through the stops at which the vehicle will not stop, thereby significantly reducing travel time.

[0032] The operation plan update unit 42 can determine the departure time from a bus stop each time it determines whether the vehicle 83 will stop at the bus stop. Furthermore, for example, the operation plan update unit 42 may determine whether the vehicle 83 will stop at the bus stop and update the "presence of stopover" in the operation plan 22 each time the travel demand 21 is updated, and the departure time may be determined at the timing when the vehicle stops at the target bus stop.

[0033] An example will be described in Fig. 3. When a reservation for a travel demand 21 indicated by a boarding travel demand ID "c" is executed, the operation plan 22 is set so that the travel indicated by a travel ID "001" will pass through the stops indicated by stop IDs [1], [2], and [3]. Furthermore, the arrival time at stop [1] is set to "10:00", the departure time from stop [1] is set to "10:01", the arrival time at stop [2] is set to "10:03", the departure time from stop [2] is set to "10:04", the arrival time at stop [3] is set to "10:06", and the departure time from stop [3] is set to "10:07". Note that the travel demand 21 indicated by the boarding travel demand ID "c" here is the travel demand 21 of the travel demand ID "c" shown in Figure 2, and the reservation time of this travel demand 21 is "10:00", the desired boarding stop is [3], the desired disembarking stop is [6], and the desired departure time is "10:06". The travel demand 21 of the travel demand ID "c" is assigned to the flight ID "001", and the desired boarding stop is stop [3], so the travel demand 21 of the travel demand ID "c" is assigned to the boarding travel demand ID column of stop [3] in the operation plan 22.

[0034] In this case, if the operation plan before arrival at stop [3] indicates that no passengers will board or alight at stop [2] and it is determined that vehicle 83 will not stop at stop [2], the operation plan 22 is updated so that the stop [2] via / not via setting is "No" and the arrival time and departure time are blank. The operation plan update unit 42 also recalculates the travel time from stop [1] to stop [3] due to not stopping at stop [2], and calculates the travel time saved. Here, the saved time is assumed to be two minutes. In this case, the arrival time at stop [3] is updated to "10:04." The saved time is also retained as (-2). When the arrival time at stop [3], "10:04," arrives, the operation plan update unit 42 determines the departure time from stop [3].

[0035] In this case, the operation plan update unit 42 determines the departure time from stop [3] to be "10:06," which is the latest of "10:05," the departure time from stop [3] calculated from "10:04," the arrival time at stop [3] depending on whether or not the bus will stop at stops upstream of stop [3], and "10:06," the desired departure time of the travel demand 21 assigned to stop [3]. Note that although an example in which one user boards at stop [3] is shown here, even if there are multiple users boarding at stop [3], the operation plan update unit 42 similarly determines the departure time from stop [3] to be the latest of "10:06," the departure time from stop [3] calculated from the arrival time at stop [3] depending on whether or not the bus will stop at stops upstream of stop [3], and the desired departure times of the multiple travel demands 21 assigned to stop [3]. In addition, the operation plan update unit 42 can calculate the departure time from stop [3], calculated from the arrival time at stop [3] depending on whether or not there will be stops at stops upstream of stop [3], by subtracting the shortened time of the arrival time at stop [3] from the initial value of the departure time from stop [3].

[0036] As described with reference to FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, the operation plan 22 is dynamically updated. That is, if there is a stop that is not passed through during operation, the travel time may be shortened by the amount of deceleration required to stop, the time spent stopped, and the like. Also, as described above, if there are consecutive stops that are not passed through, it may be possible to shorten the travel time between stops by changing the travel route. Therefore, the operation of the vehicle 83 is advanced. When advancing operation, it is important to prevent users from missing their trains. The vehicle operation management device 10 determines the departure time based on the desired departure time set for each travel demand 21, thereby advancing the operation plan and shortening users' travel time while preventing users from missing their trains.

[0037] Returning to the description of FIG. 1 , the operation plan implementation unit 43 generates driving instructions for the vehicle control terminal 82 or the vehicle 83 based on the operation plan 22 stored in the storage unit 20 and updated by the operation plan update unit 42, and transmits the generated driving instructions to the vehicle control terminal 82 or the vehicle 83 via the communication unit 30. Because the operation plan implementation unit 43 generates driving instructions based on the latest operation plan 22, the vehicle control terminal 82 controls the vehicle 83 based on the latest operation plan 22. Similarly, the vehicle 83, which is equipped with a transmission / reception unit 831, a driving control unit 832, a self-location identification unit 833, and a display unit 834, drives based on the latest operation plan 22.

[0038] The operation of the vehicle operation management device 10 described above will be explained using a flowchart. Fig. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the vehicle operation management device 10 according to the first embodiment. In the vehicle operation management device 10, the travel demand management unit 41 manages travel demand 21 while the vehicle 83 is in operation (steps S11 and S13). Specifically, the travel demand management unit 41 acquires travel demand 21 indicating reservation details from the demand collection terminal 81, and registers or changes the travel demand 21 in the storage unit 20 (step S12).

[0039] In the vehicle operation management device 10, the operation plan update unit 42 updates the operation plan while the vehicle 83 is in operation (steps S21 and S24). Specifically, the operation plan update unit 42 acquires information used to update the operation plan (step S22). The information acquired by the operation plan update unit 42 here is the travel demand 21 and the operation plan 22. Next, based on the acquired information, the operation plan update unit 42 determines whether or not to stop at each stop and the departure time (step S23), and updates the operation plan 22 based on the determined content.

[0040] In the vehicle operation management device 10, the operation plan implementation unit 43 executes the operation plan 22 while the vehicle 83 is operating, and controls the operation of the vehicle 83 (steps S31 and S33). Specifically, the operation plan implementation unit 43 determines a driving route of the vehicle 83 based on the operation plan 22 stored in the storage unit 20 (step S32), and controls the operation of the vehicle 83.

[0041] Next, the hardware configuration of the vehicle operation management device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. In the vehicle operation management device 10, the storage unit 20 is a memory. The processing unit 40 is realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be a memory that stores a program and a processor that executes the program stored in the memory, or may be dedicated hardware. The processing circuit is also called a control circuit. The communication unit 30 is realized using a communication device. When the processing circuit is configured with a processor and a memory, each function of the processing unit 40 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in the memory. In the processing circuit, each function is realized by the processor reading and executing the program stored in the memory. The program may be provided by a storage medium on which the program is stored, or by other means such as a communication medium.

