Vehicle dispatch management device and vehicle dispatch management method

Abstract

The present invention is a vehicle dispatch management device that performs dispatch of a vehicle in response to a vehicle dispatch request from a user. The device comprises: a vehicle dispatch result information database which stores vehicle dispatch result information regarding the vehicle; a demand prediction unit which predicts, on the basis of the vehicle dispatch result information, a demand for the vehicle based on the vehicle dispatch request in a prescribed period of time for each area including a route point at which the vehicle can wait temporarily; a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit which creates a vehicle dispatch plan of the vehicle on the basis of the vehicle dispatch request from the user; and a vehicle dispatch instruction unit which gives a vehicle dispatch instruction to the vehicle on the basis of the vehicle dispatch plan. The vehicle dispatch plan creation unit determines at least one route point between a departing point of the vehicle and a stopping point at which the user boards the vehicle, and creates, on the basis of the predicted demand, the vehicle dispatch plan so that the vehicle waits temporality at the determined route point.

Description

Vehicle allocation management device and vehicle allocation management method

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle allocation management device and a vehicle allocation management method.

[0002] Fleet management is known as a method of managing vehicle dispatch to improve user convenience while increasing vehicle utilization rates. For example, when a user requests a vehicle to travel to a destination, a dispatch plan is created to specify a nearby bus stop as the boarding point.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that receives a reservation request including a target stopping position and a target stopping time specified by a user, determines whether the target stopping position is available during a target stopping period including the target stopping time based on a stopping position reservation database that shows the reservation status of each stopping position, and if the target stopping position is available during the target stopping period, reserves the target stopping position for the target stopping period for a mobility service vehicle that will carry the user.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-172924

[0005] In an actual vehicle dispatch service, after a user makes a vehicle dispatch request, the user may cancel the ride before the vehicle arrives at the boarding point. However, the technology disclosed in the above Patent Document 1 does not deal with the case where the user cancels the ride while the vehicle is heading to the target stopping position (boarding point), so there is a risk that the movement of the vehicle will be wasted.

[0006] On the other hand, if a vehicle passes through an area with high demand for vehicles before heading to the boarding point, if it can temporarily wait at a waypoint within that area, it will be able to accommodate other users' dispatch requests, which is expected to improve dispatch efficiency.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to propose a vehicle dispatch management device and a vehicle dispatch management method that can improve the efficiency of vehicle dispatch by taking into account vehicle demand and having vehicles wait at waypoints along the way until they arrive at the boarding point.

[0008] The present invention, which aims to solve the above problems, comprises the following invention-specifying matters and technical features.

[0009] According to one aspect, the present invention provides a vehicle dispatch management device that dispatches vehicles in response to a user's dispatch request. The device includes: a dispatch history information database that stores dispatch history information for the vehicles; a demand prediction unit that predicts the demand (demand volume) for the vehicles due to the dispatch request for each area including waypoints where the vehicles can wait based on the dispatch history information; a dispatch plan creation unit that creates a dispatch plan for the vehicles based on the user's dispatch request; and a dispatch instruction unit that issues dispatch instructions to the vehicles based on the dispatch plan. The dispatch plan creation unit determines at least one waypoint between the departure point of the vehicle and the bus stop where the user boards the vehicle. The dispatch plan creation unit also creates the dispatch plan so that the vehicle will temporarily wait at the determined waypoint in accordance with the predicted demand.

[0010] The present invention also provides a vehicle allocation management method using a vehicle allocation management device that manages vehicle allocation in response to a vehicle allocation request, a computer program for executing the method, and a recording medium on which the method is non-temporarily recorded.

[0011] According to the present invention, the efficiency of vehicle allocation can be improved by taking into consideration the demand for vehicles and temporarily waiting at waypoints on the way to the boarding point.

[0012] Other technical features, objects, and operational effects or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting, and other effects may also be present.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle dispatch management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of details of a vehicle dispatch planning unit in a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining vehicle waiting times at waypoints in a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing related to a vehicle dispatch request in a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing for creating a vehicle dispatch plan in a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described below. The present invention can be implemented in various modifications (e.g., by combining the various embodiments) without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, in the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, ratios, etc. Parts in the drawings may have different dimensional relationships or ratios.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management system 1 includes a vehicle dispatch management device 10, an information and communication terminal device 20, and a vehicle V, which are communicatively connected to each other via a communication network N. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 can also be connected via the communication network N to a road traffic information management system 30 that provides various traffic information in real time. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 provides, for example, a vehicle dispatch service using multiple vehicles V in response to a user's vehicle dispatch request for a certain area. In the present disclosure, the vehicle V is assumed to be an autonomously driven vehicle without a driver.

