Information processing system, information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

[Problem] To improve efficiency related to the transport of a transport target. [Solution] Provided is an information processing system comprising a setting unit that sets a payment condition related to the transport of a transport target requested by a requester on the basis of whether the transport is simple transport in which the transport target includes only one among people and packages or is mixed transport in which the transport target includes both people and packages. The setting unit sets a fee related to the transport of the transport target requested by the requester on the basis of whether the transport is simple transport in which the transport target includes only one among people and packages or is mixed transport in which the transport target includes both people and packages.

Description

Information processing system, information processing device, information processing method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

[0002] In recent years, technologies have been developed to enable a transporter in charge of a delivery task related to delivery or collection of a package requested by a user to efficiently deliver or collect the package. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology for acquiring the load capacity of one or more circular flights that circulate between three base stations, and determining whether to change the operation plan of the circular flight based on the acquired load capacity.

[0003] Furthermore, the object being transported (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "object to be transported") is not limited to luggage. For example, if the transporter is a bus or taxi driver, the object to be transported may also be a person. Furthermore, in recent years, there has been growing interest in mixed transport, which transports both people and luggage, rather than being limited to single transport, which transports only one of people or luggage.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-52525

[0005] The efficiency of transporting objects may differ between transporting objects individually (baggage and people) and transporting them together (consolidated). Therefore, unless there are special circumstances regarding the objects to be transported, it may be desirable to promote the use of consolidated transport.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved information processing system, information processing device, information processing method, and program that enable efficiency in the transportation of transportation objects.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, an information processing system is provided which includes a setting unit which sets payment conditions for the transportation of an object to be transported based on whether the object to be transported requested by the requester is a single transportation including only people or cargo, or a mixed transportation including both people and cargo.

[0008] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, an information processing device is provided which includes a setting unit which sets payment conditions for the transportation of an object to be transported based on whether the object to be transported requested by the requester is a single transportation including only people or cargo, or a mixed transportation including both people and cargo.

[0009] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, an information processing method executed by a computer is provided, which includes setting payment conditions for the transportation of an object to be transported based on whether the object to be transported requested by the requester is a single transportation including only people or cargo, or a mixed transportation including both people and cargo.

[0010] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, a program is provided that enables a computer to realize a setting function for setting payment conditions for the transportation of an object to be transported based on whether the object to be transported requested by the requester is a single transportation including only people or cargo, or a mixed transportation including both people and cargo.

[0011] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the transportation of the transportation object.

[0012] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the functional configuration of an information terminal 20 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the functional configuration of a server 30 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a process relating to setting a transportation fee for a transportation object. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a transportation method when both a manned vehicle 10A and an unmanned vehicle 10B are designated as transportation means. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of an operational process of the server 30 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a hardware configuration of the server 30 according to the present embodiment.