[0042] Here, the processor is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. Furthermore, the memory is, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), or an EEPROM (Electrically EPROM), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a minidisk, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

[0043] If the processing circuitry is dedicated hardware, it 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.

[0044] Next, the effects of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a comparative example for describing the effects of the vehicle operation management device 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of reservation details, operation status, updated departure time, user boarding availability, and an operation image depicting the movements of users and vehicles 83 in the comparative example. The comparative example is an example in which the departure time is advanced by the amount of time saved due to the advancement of the arrival time, without taking into account the desired departure time of the travel demand 21. In other words, in the comparative example, the updated departure time is the time obtained by subtracting the saved time from the departure time before the update. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the effects of the vehicle operation management device 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates the updated departure time, user boarding availability, and an operation image for a case in which the reservation details and operation status are the same as those in the comparative example shown in FIG. 5.

[0045] For example, if a user makes a reservation when the user is already available to board, the possibility of missing the bus is low, so Figures 5 and 6 show a case in which a desired departure time Td that is later than the reservation time Tr is specified, and a case in which a desired boarding stop P0 that is far from the reservation location Pr is specified, which inevitably requires time to travel from the reservation location Pr to the desired boarding stop P0. In either case, in the comparative example, the updated departure time Tm is the scheduled departure time Tp, which is the departure time before the update, minus the shortened time Sa.

[0046] First, if a desired departure time Td, which is later than the reservation time Tr, is specified, and the waiting time Sw at the time of reservation is equal to or greater than the shortened time Sa at the time the vehicle 83 arrives at the desired boarding stop P0, the time obtained by subtracting the shortened time Sa from the scheduled departure time Tp, which is the departure time before the update, is equal to or later than the desired departure time Td. In this case, in both the comparative example and embodiment 1, the departure time Tm is the time obtained by subtracting the shortened time Sa from the scheduled departure time Tp, which is the departure time before the update. As shown in the operation image, this is a time before the scheduled departure time Tp but after the desired departure time Td. Therefore, in both the comparative example and embodiment 1, the user can board the bus. Note that in Figures 5 and 6, the desired departure time Td is the time at which the user can board the bus, and boarding is indicated as being unavailable before the desired departure time Td, even if the user is at the desired boarding stop P0.

[0047] Next, if a desired departure time Td that is later than the reservation time Tr is specified, and the waiting time Sw at the time of reservation is shorter than the shortened time Sa at the time the vehicle 83 arrives at the desired boarding stop P0, the time obtained by subtracting the shortened time Sa from the scheduled departure time Tp, which is the departure time before the update, will be earlier than the desired departure time Td. In this case, the departure time Tm will be the time obtained by subtracting the shortened time Sa from the scheduled departure time Tp, which is the departure time before the update, in the comparative example, and will be the desired departure time Td in the first embodiment. In this case, in the comparative example, the departure time Tm, which is moved forward from the scheduled departure time Tp, will be earlier than the desired departure time Td, so the user will not be able to board the bus, whereas in the first embodiment, the departure time Tm, which is moved forward from the scheduled departure time Tp, will be equal to the desired departure time Td, so the user will be able to board the bus.

[0048] Furthermore, if a desired boarding stop P0 far from the reservation location Pr is specified, and the waiting time Sw at the time of reservation is equal to or greater than the shortened time Sa at the time the vehicle 83 arrives at the desired boarding stop P0, the time obtained by subtracting the shortened time Sa from the scheduled departure time Tp, which is the departure time before the update, will be equal to or later than the desired departure time Td. In this case, in both the comparative example and embodiment 1, the departure time Tm is the time obtained by subtracting the shortened time Sa from the scheduled departure time Tp, which is the departure time before the update, and, as shown in the operation image, is a time before the scheduled departure time Tp but later than the desired departure time Td, which is the time after the user has moved from the reservation location Pr, where the user was at the reservation time Tr, to the specified desired boarding stop P0. Therefore, in both the comparative example and embodiment 1, the user can board the bus.

[0049] Next, if a desired boarding stop P0 that is far from the reservation location Pr is specified, and the waiting time Sw at the time of reservation is shorter than the shortened time Sa at the time the vehicle 83 arrives at the desired boarding stop P0, the time obtained by subtracting the shortened time Sa from the scheduled departure time Tp, which is the departure time before the update, will be earlier than the desired departure time Td. In this case, the departure time Tm is the time obtained by subtracting the shortened time Sa from the scheduled departure time Tp, which is the departure time before the update, in the comparative example, and is the desired departure time Td in the first embodiment. In this case, as shown in the operation image, in the comparative example, the departure time Tm, which is earlier than the scheduled departure time Tp, is earlier than the desired departure time Td, which is the time after the user moves from the reservation location Pr, where the user was at the reservation time Tr, to the specified desired boarding stop P0, and the user cannot board the bus. In contrast, in the first embodiment, the departure time Tm, which is earlier than the scheduled departure time Tp, is equal to the desired departure time Td, and the user can board the bus.

[0050] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, according to the vehicle operation management device 10 of the first embodiment, in accordance with travel demand 21, the travel time between stops is shortened by skipping stops at which there are no passengers getting on or off, and the departure time Tm is brought forward according to the shortened time Sa, and if the time obtained by subtracting the shortened time Sa from the scheduled departure time Tp is earlier than the desired departure time Td, the departure time Tm is set to the desired departure time Td, thereby preventing passengers from missing their trains.

[0051] Here, an additional function of the processing unit 40 will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart for explaining an additional function of the vehicle operation management device 10 shown in Fig. 1. The operation shown in Fig. 7 is executed by the processing unit 40 for each stop at which the vehicle 83 stops while the vehicle 83 is in operation, for example, in parallel with step S32 in Fig. 4.