[0016] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 is a computing device that comprehensively manages a vehicle dispatch service using multiple vehicles V in a target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service. The target area may be further divided into several areas (sub-areas). The vehicle dispatch management device 10, for example, implements a vehicle dispatch management server program and executes the vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor, thereby realizing the vehicle dispatch service. In particular, the vehicle dispatch management server program of the present disclosure includes a subprogram or module that controls a vehicle V that is dispatched to a bus stop in response to a user's dispatch request to temporarily wait or stop for a predetermined waiting time at a waypoint or checkpoint along the way, depending on the demand for the vehicle V.

[0017] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 includes various databases 12 that accumulate and manage data necessary to realize the vehicle dispatch service. The databases 12 may include, for example, a user information database 12a, a road map information database 12b, a vehicle information database 12c, a vehicle dispatch plan database 12d, and a vehicle dispatch record information database 12e (see FIG. 2). The databases 12 may be configured as part of the vehicle dispatch management device 10, or all or part of the databases 12 may be configured separately from the vehicle dispatch management device 10.

[0018] In general, the vehicle allocation management device 10 receives a vehicle allocation request from a user who requests a vehicle to be allocated to a destination, determines a driving route to the destination based on the received vehicle allocation request, references the vehicle information database 12c to select a vehicle V to be allocated to the user from among multiple vehicles V, creates a vehicle allocation plan for the selected vehicle, and proposes the created vehicle allocation plan to the user. The vehicle allocation management device 10 confirms the proposed vehicle allocation plan upon the user's approval, and issues vehicle allocation instructions to the vehicle V in accordance with the confirmed vehicle allocation plan.

[0019] The vehicle dispatch plan includes a driving route that defines a route from the current location of the vehicle V (e.g., a waiting location serving as a starting point) to a waiting location serving as a final destination (which may not necessarily be the same as the initial waiting location), passing through several boarding and disembarking points (stops) along the way where the user boards and disembarks. The vehicle dispatch plan may include temporary waiting at one or more waiting locations (waypoints) where the vehicle V can wait between the current location of the vehicle V and the stop where the user boards. If the vehicle V is waiting for a dispatch request, the vehicle dispatch plan is newly created based on the received dispatch request. If the vehicle V is in operation with a user on board, the vehicle dispatch plan may be updated based on the dispatch request. Furthermore, if multiple users each make a dispatch request, a vehicle dispatch plan may be created that indicates that the users will ride together in the same vehicle V.

[0020] In the present disclosure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a vehicle dispatch plan in which the vehicle V is temporarily waiting at a waypoint on the way to a bus stop where a user boards the vehicle V, in accordance with the demand for the vehicle V. The demand is the demand for the vehicle V due to a dispatch request in a predetermined time period, either currently or in the future, for each predetermined area or waypoint, and is calculated or predicted based on, for example, past vehicle dispatch records.

[0021] The vehicle V is a vehicle registered in the vehicle information database 12c and provided for use by users in the vehicle dispatch service. The vehicle V is an autonomous vehicle (unmanned vehicle) operated by an autonomous driving system, and the so-called autonomous driving level does not matter. Furthermore, the vehicle type of the vehicle V (e.g., sedan, minivan, SUV, etc.) does not matter.

[0022] The vehicle V is equipped with a control device CTL that controls the vehicle V itself or its onboard equipment in accordance with dispatch instructions from the vehicle dispatch management device 10 (see FIG. 2). Although not shown, the control device CTL includes a processor, memory, etc., and realizes various functions by executing a vehicle control program. Furthermore, under the control of the control device CTL, the vehicle V acquires driving management information necessary for autonomous driving from various cameras and sensors and transmits this information to the vehicle dispatch management device 10. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 can monitor and control the driving of the vehicle V in accordance with the driving management information transmitted from the vehicle V.