[0013] The details of the embodiments of the present invention will be listed below. An information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration. [Item 1] An information processing system comprising: a setting unit that sets payment conditions for the transportation of a transportation object based on whether the transportation object requested by a requester is a single transportation including only people or luggage, or a mixed transportation including both people and luggage. [Item 2] The information processing system according to Item 1, wherein the setting unit sets a fee for the transportation of the transportation object based on whether the transportation object requested by the requester is a single transportation including only people or luggage, or a mixed transportation including both people and luggage. [Item 3] The information processing system according to Item 2, wherein the setting unit sets a mixed transportation fee indicating a fee for the mixed transportation of each of the transportation objects of people and luggage to be lower than the total fee for the single transportation of each of the transportation objects if the people and luggage included in each transportation object are transported separately. [Item 4] The information processing system of item 3, wherein the setting unit sets the consolidated fee by applying a parameter related to a reduction to either the fee for the single transportation of the person or the fee for the single transportation of the luggage. [Item 5] The information processing system of item 3, wherein the setting unit sets the fee for the transportation of the transportation object based on a table including the fee for the single transportation and a table including the consolidated fee. [Item 6] The information processing system of any one of items 3 to 5, wherein the fee for the single transportation is based on the distance for the transportation of the transportation object. [Item 7] The information processing system of item 6, wherein the distance is based on the transportation start position and the transportation end position of the transportation object. [Item 8] The information processing system of any one of items 3 to 7, wherein the fee for the single transportation is a predetermined amount. [Item 9] The information processing system of any one of items 2 to 8, wherein the setting unit sets the fee for the transportation of the transportation object based on whether the designated transportation means is a scheduled service.[Item 10] The information processing system of item 9, wherein the setting unit sets a lower fee for transporting the object to be transported when the designated transport means is a regular service compared to when the designated transport means is not a regular service. [Item 11] The information processing system of any one of items 2 to 10, wherein the setting unit sets a fee for transporting the object to be transported based on the loading status of the designated transport means. [Item 12] The information processing system of item 11, wherein the setting unit sets a higher fee for transporting the object to be transported as the loading status becomes fuller. [Item 13] The information processing system of any one of items 3 to 8, wherein the setting unit sets a lower fee for the combined transportation of the shopping order parcel designated by the client and the object to be transported for which the same transport means and the same transport schedule are designated compared to a fee for the individual transportation of the object to be transported. [Item 14] The information processing system of any one of items 2 to 13, wherein the transport means for the object to be transported includes a manned vehicle and an unmanned vehicle. [Item 15] The information processing system according to item 14, wherein the setting unit sets a lower fee for transporting the object to be transported when an unmanned mobile vehicle is specified as the transport means compared to when a manned mobile vehicle is specified as the transport means. [Item 16] The information processing system according to item 15, wherein the setting unit sets a lower fee for transporting the object to be transported when both the manned mobile vehicle and the unmanned mobile vehicle are specified as the transport means compared to when the object to be transported is transported only by the manned mobile vehicle. [Item 17] The information processing system according to any one of items 1 to 16, wherein the setting unit sets the issuance of at least one coupon that can be used to pay for the transport fee, a coupon that can be used to pay for the purchase of a product, or a coupon that can be exchanged for a certain object, when transporting each object to be transported together including both people and cargo. [Item 18] The information processing system described in any one of items 1 to 17, wherein the setting unit sets the issuance of a service receipt right that allows the requester to receive a specified service when a mixed transport of each transport object including both people and cargo is carried out.[Item 19] An information processing device comprising: a setting unit that sets payment terms for the transfer of an object to be transferred based on whether the object to be transferred requested by a requester is a single transfer including only people or luggage, or a mixed transfer including both people and luggage. [Item 20] An information processing method executed by a computer, including setting payment terms for the transfer of an object to be transferred based on whether the object to be transferred requested by a requester is a single transfer including only people or luggage, or a mixed transfer including both people and luggage. [Item 21] A program that causes a computer to realize a setting function that sets payment terms for the transfer of an object to be transferred based on whether the object to be transferred requested by a requester is a single transfer including only people or luggage, or a mixed transfer including both people and luggage.

[0014] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0015] Furthermore, in this specification and drawings, the mobile bodies are distinguished as needed, such as a manned mobile body 10A for a mobile body used by a transporter, and an unmanned mobile body 10B for a mobile body that moves by autonomous control or remote control. However, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the mobile bodies, each mobile body will be simply referred to as a mobile body 10. Furthermore, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the mobile bodies, each information terminal will be distinguished as needed, such as a transporter terminal 20A for an information terminal used by a transporter who transports the object to be transported, and a requester terminal 20B for an information terminal used by a requester who requests the transportation of the object to be transported. However, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the information terminals, each information terminal will be simply referred to as an information terminal 20.

[0016] <<1. Overview of the Information Processing System>> In recent years, due to a shortage of workers in the automobile transportation industry and a decrease in transportation demand due to population decline, ensuring the sustainability of logistics and delivery services for packages has become an issue in various regions, particularly depopulated areas. This issue also applies to transportation services for people, such as taxis.

[0017] Therefore, there is a growing demand for transportation services that can transport not only people (passengers) or luggage (cargo) separately, but also people and luggage together in a mixed cargo transport of passengers and cargo.

[0018] For example, by using buses (public buses, minibuses, etc.) that have traditionally been used for transporting people to carry both people and luggage, the bus driver can now act as a transporter and provide luggage delivery services in addition to the traditional transportation of people.Furthermore, by using a transport truck that has traditionally been used for luggage delivery services to carry both people and luggage, the truck driver can now act as a transporter and provide transportation services for people in addition to the traditional luggage delivery services.

[0019] In this way, by providing both passenger transport services and cargo delivery services, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the transport of each transport object. Therefore, it is necessary to build a system that can also handle such mixed passenger and cargo transport services.

[0020] Therefore, one embodiment of the present invention relates to an information processing system that can set payment conditions based on the type of transfer object (hereinafter, may be referred to as transfer object type).

[0021] 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing system according to this embodiment. The information processing system according to this embodiment includes, for example, a mobile object 10, an information terminal 20, and a server 30, as shown in FIG.

[0022] The information terminal 20 and the server 30 are connected to each other via a network. The unmanned mobile body 10B and the server 30 may also be connected to each other via a network.