[0052] The operation plan implementation unit 43 of the vehicle operation management device 10 determines whether the departure time of the operation plan 22 has arrived (step S34). If the departure time has not yet arrived (step S34: No), the operation plan implementation unit 43 acquires information for determining whether departure is permitted (step S35). The acquired information for determining whether departure is permitted is, for example, information for confirming that all users scheduled to board from the target bus stop have boarded. For example, the information for confirming that all users scheduled to board from the target bus stop have boarded may be the result of matching the users who will board the vehicle 83 with the travel demand 21 when the users board the vehicle 83. The matching may be performed using, for example, a two-dimensional code, biometric authentication, an application installed on a mobile device carried by the user, or at least one user identifier selected from electronic money. Furthermore, the information for confirming that all users scheduled to board from the target bus stop have boarded may be information indicating that the user has performed an operation to permit departure. The operation to permit departure by the user may be performed, for example, by a mobile device carried by the user or by a terminal installed at the bus stop or the vehicle 83.

[0053] Based on the information acquired in step S35, the operation plan implementation unit 43 determines whether all passengers scheduled to board at the target bus stop have boarded (step S36). If not all passengers have boarded (step S36: No), the operation plan implementation unit 43 repeats the process from step S34. If all passengers have boarded (step S36: Yes), the operation plan implementation unit 43 updates the departure time based on the current time and issues a driving instruction to the vehicle control terminal 82 (step S37). If the departure time has arrived (step S34: Yes), the operation plan implementation unit 43 ends the process for the target bus stop.

[0054] As described above, the vehicle operation management device 10 according to the first embodiment is characterized by including a storage unit 20 that stores the operation plan 22 of the vehicle 83, a communication unit 30 that acquires the user's travel demand 21, and a processing unit 40 that determines whether the vehicle 83 will stop at a plurality of stops based on the operation plan 22 and the travel demand 21, determines a departure time for the stop at which the vehicle 83 will stop based on the arrival time corresponding to the determined whether the vehicle 83 will stop and the travel demand 21, and updates the operation plan 22 stored in the storage unit 20 based on the determination result. As described above, the vehicle operation management device 10 determines the departure time based on the arrival time corresponding to whether the vehicle 83 will stop at the stop (i.e., the arrival time becomes earlier the more stops there are at which the vehicle does not stop) and the travel demand 21. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk of users missing their trains even when the departure time is advanced based on whether the vehicle will stop at a stop.

[0055] When there is a bus stop at which it is determined that the vehicle 83 will not stop, the processing unit 40 calculates the time required to travel between the bus stops at which the vehicle 83 will stop and those before and after the bus stop at which the vehicle 83 will not stop, and determines the departure time from the bus stop at which the vehicle 83 will stop based on the calculation result and the travel demand 21. Normally, when there is a bus stop at which the vehicle 83 will not stop, the travel time is shorter than if the vehicle were to stop at all bus stops. Therefore, the processing unit 40 can determine the departure time by taking into account the time at which the user can board the bus by using the travel demand 21 while taking into account the upper limit by which the departure time can be advanced. Specifically, the travel demand 21 includes the user's desired departure time from the bus stop at which the user wishes to board, and the processing unit 40 can determine the departure time calculated based on the calculation result, i.e., the later of the upper limit by which the departure time can be advanced and the desired departure time of the travel demand 21 for which the bus stop is the desired boarding stop. When there are multiple travel demands 21 that have the target bus stop as the desired boarding stop, the processing unit 40 can determine the latest of the desired departure times of the multiple travel demands 21 and the departure time calculated based on the calculation results as the departure time. The desired departure time may be a time set by the user, the reservation time may be used as the desired departure time, or the travel time from the current location of the boarding user to the desired boarding stop may be calculated and the desired departure time may be the time that the travel time has elapsed since the reservation time. The upper limit by which the departure time can be advanced corresponds to the time obtained by subtracting the shortened time Sa from the above-mentioned scheduled departure time Tp.

[0056] The processing unit 40 further has a function of transmitting driving instructions to the vehicle 83 based on the operation plan 22, and can depart the vehicle 83 even before the departure time set in the operation plan 22 and update the operation plan 22 based on the departure time. If it is determined that there is no problem in depart- ing the vehicle 83 before the departure time set in the operation plan 22, for example, if it is confirmed that all users scheduled to board the vehicle 83 from the target bus stop have already boarded, the processing unit 40 can depart the vehicle 83 even before the departure time set in the operation plan 22. A user can set a desired departure time taking into account the time it takes to travel to the desired bus stop. However, particularly when a user sets a desired departure time, the desired departure time may be set with ample time to spare, resulting in the vehicle 83 actually being able to depart before the desired departure time. In such a case, departing the vehicle 83 before the departure time set in the operation plan 22 can further shorten the user's travel time. Specifically, the determination of whether all users scheduled to board the vehicle 83 from the bus stop have already boarded may be based on the result of matching the users to board the vehicle 83 with the travel demand 21 when the user boards the vehicle 83. This verification is performed using at least one user identifier, such as a two-dimensional code, biometric authentication, an application installed on a mobile device carried by the user, and electronic money. Furthermore, the determination of whether all users who plan to board from the bus stop have boarded the bus may be performed based on an operation by the user to permit departure. When all users who plan to board from the bus stop have performed an operation to permit departure, the processing unit 40 can determine that all users who plan to board from the bus stop have boarded the bus. The operation to permit departure may be performed using a mobile device carried by the user, a terminal installed at the bus stop, or a terminal installed in the vehicle 83.

[0057] Moreover, according to the first embodiment, it is also possible to provide a vehicle operation management system 100. The vehicle operation management system 100 includes a demand collection terminal 81 that collects travel demand including desired departure times at which users wish to board a vehicle, and a storage unit 20 that stores an operation plan 22 for a vehicle 83, and is configured to determine, based on the operation plan 22 and the travel demand 21, whether or not the vehicle 83 will stop at a plurality of stops at which the demand collection terminal 81 is installed, determine a departure time for the stop at which the vehicle 83 will stop based on the arrival time and the desired departure time corresponding to the determined whether or not the vehicle 83 will stop, and update the stored operation plan 22 based on the determination result, and a vehicle control terminal 82 that controls the vehicle 83 based on the operation plan 22 updated by the vehicle operation management device 10.

[0058] In addition, the vehicle operation management system 100 may be provided with, instead of or in addition to the vehicle control terminal 82, a vehicle 83 that travels based on an operation plan 22 updated by the operation management device 10 or travel instructions generated based on the updated operation plan 22.