[0023] The information and communication terminal device 20 is, for example, a computing device through which a user wishing to ride makes a vehicle dispatch request by operating a user interface. The information and communication terminal device 20 may be, for example, a smartphone, a pad computer, a laptop personal computer, a desktop computer, or the like, but is not limited to these. The information and communication terminal device 20 implements, for example, a vehicle dispatch management client program (a so-called vehicle dispatch app). The information and communication terminal device 20 executes the vehicle dispatch app under the control of a processor, thereby enabling the user to use the vehicle dispatch service of the vehicle dispatch management device 10. Alternatively, the information and communication terminal device 20 may allow the user to use the vehicle dispatch service using a web-based browser instead of the vehicle dispatch app. For example, the user may make a vehicle dispatch request from a vehicle dispatch request screen (not shown) on the user interface of the information and communication terminal device 20 and, in response, accept the vehicle dispatch plan created by the vehicle dispatch management device 10, thereby reserving a ride in the vehicle V. Furthermore, if the user cancels the ride in vehicle V for personal reasons after accepting the vehicle dispatch plan, the user can cancel the ride from a cancellation screen (not shown) on the user interface of the information communication terminal device 20. The information communication terminal device 20 also has a GPS function for acquiring user location information. For example, the information communication terminal device 20 can acquire user location information together with a vehicle dispatch request and transmit it to the vehicle dispatch management device 10. The information communication terminal device 20 can also acquire user location information over time and transmit it to the vehicle dispatch management device 10.

[0024] The road traffic information management system 30 is an information and communication system that provides road traffic information in real time. For example, the road traffic information management system 30 collects road traffic data from various monitoring equipment installed on roads and from a control device CTL installed in the vehicle V, and manages road traffic information by processing and editing the data in an integrated manner. The monitoring equipment includes, but is not limited to, live cameras and vehicle sensors. The edited road traffic information may include, for example, information on road closures and detour routes, and the travel time between points via a specific route. The road traffic information management system 30 appropriately provides the road traffic information to the vehicle dispatch management device 10 and the vehicle V. In addition to weather information, traffic information, and road regulation information, the road traffic information management system 30 may provide the vehicle dispatch management device 10 with video information from live cameras, audio information from microphones, and sensor information from vehicle sensors obtained from the monitoring equipment as driving management information. This enables the vehicle dispatch management device 10 to appropriately monitor and guide the vehicle V in accordance with the driving management information.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may be configured as a functional configuration model including functional components such as a front-end processing unit 110, a vehicle dispatch planning unit 120, and a vehicle communication unit 130. Furthermore, as described above, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 includes various databases 12. This functional model is realized by the vehicle dispatch management device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor, thereby cooperating with various hardware resources. The functional configuration model shown here is an example, and all or part of the functions of a certain functional component may be realized by other functional components. For ease of explanation, the figure also illustrates the user's information communication terminal device 20 and the control device CTL in the vehicle V.

[0026] The user information database 12a stores information about users who use the ride-hailing service (hereinafter referred to as "user information"). The user information includes, for example, a user ID and password, personal attributes (gender, age, address, etc.), and information about service usage. The user information is registered in the user information database 12a under the control of the ride-hailing management device 10, for example, when the user first starts up the ride-hailing app and inputs predetermined information.

[0027] The road map information database 12b stores road map information for the target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service. The road map information includes map data on addresses, place names, road networks (road links and nodes), various facilities (e.g., police stations), etc. The road map information also includes information necessary for searching for a driving route, such as road information, feature information, and environmental information. The road information includes road attribute information such as road type (e.g., community road or main road), road width, pedestrian / vehicle divider, median, and lane. In the present disclosure, the road map information includes waiting place information regarding waiting places where the vehicle V can temporarily wait. Such waiting places are waypoints where the vehicle V waits on the way to a bus stop.

[0028] The vehicle information database 12c stores information (vehicle information) about the vehicle V available for use by the user. The vehicle information includes, for example, a vehicle ID, vehicle attributes (vehicle registration number, vehicle model, maximum number of occupants / maximum load capacity, level of autonomous driving, etc.), vehicle characteristics, other specifications (total length, total width, vehicle height, weight, etc.), a current vehicle dispatch plan, current location, and current status (service status, remaining battery capacity (travel range), number of occupants, etc.). Vehicle information such as location information acquired from the vehicle V via the communication control unit 140 can be updated as needed.

[0029] The vehicle allocation plan database 12d stores a vehicle allocation plan for each vehicle V created by the vehicle allocation planning unit 120 based on a vehicle allocation request. As described above, the vehicle allocation plan includes a driving route from a waiting location serving as a starting point to a waiting location serving as an end point via several points (bus stops, waypoints, and other waiting locations), an expected arrival time at each point, and the like.