[0023] (Mobile body 10) The mobile body 10 according to this embodiment is a mobile body used to transport a transportation object. For example, the mobile body 10 is used to transport a transportation object requested by a requester U2. The transportation object here may be, for example, a package L as shown in FIG. 1 , a person (e.g., the requester U2 shown in FIG. 1 ), or both a package and a person (e.g., both the package L and the requester U2 shown in FIG. 1 ).

[0024] For example, if the object to be transported is a package L, the mobile body 10 (or the transporter U1 using the mobile body 10) collects the package L at the transport start location (e.g., home H, a bus stop, etc.) of the package L registered by the requester U2. Then, the mobile body 10 (or the transporter U1 using the mobile body 10) delivers the package L to the transport end location registered by the requester U2.

[0025] Furthermore, when the transportation target is a requester U2, the mobile body 10 (or the transporter U1 using the mobile body 10) picks up the requester U2 at the transportation start location (e.g., home H or a bus stop) registered by the requester U2. Then, the mobile body 10 (or the transporter U1 using the mobile body 10) transports the requester U2 toward the transportation end location registered by the requester U2.

[0026] Furthermore, when the objects of transportation are both the luggage L and the requester U2, the mobile body 10 (or the transporter U1 using the mobile body 10) collects (picks up) both the luggage L and the requester U2 at the transportation start location registered by the requester U2 (e.g., home H, a bus stop, etc.). Then, the mobile body 10 (or the transporter U1 using the mobile body 10) transports the luggage L and the requester U2 toward the transportation end location registered by the requester U2. Note that, as will be described in detail later, the transportation end location of the luggage L and the transportation end location of the requester U2 may be different locations.

[0027] Furthermore, the transfer start location of the package L does not necessarily have to be registered by the requester U2. For example, if the requester U2 places a shopping order, the base WH (e.g., a warehouse, store, etc.) where the package L is stored may be automatically set as the transfer start location. Furthermore, the transfer end location of the requester U2 does not necessarily have to be registered by the requester U2. For example, a specific transfer end location (e.g., a specific public transportation stop (including a station), a facility (e.g., a hospital, a government office), etc.) associated with the area requested by the requester U2 (which may be identified from location information acquired from the requester terminal 20B of the requester U2 or may be set by the requester U2 through a setting operation when using an application related to the system) or a specific transfer end location associated with the transfer time frame (time zone) may be set in advance.

[0028] The moving body 10 also includes a manned moving body 10A used by a transporter U1 transporting the object to be transported.

[0029] For example, the manned vehicle 10A according to this embodiment may be a manned vehicle that travels on land as shown in FIG. 1 (e.g., various types of automobiles such as passenger cars, public buses, microbuses, light trucks, and light vans, as well as motorcycles, bicycles, and kick scooters). However, the manned vehicle 10A is not limited to a manned vehicle. For example, the manned vehicle 10A may be a manned aircraft that flies by air, or a manned ship that travels on a waterway such as a seaway or a river. Furthermore, the manned vehicle 10A is not essential for the transfer operation; for example, the transferee U1 may make the delivery on foot with a cart (e.g., a box cart or a basket cart).

[0030] Furthermore, the mobile body 10 according to this embodiment may include an unmanned mobile body 10B that moves by autonomous control or remote control. For example, the unmanned mobile body 10B may move by autonomous control using input information such as two positions, such as a start point (e.g., a transfer start position of the transfer target or a transfer start position of the unmanned mobile body 10B) and an end point (e.g., a transfer end position of the transfer target), or three or more positions, including a relay point (e.g., a collection position of the baggage L in the case of a transfer involving the collection of the baggage L) and a return point (e.g., a position that is the same as the transfer start position of the unmanned mobile body 10B or a different waiting position). Note that the input information used for autonomous control may also include various information such as other intermediate points and transfer routes.

[0031] Furthermore, the "position" such as the transfer start position or transfer end position may be the ID of a stand such as a bus stop or a drone base (waiting position), or may be information indicating an address, or may be other position information that allows the coordinates or position to be recognized.

[0032] In addition, the unmanned mobile body 10B may be moved by remote control using operation information remotely input by an administrator who manages the unmanned mobile body 10B.

[0033] For example, the unmanned mobile body 10B may be an unmanned aerial vehicle as shown in Fig. 1. Specifically, the unmanned aerial vehicle may be a drone that flies by autonomous control, or may be a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) that flies by remote control by an administrator.

[0034] Furthermore, the unmanned mobile body 10B according to this embodiment is not limited to an unmanned aerial vehicle. For example, the unmanned mobile body may be an unmanned vehicle that travels on land, such as an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), or an unmanned ship that travels on waterways, such as seaways or riverways.