[0059] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, a vehicle 83 operating according to an operation plan 22 determines whether or not the vehicle 83 will stop at a plurality of stops based on the operation plan 22 and the user's travel demand 21. A departure time from the stop at which the vehicle 83 will stop is determined based on the arrival time corresponding to the determined whether or not the vehicle 83 will stop and the travel demand 21. The operation plan 22 is updated based on the determination result. The vehicle 83 also includes a transmission / reception unit 831 that receives the updated operation plan 22 or travel instructions generated based on the updated operation plan 22, and a travel control unit 832 that controls the travel of the vehicle 83 based on the operation plan 22 received by the transmission / reception unit 831 or the travel instructions. The vehicle 83 may also include a display unit 834 that displays the operation plan 22 received by the transmission / reception unit 831, instead of or in addition to the travel control unit 832.

[0060] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, a vehicle operation management method can also be provided. This vehicle operation management method includes: a storage step of storing an operation plan 22 of a vehicle 83; a travel demand acquisition step of acquiring travel demand 21 including a desired departure time from a stop where a user wishes to board the vehicle 83; a stop determination step of determining whether or not the vehicle 83 will stop at a plurality of stops based on the operation plan 22 and the travel demand 21; a departure time determination step of determining a departure time from the stop at which the vehicle 83 will stop based on the arrival time and the desired departure time according to the determined whether or not the vehicle 83 will stop; and an operation plan update step of updating the stored operation plan 22 based on the determination result.

[0061] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, it is also possible to provide a vehicle operation management program that causes a computer to execute the above-mentioned storage step, travel demand acquisition step, stop determination step, departure time determination step, and operation plan update step.

[0062] Second Embodiment. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle operations management system 100A according to a second embodiment. The vehicle operations management system 100A includes a vehicle operations management device 10A, a demand collection terminal 81, a vehicle control terminal 82, and a display device 84. Note that the vehicle operations management system 100A includes the vehicle control terminal 82 installed in the vehicle 83; however, the vehicle operations management system 100A may include a vehicle 83 that is originally equipped with functions such as a transmitter / receiver 831, a driving control unit 832, a self-location identification unit 833, and a display unit 834, as in the first embodiment. Below, a description of the same parts as in the first embodiment will be omitted, and the following description will mainly focus on the parts that are different from the first embodiment.

[0063] In addition to the functions of the vehicle operation management device 10, the vehicle operation management device 10A has a processing unit 40A that has the function of an operation plan display control unit 44A that displays an operation plan on a display device 84. Although the display device 84 is shown in FIG. 8 as a device separate from the demand collection terminal 81, the demand collection terminal 81 may also have the function of the display device 84. The display device 84 is the same device as the demand collection terminal 81 that the user uses to make reservations, and may be a mobile terminal carried by the user, such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, or may be a reservation terminal fixed to a bus stop or the like. Alternatively, the display device 84 may be a device separate from the demand collection terminal 81 and may be a monitor fixed to a bus stop or the like.

[0064] The operation plan display control unit 44A displays the departure times of bus stops on the display screen of the display device 84 based on the operation plan 22 stored in the memory unit 20, and can update the contents of the display screen each time the operation plan is updated.

[0065] Furthermore, the operation plan display control unit 44A can display the operation plan on the display screen of the mobile terminal carried by the user corresponding to the travel demand 21, and update the contents of the display screen every time the operation plan is updated. At this time, the operation plan display control unit 44A may display a display screen customized for each user.

[0066] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen that the vehicle operation management device 10A shown in FIG. 8 displays on the user's mobile terminal. The operation plan display control unit 44A can display the user's reservation details, i.e., the details of the travel demand 21 associated with the user, on the display screen. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the user's desired departure time, the flight ID of the reserved flight, and the desired boarding stop and desired disembarking stop are displayed. The operation plan display control unit 44A can also display the arrival time and departure time for each stop on the display screen. At this time, the operation plan display control unit 44A displays on the display screen an operation plan that includes at least the departure time of the desired boarding stop of the user's travel demand 21.

[0067] As shown in the example of FIG. 9 , the operation plan display control unit 44A may also display the arrival time and departure time of a target stop as an expected time range. For example, the operation plan display control unit 44A can display the departure time of a target stop as a range using the shortest departure time, which is the departure time if the bus does not stop at any stops between the last stop where the bus currently stopped and the target stop and where there are no passengers planning to get on or off, and the longest departure time, which is the departure time if the bus stops at all stops. The arrival time can also be calculated in a similar manner. The operation plan display control unit 44A repeatedly calculates the shortest departure time and the longest departure time, gradually narrowing this time range. By displaying the arrival time and departure time as a time range, users can understand that the arrival time and departure time may change and the extent to which the time may change.

[0068] Furthermore, if the display device 84 is a monitor installed at a bus stop, the operation plan display control unit 44A may display information customized for each installation location of the display device 84 on the display screen. In this case, the display device 84 displays at least the departure time for the bus stop where the display device 84 is installed. In this case, too, the departure time is preferably expressed as a time range as shown in FIG. 9 .

[0069] In the example shown in Figure 9, the arrival time and departure time are displayed in the order of travel for multiple stops, including the stop where the user wishes to board and disembark, but it is also possible to display only the departure time for the stop where the user wishes to board and the arrival time for the stop where the user wishes to disembark.

[0070] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen that the vehicle operation management device 10A shown in FIG. 8 displays on a user's mobile device. As shown in FIG. 10, the display screen displayed on the user's mobile device may display only the departure time of the user's reserved boarding stop as the "scheduled departure time," without displaying departure times for other stops. Even in this case, the scheduled departure time is displayed as a time range, and the time range narrows as the vehicle 83 approaches the target stop. In the example of FIG. 10, the scheduled departure time is in the range of "10:00 to 10:08" at the time of the left diagram. At the time of the center diagram, which is later than the left diagram, the scheduled departure time is in the range of "10:02 to 10:06." At the time of the right diagram, which is later than the center diagram, the scheduled departure time is "10:04." When the time range is within one minute, the scheduled departure time can be displayed as a single time instead of the shortest and longest departure times, as shown in the right diagram.