[0030] The vehicle dispatch record information database 12e stores information relating to past vehicle dispatch records in response to vehicle dispatch requests (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle dispatch record information"). The vehicle dispatch record information includes, for each vehicle V, various types of specification information such as the operating date and time (operation start time and end time, etc.), the travel route, the arrival and departure times at each point (e.g., bus stops or waypoints), the travel distance, and the fuel efficiency (electricity cost).

[0031] The front-end processing unit 110 performs various processes with the user's information communication terminal device 20. As an example, the front-end processing unit 110 refers to the user information database 12a and performs login authentication processing in accordance with a login request from a vehicle dispatching app on the user's information communication terminal device 20. The front-end processing unit 110 also accepts a vehicle dispatch request from the vehicle dispatching app on the user's information communication terminal device 20, passes it to the vehicle dispatch planning unit 120, and interacts with the information communication terminal device 20 to receive the user's approval or disapproval of the vehicle dispatch plan created by the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 126 in response to the vehicle dispatch request. The front-end processing unit 110 also receives user location information transmitted from the information communication terminal device 20 and passes it to the vehicle dispatch planning unit 120.

[0032] Based on a given dispatch request, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 120 extracts candidate vehicles (candidate vehicles) from among the vehicles V in the target area of ​​the dispatch service, creates and executes a dispatch plan for the candidate vehicles. The dispatch plan includes temporary waiting at waypoints between the point where the vehicle V departs for the bus stop where the user will be picked up and the bus stop. A dispatch plan may be created for each of several different candidate driving routes. The vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 126 proposes the created dispatch plan to the user and confirms it upon receiving the user's consent. The vehicle dispatch planning unit 120 then stores the confirmed dispatch plan in the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d and issues a dispatch instruction to the corresponding vehicle V via the vehicle communication unit 130. In addition, in response to the dispatch request, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 120 determines the waiting time for the vehicle V waiting at the waypoint in accordance with demand predicted based on the dispatch performance information. When the vehicle V dispatched based on the dispatch request completes the dispatch service, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 transmits dispatch record information, and the dispatch planning unit 120 stores this information in the dispatch record information database 12e.

[0033] The vehicle communication unit 130 exchanges various types of information with the vehicle V via the communication network N. For example, the vehicle communication unit 130 acquires vehicle information including the location information of the vehicle V and passes it on to the vehicle allocation planning unit 120, and also transmits driving instructions to the vehicle V in accordance with the vehicle allocation plan by the vehicle allocation planning unit 120. The vehicle communication unit 130 also acquires vehicle allocation record information from the vehicle V that has completed the vehicle allocation service and passes it on to the vehicle allocation planning unit 120.

[0034] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of details of the vehicle dispatch planning unit in the vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 120 includes, for example, a vehicle dispatch request acquisition unit 121, a driving route determination unit 122, a vehicle information acquisition unit 123, a vehicle selection unit 124, a demand forecasting unit 125, a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 126, a vehicle dispatch instruction unit 127, and a vehicle dispatch record information acquisition unit 128.

[0035] The vehicle dispatch request acquisition unit 121 acquires a vehicle dispatch request from a user via the front-end processing unit 110. The time when the vehicle dispatch request acquisition unit 121 acquires the vehicle dispatch request becomes the time when timing of various limit times (such as a boarding limit time and a disembarking limit time, which are the limit times by which a user should board or disembark at a bus stop) for creating a vehicle dispatch plan starts.

[0036] The travel route determination unit 122 determines an optimal travel route based on the vehicle dispatch request. For example, the travel route determination unit 122 determines a travel route from the stop where the user boards (boarding point) to the stop where the user disembarks (disembarking point) by using a route search engine that references the road map information database 12b based on the stops where the user boards and disembarks indicated in the vehicle dispatch request. Furthermore, when a vehicle V is selected in accordance with the vehicle dispatch request, the travel route determination unit 122 determines a travel route from the current position of the selected vehicle V to the stop where the user boards.