[0071] As described above, the vehicle operations management device 10A according to the second embodiment has the following functions in addition to the functions of the vehicle operations management device 10 according to the first embodiment. The processing unit 40A displays the departure times of bus stops on the display screen based on the operation plan 22 stored in the storage unit 20, and can update the contents of the display screen every time the operation plan 22 is updated. According to the vehicle operations management device 10A, the departure time of the vehicle 83 changes over time. Furthermore, changes in the departure time may include advancement of the departure time, and the departure time may be earlier than the reserved departure time. For this reason, it is important to inform users of the departure time in real time to avoid missing their trains. If the departure time can be informed to users in real time using the display screen, the users can change their behavior according to the situation, such as hurrying to their desired boarding stop to match the current departure time, or, if the departure time is delayed, finishing other errands such as shopping before boarding the train.

[0072] The constantly updated departure time information may be provided to users who have made reservations on a customized display screen, as described in the above embodiment, or may be provided on a display device 84 installed at the bus stop so that people who arrive at the bus stop can at least know the departure time for that bus stop, or may be provided by displaying it on the screen of an application with a reservation function provided for mobile terminals, for example, regardless of whether a reservation has been made or not.

[0073] For example, the processing unit 40A can display the departure time of the desired boarding stop for the travel demand 21 on the display screen of the mobile terminal carried by the user corresponding to the travel demand 21, and update the content of the display screen every time the operation plan 22 is updated. Furthermore, the processing unit 40A can also display the departure time of the stop on the display screen of the display device 84 installed at the bus stop, and update the content of the display screen every time the operation plan is updated.

[0074] Furthermore, when displaying the departure time and arrival time, it is desirable to express them as a range using an expected upper limit and lower limit. For example, the processing unit 40A can express the departure time from a target stop as a range using the shortest departure time, which is the departure time when the bus does not stop at any stops between the stop where the bus last stopped and the target stop and where there are no passengers planning to get on or off, and the longest departure time, which is the departure time when the bus stops at all stops.

[0075] Third Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle operations management system 100B according to a third embodiment. The vehicle operations management system 100B includes a vehicle operations management device 10B, a demand collection terminal 81, a vehicle control terminal 82, a display device 84, and an artificial intelligence 85. The vehicle operations management device 10B includes a processing unit 40B having the function of an operation plan display control unit 44B that displays, on a display screen, a predicted value of the probability that a vehicle 83 will not stop at each stop. Note that the vehicle operations management system 100B includes a vehicle control terminal 82 installed in the vehicle 83. However, the vehicle operations management system 100B may include a vehicle 83 that is originally equipped with functions such as a transceiver 831, a driving control unit 832, a self-location identification unit 833, and a display unit 834, as in the first embodiment. Below, descriptions of the same parts as in the first and second embodiments will be omitted, and differences from the first and second embodiments will be mainly described.

[0076] The vehicle traffic management system 100B has a function of generating information indicating a predicted value of the probability that the vehicle 83 will not stop at each stop. This predicted value can also be obtained by general statistical processing based on accumulated performance data. For example, the vehicle traffic management system 100B can calculate the average occurrence number of travel demands 21 during the same time period as the target time period from performance data for a certain period of time in the past, predict the occurrence probability P of the travel demand 21, and calculate the probability that the vehicle 83 will not stop at the target stop as 1-P.

[0077] FIG. 11 illustrates the configuration of a vehicle operation management system 100B that uses artificial intelligence 85 to generate information indicating a predicted value of the probability that the vehicle 83 will not stop at each bus stop. The artificial intelligence 85 stores a trained model 86 and includes an inference unit 87 that uses the trained model 86 to generate information indicating a predicted value of the probability that the vehicle 83 will not stop at a bus stop. The artificial intelligence 85 receives, as input data, information for identifying at least a bus stop from the vehicle operation management device 10B, and outputs a predicted value of the skip occurrence probability, which is the probability that the vehicle 83 will not stop at a target bus stop. Here, the input data includes at least information for identifying the bus stop, and may also include information for identifying the route if multiple routes pass through the target bus stop. The input data may also include information indicating the time period to be predicted.

[0078] Fig. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the vehicle operations management system 100B shown in Fig. 11. As with the first embodiment, the vehicle operations management system 100B can perform the operation described using Fig. 4. The operation shown in Fig. 12 is performed in parallel with the operation shown in Fig. 4. The operation plan display control unit 44B first acquires data used to predict the skip occurrence probability (step S41). The operation plan display control unit 44B inputs the data acquired in step S41 to the artificial intelligence 85 via the communication unit 30 (step S42).

[0079] The artificial intelligence 85 outputs the skip occurrence probability to the vehicle operations management device 10B from the input data using the learned model 86 (step S43). In the vehicle operations management device 10B, the operation plan display control unit 44B displays the skip occurrence probability output by the artificial intelligence 85 on the display screen of the display device 84 (step S44).

[0080] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen displayed by the display device 84 illustrated in FIG. 11 . In the second embodiment, this display screen includes, in addition to the information illustrated in FIG. 9 , a skip occurrence probability, which is the probability that the vehicle 83 will not stop at each stop. When the artificial intelligence 85 outputs a predicted value based on past performance data for the same time period without considering the travel demand 21 currently associated with the target flight, the operation plan display control unit 44B may display the skip occurrence probability output by the artificial intelligence 85 on the display screen as is, or may correct the skip occurrence probability based on the travel demand 21 currently associated with the target flight and then display it on the display screen. For example, when based on past performance data that does not include information about currently operating flights, the skip occurrence probability rarely becomes 0% or 100%. However, when a currently operating flight includes a stop at which it has already been determined that the vehicle will not stop, the operation plan display control unit 44B may correct the skip occurrence probability of the stop to 100% and display it. When a currently operating flight includes a stop at which it has already been determined that the vehicle will stop, the operation plan display control unit 44B may correct the skip occurrence probability of the stop to 0% and display it. In addition, when the artificial intelligence 85 outputs the skip occurrence probability after taking into consideration the travel demand 21 associated with the currently operating flight, the operation plan display control unit 44B displays the skip occurrence probability output by the artificial intelligence 85 as is on the display screen.

[0081] 11 illustrates a method for predicting the probability of skipping using artificial intelligence 85 external to the vehicle operation management device 10B. However, the vehicle operation management device 10B may also include a trained model 86 and an inference unit 87. The trained model 86 is generated by machine learning. For example, the trained model 86 may be configured as a large-scale language model (LLM) that, when the operation plan 22 is input, outputs the probability of skipping at each stop included in the operation plan 22. Examples of algorithms used by the artificial intelligence 85 include Transformer, Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), and Generative Pre-Training (GPT), and the like, and the artificial intelligence 85 may be configured by combining a plurality of algorithms including these.