[0037] The vehicle information acquisition unit 123 acquires vehicle information from each vehicle V via the vehicle communication unit 130 at a predetermined timing. The vehicle information may include vehicle position information and remaining energy amount of the vehicle V. For example, the vehicle information acquisition unit 123 may periodically acquire vehicle information transmitted from each vehicle V, or may periodically or irregularly request a specific vehicle V to transmit vehicle information and acquire vehicle information transmitted from the specific vehicle V in response. The vehicle information acquisition unit 123 stores the acquired vehicle information of each vehicle V in the vehicle information database 12c. The vehicle position information may be used when extracting a vehicle V to be dispatched to a user based on its positional relationship with the vehicle V's driving route. Note that the vehicle information acquisition unit 123 may be configured to acquire dispatch history information from the vehicle V as part of the vehicle information, instead of the dispatch history information acquisition unit 128 described below.

[0038] The vehicle selection unit 124 extracts and selects a specific vehicle adapted to the travel route based on the dispatch request from among multiple vehicles V. For example, the vehicle selection unit 124 refers to the vehicle information database 12c, etc., and extracts vehicles V near the bus stops where the user boards, as indicated in the dispatch request, and based on the vehicle position information indicated by the vehicle information. Next, the vehicle selection unit 124 selects a vehicle V adapted to the travel route from the extracted vehicles V, taking into consideration constraints such as various limit allowable times. Once the vehicle V is selected, the travel route determination unit 122 determines a travel route from the current position of the selected vehicle V to the bus stop, thereby determining the entire travel route.

[0039] The demand prediction unit 125 predicts the demand (demand volume) for vehicles V due to dispatch requests during a current or future predetermined time period for each area including waypoints where vehicles V can temporarily wait, based on the dispatch record information stored in the dispatch record information database 12e. The predicted demand for each area may be expressed on a relative scale (e.g., 0 to 2). For example, the demand prediction unit 125 predicts the demand for vehicles V for a predetermined time period on a day to be predicted, based on the demand indicated by the dispatch record information for the same time period on the same day of the week in the past. The demand prediction unit 125 may also predict demand taking into account predetermined environmental factors such as the holding of an event or weather.

[0040] Furthermore, the demand prediction unit 125 can predict the demand for vehicles V for each destination indicated by the destination information based on the destination information indicated in the vehicle dispatch record information. For example, the demand prediction unit 125 predicts the demand for a specific destination from a bus stop in a certain area during commuting hours. This increases the possibility of users going to the same destination sharing a ride, thereby improving vehicle dispatch efficiency.

[0041] The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 creates a vehicle allocation plan for the selected vehicle V based on the determined driving route. For a vehicle V currently in operation, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 updates the vehicle allocation request. For example, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 may create a vehicle allocation plan for the vehicle V in response to a vehicle allocation request from a certain user, and then update the vehicle allocation plan in response to a vehicle allocation request from another user so that the vehicle V disembarks at a bus stop at the user's destination and then boards the other user at another bus stop. In the present disclosure, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 determines one or more waypoints where the vehicle V can temporarily wait or stop between the current location of the selected vehicle V and the bus stop where the user boards, and creates a vehicle allocation plan in which the vehicle V temporarily waits at the waypoints. In this case, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 determines the waiting time for the vehicle V to wait at each waypoint in accordance with demand predicted based on the vehicle allocation history information, and creates a vehicle allocation plan. This allows users who are likely to be late or cancel their rides to avoid unnecessary driving of the vehicle V, and also makes it possible to flexibly respond to vehicle dispatch requests from other users.

[0042] For example, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 calculates an estimated travel time for the vehicle V selected based on the vehicle allocation request from the departure point of the vehicle V to the bus stop where the user boards the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the "vehicle estimated travel time"), and also calculates an estimated travel time for the user who made the vehicle allocation request from their current location to the bus stop (hereinafter referred to as the "user estimated travel time"). Next, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 calculates the difference between the user estimated travel time and the vehicle estimated travel time (where the user estimated travel time > the vehicle estimated travel time) as the maximum waiting time. Then, based on the predicted demand, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 determines the waiting time for the vehicle V at each waypoint within a range that does not exceed the maximum waiting time. In this case, for a user whose user reliability is below a predetermined reference value, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 may determine the waiting time so that the waiting time at waypoints closer to the vehicle V's departure point is longer.

[0043] Furthermore, when determining two or more waypoints where the vehicle V can wait, the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 126 may determine the waiting time so that the waiting time at a waypoint in an area with high demand is longer. This increases the possibility of accepting a dispatch request from another user, thereby improving the efficiency of vehicle dispatch.

[0044] Furthermore, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 determines the waiting time for each waypoint based on the waiting time limit set for each waypoint. For example, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 determines the waiting time for each waypoint in accordance with the predicted demand, within a range that does not exceed the waiting time limit for each waypoint. This makes it possible to wait for a vehicle allocation request from another user while having the vehicle V wait sequentially at each waypoint on the way to the bus stop, taking traffic flow into consideration.

[0045] Furthermore, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 may set more waypoints in an area where the predicted demand is greater. For example, if the demand in area A is greater than the demand in area B, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 determines waypoints so that the number of waypoints in area A is greater than the number of waypoints in area B. This increases the opportunities for vehicles V to wait in areas with high demand, allowing them to wait for vehicle allocation requests from other users. On the other hand, since vehicles V do not wait for long periods of time at individual waypoints, it is possible to avoid obstructing traffic flow.

[0046] Furthermore, the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 126 may create a vehicle dispatch plan for the vehicle V so that, when the user location indicated by the user location information indicated in the dispatch request is separated by a predetermined distance or more from the bus stop where the user boards, the vehicle V temporarily waits at a waypoint. This prevents the vehicle V from waiting unnecessarily at a waypoint and thus preventing the vehicle V from arriving at the bus stop late, when the user who has made the dispatch request can arrive at the bus stop immediately.

[0047] Furthermore, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 may create a vehicle allocation plan for users sharing a single vehicle V. For example, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 creates a vehicle allocation plan for a vehicle V indicating a travel route from a first boarding point to a first disembarking point based on a vehicle allocation request of a first user, while if a second boarding point based on a vehicle allocation request of a second user is on the travel route, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 creates a vehicle allocation plan such that the second user shares a vehicle V in which the first user is riding, on the condition that the limit allowable time for the first user is satisfied.

[0048] The dispatch instruction unit 127 issues a dispatch instruction to the corresponding vehicle V according to the confirmed dispatch plan. Furthermore, if there is a change in the dispatch plan, the dispatch instruction unit 127 notifies the corresponding vehicle V of the changed dispatch plan. The control device CTL of the vehicle V that has received the dispatch instruction determines, for example, a detailed actual driving route according to the driving route in the dispatch plan, and performs control so that autonomous driving is performed along the actual driving route. For example, the dispatch instruction unit 127 issues a dispatch instruction to the vehicle V to pick up the user at the bus stop where the user is to board and drive to the bus stop where the user is to disembark.

[0049] The vehicle dispatch history information acquisition unit 128 collects and acquires vehicle dispatch history information from vehicles V that have completed vehicle dispatch services based on vehicle dispatch requests. As described above, the vehicle dispatch history information includes various types of specification information, such as operating dates and times (such as operation start and end times), travel routes, arrival and departure times at each point (such as bus stops or waypoints), travel distances, and fuel efficiency (electricity costs). The vehicle dispatch history information acquisition unit 128 stores the acquired vehicle dispatch history information in the vehicle dispatch history information database 12e. The times and number of times users board at bus stops indicated by the vehicle dispatch history information are used to predict demand for vehicles V in a specified time period. Note that in this example, the vehicle dispatch history information acquisition unit 128 is configured separately from the vehicle information acquisition unit 123, but it may also be configured as part of the vehicle information acquisition unit 123.

[0050] 4A is a diagram illustrating vehicle waiting times at waypoints in a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, in response to a vehicle dispatch request from a user U, a vehicle V that dropped off a previous user at bus stop S0 is selected for the user U, and the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 126 creates a vehicle dispatch plan that includes waypoints a and B on a route from bus stop S0 to bus stop S1 where user U boards the vehicle. Here, waypoint a is located in an area A that corresponds to approximately 40% of the travel distance from bus stop S0 to bus stop S1, and waypoint b is located in an area B that corresponds to approximately 80% of the travel distance from bus stop S0 to bus stop S1. It is also assumed that the predicted demand in area A is greater than that in area B.

[0051] The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 calculates an estimated vehicle travel time from bus stop S0, which is the departure point of vehicle V, to bus stop S1 where user U boards, and also calculates an estimated user travel time from user U's current location to bus stop S1, and calculates the difference between these estimates (however, the estimated vehicle travel time includes a margin so that vehicle V arrives before the user arrives) as the maximum waiting time. Then, based on the demand predicted for each area and the waiting time limit for each way point, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 determines each waiting time for vehicle V at way points a and b within a range that does not exceed the maximum waiting time. For example, for a user whose user reliability is below a predetermined reference value (i.e., whose user reliability is low), the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 determines each waiting time so that way point A, which is closer to bus stop S0, has a longer waiting time than way point B. In the example shown in the same figure, assuming that the maximum waiting time is 5 minutes, the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 126 creates a vehicle dispatch plan that waits for 3 minutes 45 seconds at waypoint a and 1 minute 15 seconds at waypoint B, depending on the predicted demand.