[0082] As described above, according to the vehicle operation management device 10B of the third embodiment, in addition to the functions described in the first and second embodiments, the processing unit 40B can generate information indicating a predicted value of the probability that the vehicle 83 will not stop at a bus stop and display the information on the display screen. The "probability that the vehicle 83 will not stop at a bus stop" is also called a skip occurrence probability. The processing unit 40B may calculate the skip occurrence probability through general statistical processing based on accumulated performance data, or may calculate the skip occurrence probability using a technology known as AI (Artificial Intelligence) or generative AI. The processing unit 40B can generate information indicating a predicted value of the skip occurrence probability by inputting stop information of the operation plan 22 stored in the storage unit 20 into the artificial intelligence 85.

[0083] Fourth Embodiment. Figure 14 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle operations management system 100C according to a fourth embodiment. The vehicle operations management system 100C includes a vehicle operations management device 10C, a demand collection terminal 81, and a vehicle control terminal 82. Note that the vehicle operations management system 100C includes the vehicle control terminal 82 installed in a vehicle 83; however, similar to the first embodiment, the vehicle operations management system 100C may include a vehicle 83 that is originally equipped with functions such as a transmitter / receiver 831, a driving control unit 832, a vehicle position identification unit 833, and a display unit 834. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals will be used for the same parts as those in the first to third embodiments, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0084] The vehicle operation management device 10C has a memory unit 20C, a communication unit 30, and a processing unit 40C. The memory unit 20C stores travel demand 21, an operation plan 22, an allocation range 23, and an allocation condition 24. The processing unit 40C has a travel demand management unit 41, an operation plan update unit 42C, and an operation plan implementation unit 43.

[0085] The communication unit 30 acquires the travel demand 21, the allocation range 23, and the allocation conditions 24. The travel demand 21, the allocation range 23, and the allocation conditions 24 acquired by the communication unit 30 are stored in the memory unit 20C by the travel demand management unit 41.

[0086] The operation plan update unit 42C has a function of allocating the travel demand 21 to a flight that meets the allocation conditions 24 from among multiple flights included in the allocation range 23 based on the travel demand 21, the allocation range 23, the allocation conditions 24, and the operation plan 22. The operation plan update unit 42C updates the operation plan based on the allocation results. The allocation range 23 is information indicating the range of flights to which the travel demand 21 is to be allocated, and may be, for example, information indicating a time range to be allocated or information indicating the number of flights. For example, the allocation range 23 may be "1 hour." The allocation conditions 24 are information indicating conditions for evaluating the appropriateness of allocating the travel demand 21. The allocation conditions 24 may be, for example, "the flight that has the smallest evaluation value according to the evaluation formula." The evaluation formula may be based on at least one of the number of travel demands 21 already allocated to the flights, the amount of travel time reduction of the travel demands 21 already allocated to the flights, and the waiting time of the travel demands 21 to be allocated. For example, the evaluation formula is "sum of reduction amounts of allocated travel demands 21 + sum of reduction amounts of unknown travel demands 21 × occurrence probability of unknown travel demands 21 + 0.002 × (waiting time of travel demands 21 to be allocated)" 2 " can be written as:

[0087] The operation of the vehicle operation management system 100C according to the fourth embodiment will be described using a specific example. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of an operation plan 22 at the time of reservation. Here, an example will be described in which ten travel demands 21, a to j, have already been assigned, and a flight to be boarded by a user is assigned to a new travel demand 21 indicated by a travel demand ID "x". Assume that the desired boarding stop for the new travel demand 21 indicated by the travel demand ID "x" is stop [1], the desired disembarking stop is stop [2], and the desired departure time is "10:01".

[0088] 15 at the time of reservation, the operation plan update unit 42C of the vehicle operation management device 10C calculates the evaluation value in the case where a new travel demand 21 with a travel demand ID "x" is not assigned to each bus. Here, it is determined that each of the bus IDs "001," "002," "003," and "004" will stop at stop [1], and when a new travel demand 21 with a travel demand ID "x" is assigned to each bus, the bus will stop at stop [2], and when a new travel demand 21 with a travel demand ID "x" is not assigned, the bus will not stop at stop [2].

[0089] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a method for allocating travel demands 21 in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 16 shows operation plans 22 in the case where stop [2] is skipped for each bus, and evaluation values ​​corresponding to each operation plan. The operation plan update unit 42 calculates the evaluation value using the operation plans 22 in the case where stop [2] is skipped for each bus. For flight ID "001," the sum of the travel time reduction amounts for the existing travel demands 21 is 2 minutes x 4 people, and the waiting time for the new travel demand 21 is 0 minutes, so the evaluation value is "8.00." For flight ID "002," the sum of the travel time reduction amounts for the existing travel demands 21 is 2 minutes x 3 people, and the waiting time for the new travel demand 21 is 15 minutes, so the evaluation value is "6.45."

[0090] For flight ID "003", the total amount of reduction in travel time for existing travel demands 21 is 2 minutes x 2 people, and the waiting time for new travel demands 21 is 30 minutes, so the evaluation value is "5.80". For flight ID "004", the total amount of reduction in travel time for existing travel demands 21 is 2 minutes x 1 person, and the waiting time for new travel demands 21 is 45 minutes, so the evaluation value is "6.05".

[0091] In the example shown in FIG. 16, the evaluation value of flight ID "003" is the smallest, so the new travel demand 21 is allocated to the flight with flight ID "003".

[0092] Fig. 17 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the vehicle operation control device 10C according to the fourth embodiment. In Fig. 17, steps S11 to S13 and steps S31 to S33 are the same as those in Fig. 4, and therefore the explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0093] In the vehicle operation management device 10C, the operation plan update unit 42C updates the operation plan while the vehicle 83 is operating (steps S51 and S56). Specifically, the operation plan update unit 42C acquires information used to update the operation plan (step S52). The information acquired by the operation plan update unit 42C here includes the travel demand 21, the operation plan 22, the allocation range 23, and the allocation conditions 24. Next, the operation plan update unit 42C extracts allocation candidates from the multiple flights included in the operation plan 22 based on the acquired information (step S53) and evaluates the appropriateness of the allocation of the extracted allocation candidates (step S54). Specifically, the operation plan update unit 42C evaluates the appropriateness of the allocation by, for example, calculating an evaluation value indicated by the allocation conditions 24. The operation plan update unit 42C determines the flight to be assigned based on the calculated evaluation value (step S55).