[0052] 10B shows an example in which the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 sets many waypoints for areas with high predicted demand. That is, as shown in the figure, because area A has a higher predicted demand than area B, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 126 sets two waypoints a1 and a2 in area A and one waypoint b in area B.

[0053] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process related to a vehicle dispatch request in the vehicle dispatch control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This process is realized by the vehicle dispatch control device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch control server program under the control of a processor, in cooperation with various hardware resources.

[0054] As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 waits until a new vehicle dispatch request is received from a user (S501). Meanwhile, for example, a user wishing to ride a vehicle operates a vehicle dispatch app on the user interface of the information communication terminal device 20 to input a vehicle dispatch request. In this example, the vehicle dispatch request includes user location information. When a vehicle dispatch request is received from a user (Yes in S501), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to the road map information database 12b based on the vehicle dispatch request and determines bus stops (boarding and disembarking points) for the user to board and disembark (S502).

[0055] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 extracts one or more candidate driving routes by referring to the road map information database 12b based on the determined bus stops (S503). That is, each candidate driving route has the same boarding and disembarking points, but different roads (links) along the way. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects one or more vehicles V according to the candidate driving routes (S504). For example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects a vehicle V that is waiting or moving near the boarding point.

[0056] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines a travel route for the selected vehicle V from the departure point to the boarding point via the waypoints and from the boarding point to the disembarking point (S505). Subsequently, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates or updates a vehicle dispatch plan based on the determined travel route (S506). The process of creating or updating a vehicle dispatch plan will be described in detail later.

[0057] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 proposes the contents of the created / updated vehicle dispatch plan to the user (S507). That is, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 transmits the contents of the created / updated vehicle dispatch plan to the information communication terminal device 20, and in response, the information communication terminal device 20 displays the contents on the user interface and prompts the user to accept or reject the proposed vehicle dispatch plan.

[0058] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether the proposed vehicle dispatch plan has been accepted by the user (S508). If the proposed vehicle dispatch plan has been accepted by the user (Yes in S508), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 confirms the current vehicle dispatch plan (S509). The vehicle dispatch management device 10 stores the confirmed vehicle dispatch plan in the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 transmits a notification of confirmation of the vehicle dispatch reservation to the information communication terminal device 20, and transmits a dispatch instruction based on the vehicle dispatch plan to the vehicle V (S510).

[0059] On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 receives a non-acceptance (rejection) from the user in response to the proposed vehicle dispatch plan (No in S508), it cancels the current vehicle dispatch plan based on the user's vehicle dispatch request (S511). In this case, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 returns the temporarily held vehicle dispatch plan used to recreate the vehicle dispatch plan to the original held vehicle dispatch plan. If the user desires a different vehicle dispatch service, the user will make a new vehicle dispatch request.

[0060] 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a process for creating a vehicle dispatch plan in a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart shows details of the process for creating and updating a vehicle dispatch plan (S506) shown in FIG.

[0061] As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines one or more waypoints where the vehicle V can temporarily wait or stop between the current location indicated by the vehicle position information of the vehicle V and a bus stop on the travel route to the user's boarding point (S601). In this case, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 can set the number of waypoints in an area so that the greater the demand in that area, the more waypoints there are in that area.

[0062] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 calculates the vehicle estimated travel time of the vehicle V selected based on the dispatch request (S602), and also calculates the user estimated travel time of the user who made the dispatch request (S603). Subsequently, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 calculates the maximum waiting time based on the calculated user estimated travel time and vehicle estimated travel time (S604), and determines whether the calculated maximum waiting time is equal to or less than a predetermined value (S605).

[0063] If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the calculated maximum waiting time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (Yes in S605), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to the vehicle dispatch record information database 12e and predicts demand based on the vehicle dispatch record information (S606). Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines the waiting time for the vehicle V at each waypoint based on the predicted demand, within a range that does not exceed the calculated maximum waiting time (S607). In this case, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines the waiting time for each waypoint based on the waiting time limit set for each waypoint. Furthermore, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may determine the waiting time for each waypoint so that the waiting time is longer for waypoints in areas with higher predicted demand. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a vehicle dispatch plan based on the travel route (S608).

[0064] On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the calculated maximum waiting time is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value (No in S605), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a vehicle dispatch plan based on the travel route without setting a waiting time at the waypoint (S608). In other words, if the maximum waiting time is short, it is not possible to allocate sufficient waiting time at the waypoint, so the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a vehicle dispatch plan that does not include waiting time at the waypoint.

[0065] As described above, according to this embodiment, vehicle V waits at a waypoint on the way to the bus stop where the user boards the bus for a waiting time that corresponds to the predicted demand for a specified time period in the present or future for each area including the waypoint, thereby making it possible to reduce wasteful dispatches for users who frequently cancel their rides.

[0066] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments. The present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0067] For example, in the methods disclosed herein, steps, operations, or functions may be performed in parallel or in a different order unless the results are inconsistent. The steps, operations, and functions described are provided merely as examples, and some of the steps, operations, and functions may be omitted or combined into one, or other steps, operations, or functions may be added, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0068] Furthermore, although various embodiments are disclosed in this specification, specific features (technical matters) in one embodiment can be added to or substituted for specific features in other embodiments, with appropriate modifications, and such forms are also included in the spirit of the present invention.

[0069] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Vehicle dispatch management system 10... Vehicle dispatch management device 110... Front-end processing unit 120... Vehicle dispatch planning unit 121... Vehicle dispatch request acquisition unit 122... Travel route determination unit 123... Vehicle information acquisition unit 124... Vehicle selection unit 125... Demand forecasting unit 126... Vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 127... Vehicle dispatch instruction unit 128... Vehicle dispatch record information acquisition unit 130... Vehicle communication unit 12... Database 12a... User information database 12b... Road map information database 12c... Vehicle information database 12d... Vehicle dispatch plan database 12e... Vehicle dispatch record information database 20... Information communication terminal device 30... Road traffic information management system N... Communication network V... Vehicle CTL... Control device

Claims

1. A vehicle dispatch management device that dispatches vehicles in response to a user's vehicle dispatch request, comprising: a vehicle dispatch record information database that stores vehicle dispatch record information for the vehicle; a demand prediction unit that predicts demand for the vehicle due to the vehicle dispatch request for each area including waypoints where the vehicle can wait based on the vehicle dispatch record information; a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit that creates a vehicle dispatch plan for the vehicle based on the user's vehicle dispatch request; and a vehicle dispatch instruction unit that gives dispatch instructions to the vehicle based on the vehicle dispatch plan, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit determines at least one waypoint between the departure point of the vehicle and a bus stop where the user boards, and creates the vehicle dispatch plan so that the vehicle will temporarily wait at the determined waypoint in accordance with the predicted demand.

2. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1, wherein the demand forecasting unit forecasts the demand for each destination indicated by the destination information based on the destination information indicated by the vehicle dispatch record information.

3. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit determines waiting times at the waypoints based on the demand.

4. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit determines the waiting time for each of the waypoints so that the waiting time is longer for waypoints in the area with greater demand.

5. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit determines the waiting time for each of the waypoints based on a waiting time limit set for each of the waypoints.

6. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit sets more route points within an area where the demand is greater.

7. The vehicle dispatch management device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit creates the vehicle dispatch plan so that the vehicle will temporarily wait at the intermediate point when the user location indicated in the dispatch request and the bus stop are separated by a predetermined distance or more.

8. A vehicle management method using a vehicle dispatch management device that dispatches vehicles in response to a user's vehicle dispatch request, comprising: storing vehicle dispatch record information of the vehicle in a vehicle dispatch record information database; predicting demand for the vehicle due to the vehicle dispatch request for each area including waypoints where the vehicle can wait based on the vehicle dispatch record information; creating a vehicle dispatch plan for the vehicle based on the user's vehicle dispatch request; and issuing dispatch instructions to the vehicle based on the vehicle dispatch plan, wherein creating the vehicle dispatch plan comprises determining at least one waypoint between the departure point of the vehicle and a bus stop where the user boards the vehicle; and creating the vehicle dispatch plan so that the vehicle will temporarily wait at the determined waypoint in accordance with the predicted demand.

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