[0094] As described above, the vehicle operation management device 10C according to the fourth embodiment is characterized by including a storage unit 20C that stores an operation plan 22 for a vehicle 83 in which arrival and departure times for multiple stops are set; a communication unit 30 that acquires a user's travel demand 21, an allocation range 23 indicating a range of candidate flights to which the travel demand 21 is to be allocated, and allocation conditions 24 indicating conditions for evaluating the appropriateness of allocating the travel demand 21; and a processing unit 40C that allocates the travel demand 21 to a flight that meets the allocation conditions 24 from among multiple flights included in the allocation range 23 based on the travel demand 21, the allocation range 23, the allocation conditions 24, and the operation plan 22. With this configuration, it is possible to evaluate flights within a certain period from among multiple flights included in the allocation range 23 and allocate the travel demand 21 to an optimal flight. Therefore, it is possible to allocate the travel demand 21 to a more appropriate flight from the perspectives of operational efficiency and user convenience. Here, flights included in the allocation range 23 may include flights that have not yet been operated.

[0095] In addition, the allocation condition 24 may be based on at least one of the number of travel demands 21 already allocated to the flight, the amount of reduction in travel time of the travel demands 21 already allocated to the flight, and the waiting time of the travel demands 21 to be allocated.

[0096] The processing unit 40C can also evaluate the allocation conditions 24 based on the predicted unknown travel demand and allocate the travel demand 21 based on the evaluation result. Such allocation can be realized by adding a term that takes into account the unknown travel demand 21 to the evaluation formula for the allocation conditions 24. Furthermore, when allocating, by providing a time lag from the registration of the travel demand 21, it becomes possible to allocate a more optimal flight.

[0097] The processing unit 40C may also have the functions of the operation plan update unit 42 according to the first to third embodiments.

[0098] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or different embodiments may be combined with each other. It is also possible to omit or modify parts of the configurations as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention.

[0099] For example, in the above embodiment, a service in which a vehicle 83 such as a bus transports users was described. However, the technology described above can also be applied to services in which a mobile object transports people or goods. In this case, the mobile object is not limited to a vehicle 83 such as a car, but may be any mobile object capable of transporting people or goods, such as a ship, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, or a vehicle capable of moving through the air known as a flying car. In this case, in the above embodiment, "stop" may be read as a "stop position" where the mobile object stops, and "stop" may be read as "stop." If the object being transported is a person, "boarding, disembarking" may be read as "boarding, disembarking, boarding, disembarking" depending on the type of mobile object. If the object being transported is a good, "boarding, disembarking" may be read as "loading, unloading." Furthermore, if the object being transported is a person, the "user" itself may be the object being transported. If the object being transported is a good, the person arranging the transportation of the good may be the "user."

[0100] For example, a traffic management device for managing the operation of a mobile object may be provided, which includes, for example, a storage unit for storing a traffic plan of the mobile object, a communication unit for acquiring travel demands of users, and a processing unit for determining whether or not the mobile object will stop at a plurality of stop positions based on the traffic plan and the travel demands, determining a departure time for the stop position where the mobile object will stop based on the arrival time and the travel demand corresponding to the determined whether or not the mobile object will stop, and updating the traffic plan in the storage unit based on the determination result.

[0101] 10, 10A, 10B, 10C Vehicle operation management device, 20, 20C Memory unit, 21 Travel demand, 22 Operation plan, 23 Allocation range, 24 Allocation conditions, 30 Communication unit, 40, 40A, 40B, 40C Processing unit, 41 Travel demand management unit, 42, 42C Operation plan update unit, 43 Operation plan implementation unit, 44A, 44B Operation plan display control unit, 81 Demand collection terminal, 82 Vehicle control terminal, 83 Vehicle, 84 Display device, 85 Artificial intelligence, 86 Learned model, 87 Inference unit, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C Vehicle operation management system, 831 Transmitting and receiving unit, 832 Travel control unit, 833 Self-location identification unit, 834 Display unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation management device comprising: a memory unit that stores a vehicle operation plan; a communication unit that acquires user travel demands; and a processing unit that determines whether or not the vehicle will stop at a plurality of stops based on the operation plan and the travel demands, determines the departure time for the stop at which the vehicle will stop based on the arrival time corresponding to the determined whether or not the vehicle will stop and the travel demands, and updates the operation plan in the memory unit based on the determination result.

2. The vehicle operation management device of claim 1, characterized in that, when there is a stop at which it is determined that the vehicle will not stop, the processing unit calculates the time required to travel between the stops at which the vehicle will stop and those before and after the stop at which the vehicle will not stop, and determines the departure time for the stop at which the vehicle will stop based on the calculation result and the travel demand.

3. The vehicle operation management device described in claim 2, characterized in that the travel demand includes a desired departure time from the user's desired boarding stop, and the processing unit determines the departure time to be the later of the departure time calculated based on the calculation result and the desired departure time of the travel demand for the desired boarding stop.

4. The vehicle operation management device described in claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit further has a function of sending driving instructions to the vehicle based on the operation plan, causing the vehicle to depart even before the departure time in the operation plan, and updating the operation plan based on the departure time.

5. The vehicle operation management device described in claim 4, characterized in that the processing unit uses the results of matching the users who will board the vehicle with the travel demand when the vehicle departs to determine whether all the users who are scheduled to board from the stop have already boarded.

6. The vehicle operation management device described in claim 5, characterized in that the matching is performed using at least one user identifier from among a two-dimensional code, biometric authentication, an application installed on a mobile device held by the user, and electronic money.

7. The vehicle operation management device of claim 4, characterized in that the processing unit determines that all of the users scheduled to board from the bus stop have boarded when all of the users scheduled to board from the bus stop have performed an operation to allow departure.

8. The vehicle operation management device described in claim 7, characterized in that the operation to permit departure is performed using a mobile terminal carried by the user, a terminal installed at the bus stop, or a terminal installed in the vehicle.

9. The vehicle operation management device described in claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit displays the departure time of the bus stop on the display screen based on the operation plan stored in the memory unit, and updates the contents of the display screen each time the operation plan is updated.

10. The vehicle operation management device described in claim 9, characterized in that the processing unit displays the departure time of the desired boarding stop for the travel demand on the display screen of the mobile terminal carried by the user corresponding to the travel demand, and updates the contents of the display screen every time the operation plan is updated.

11. The vehicle operation management device described in claim 9, characterized in that the processing unit displays the departure time for the bus stop on the display screen of a display device installed at the bus stop, and updates the contents of the display screen each time the operation plan is updated.

12. A vehicle operation management device as described in any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the processing unit expresses the departure time of the target stop as a range using the shortest departure time, which is the departure time if the bus does not stop at any stops between the stop where the bus last stopped at the current time and the target stop and where there are no passengers scheduled to board or disembark, and the longest departure time, which is the departure time if the bus stops at all stops.

13. The vehicle operation management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit generates information indicating a predicted value of the probability that the vehicle will not stop at the bus stop, and displays the information on a display screen.

14. The vehicle operation management device described in claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit generates information indicating a predicted value of the probability that the vehicle will not stop at the stop by inputting information about the stop in the operation plan stored in the memory unit into artificial intelligence.

15. The vehicle operation management device described in claim 1, characterized in that the communication unit further acquires an allocation range and allocation conditions for the travel demand, and the processing unit allocates the travel demand to a flight that meets the allocation conditions from among multiple flights included within the allocation range based on the travel demand, the allocation range, the allocation conditions, and the operation plan, and updates the operation plan.

16. A vehicle operation management device comprising: a memory unit that stores a vehicle operation plan; a communication unit that acquires a user's travel demand, an allocation range that indicates the range of flights to which the travel demand is to be allocated, and allocation conditions that indicate the conditions for evaluating the appropriateness of allocating the travel demand; and a processing unit that allocates the travel demand to a flight that meets the allocation conditions from among multiple flights included in the allocation range based on the travel demand, the allocation range, the allocation conditions, and the operation plan.

17. The vehicle operation management device described in claim 16, characterized in that the allocation conditions are based on at least one of the number of travel demands already allocated to the flight, the amount of reduction in travel time of the travel demands already allocated to the flight, and the waiting time of the travel demands to be allocated.

18. The vehicle operation management device according to claim 16, characterized in that the processing unit evaluates the allocation conditions based on the predicted unknown travel demand, and allocates the travel demand based on the evaluation result.

19. A vehicle operation management device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the vehicle is an automobile.

20. A vehicle operation management system comprising: a demand collection terminal that collects travel demand including desired departure times at which users wish to board a vehicle; a vehicle operation management device having a memory unit that stores an operation plan for the vehicle, and that determines whether or not the vehicle will stop at multiple stops where the demand collection terminal is installed based on the operation plan and the travel demand acquired from the demand collection terminal, determines the departure time from the stop at which the vehicle will stop based on the arrival time and the desired departure time corresponding to the determined whether or not the vehicle will stop, and updates the stored operation plan based on the determination result; and a vehicle control terminal that controls the vehicle based on the operation plan updated by the vehicle operation management device.

21. A vehicle operation management system comprising: a demand collection terminal that collects travel demand including desired departure times at which users wish to board a vehicle; a vehicle operation management device having a memory unit that stores an operation plan for the vehicle, and that determines whether or not the vehicle will stop at a plurality of stops where the demand collection terminal is installed based on the operation plan and the travel demand acquired from the demand collection terminal, determines the departure time from the stop at which the vehicle will stop based on the arrival time and the desired departure time corresponding to the determined whether or not the vehicle will stop, and updates the stored operation plan based on the determination result; and a vehicle that operates based on the operation plan updated by the vehicle operation management device or vehicle operation instructions generated based on the updated operation plan.

22. A vehicle that operates according to an operation plan, wherein whether or not the vehicle will stop at a plurality of stops is determined based on the operation plan and travel demands of users; a departure time from the stop at which the vehicle will stop is determined based on the arrival time corresponding to whether or not the vehicle will stop and the travel demand; the operation plan is updated based on the determination result; a transceiver unit that receives the updated operation plan or travel instructions generated based on the updated operation plan; and a travel control unit that controls the travel of the vehicle based on the operation plan or the travel instructions received by the transceiver unit.

23. A vehicle that operates according to an operation plan, wherein whether or not the vehicle will stop at a plurality of stops is determined based on the operation plan and users' travel demands, a departure time from the stop at which the vehicle will stop is determined based on the arrival time corresponding to whether or not the vehicle will stop and the travel demands, the operation plan is updated based on the determination result, and the vehicle is characterized by comprising: a transceiver that receives the updated operation plan or driving instructions generated based on the updated operation plan; and a display that displays the operation plan received by the transceiver.

24. A vehicle operation management method comprising: a step of storing a vehicle operation plan; a travel demand acquisition step of acquiring travel demand including a desired departure time at a stop where a user wishes to board the vehicle; a stop determination step of determining whether or not the vehicle will stop at a plurality of stops based on the operation plan and the travel demand; a departure time determination step of determining a departure time from the stop where the vehicle will stop based on the arrival time corresponding to the determined whether or not the vehicle will stop and the desired departure time; and an operation plan update step of updating the stored operation plan based on the determination result.

25. A vehicle operation management program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: a step of storing a vehicle operation plan; a travel demand acquisition step of acquiring travel demand including a desired departure time at a stop where a user wishes to board the vehicle; a stop determination step of determining whether or not the vehicle will stop at a plurality of stops based on the operation plan and the travel demand; a departure time determination step of determining a departure time from the stop where the vehicle will stop based on the arrival time corresponding to the determined whether or not the vehicle will stop and the desired departure time; and an operation plan update step of updating the stored operation plan based on the determination result.

26. An operation management device comprising: a memory unit that stores an operation plan for a mobile object; a communication unit that acquires travel demands of users; and a processing unit that determines whether or not the mobile object will stop at a plurality of stopping positions based on the operation plan and the travel demand, determines a departure time for the stopping position at which the mobile object will stop based on the arrival time corresponding to the determined whether or not the mobile object will stop and the travel demand, and updates the operation plan in the memory unit based on the determination result.

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