[0035] Furthermore, the mobile body 10 may be a mobile body that can travel on at least two or more routes, including land, water, and air routes.

[0036] (Information terminal 20) The information terminal 20 according to this embodiment is a terminal used by a party involved in a service related to the transportation of a transportation object. For example, the information terminal 20 may be various types of terminals such as a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a PC (Personal Computer).

[0037] For example, the information terminal 20 includes a transporter terminal 20A used by a transporter U1 transporting luggage L. For example, the transporter U1 may use the transporter terminal 20A to check transport instruction information including a transport task based on the request content included in the transport request registered by the requester U2. Note that in FIG. 1, both the requester U2 who made the transport request and the luggage L of the requester U2 are the targets of transport, but this is not limited to such a case. For example, the requester U2 and the person to be transported may be different people, and the luggage L may not be a possession of the requester U2.

[0038] The transfer instruction information includes various information related to the transferee U1 who is responsible for transferring the transferee U1 using the transferee terminal 20A. For example, the transfer instruction information may include various information used by the transferee U1 to transfer the transferee U1, such as the name of the transferee U1, the type of transferee U1 (luggage only, people only, or both luggage and people), the transfer start location of the transferee U1 (pickup location of the luggage L, pick-up location of the people), the transfer end location (delivery location of the luggage L, destination location of the people), the transfer route, and waypoints. The transfer instruction information may also include various information used for, for example, autonomous control of the unmanned mobile unit 10B or remote operation of the unmanned mobile unit 10B. However, the transfer instruction information is not limited to the above-described example.

[0039] The information terminal 20 also includes a requester terminal 20B used by a requester U2 who requests the transportation of the transportation object. For example, the requester U2 may use the requester terminal 20B to register a transportation request regarding the transportation of the transportation object.

[0040] (Server 30) The server 30 according to the present embodiment is an example of an information processing device, and is a server that manages various information related to the transportation of transportation objects. For example, the server 30 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a PC, or may be a cloud server.

[0041] For example, the server 30 sets the payment conditions for the transportation of the object to be transported based on whether the object to be transported requested by the requester U2 is a single transportation including only people or cargo, or a mixed transportation including both people and cargo. Details of the payment conditions and the process for setting the payment conditions will be described later.

[0042] The information processing system according to this embodiment has been outlined above. Next, an example of the functional configuration of the information terminal 20 and the server 30 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0043] 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the information terminal 20 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the information terminal 20 according to this embodiment includes a communication unit 210, a control unit 230, and an operation display unit 240.

[0044] (Communication Unit 210) The communication unit 210 according to this embodiment performs various communications with the server 30. For example, the communication unit 210 included in the requester terminal 20B may transmit to the server 30 the request content related to the transportation of the transportation object included in the transportation request registered by the requester U2. The communication unit 210 included in the requester terminal 20B may also receive information related to the payment conditions related to the transportation that have been set based on the transmitted request content.

[0045] In addition, the communication unit 210 provided in the transporter terminal 20A may receive transport instruction information from the server 30 that instructs the transport of the transport object.

[0046] (Control Unit 230) The control unit 230 according to this embodiment controls the overall operation of the information terminal 20. For example, the control unit 230 controls the transmission and reception of various information by the communication unit 210. For example, the control unit 230 included in the requester terminal 20B may control the communication unit 210 to transmit the request content regarding the transportation of the transportation target input via the operation display unit 240.

[0047] The control unit 230 also controls the display of various information by the operation display unit 240. For example, the control unit 230 included in the requester terminal 20B may control the operation display unit 240 to display information regarding payment conditions for the transportation of the transportation object (e.g., transportation fees, etc.) received from the server 30. The control unit 230 included in the transporter terminal 20A may also control the operation display unit 240 to display transportation instruction information received from the server 30.

[0048] (Operation display unit 240) The operation display unit 240 according to this embodiment functions as an operation unit for inputting the details of a request for the transportation of a transportation object. The operation display unit 240 also functions as a display unit for displaying information regarding payment conditions for the transportation received from the server 30.

[0049] For example, a requester U2 requesting transportation of a transportation object inputs the request details regarding the transportation request using the operation display unit 240. The request details may include various information related to the transportation of the transportation object, such as the name of the transportation object, the type of transportation object (baggage only, people only, both baggage and people), the transportation method (bus, drone, taxi, regular flight, etc.), the transportation start location of the transportation object (baggage collection location, person pickup location), and the transportation end location (baggage delivery location, person destination location). The request details may also include predetermined requests. For example, the request details may include predetermined requests such as urgent transportation or desired transportation time.

[0050] Furthermore, if the items to be transferred include luggage (i.e., if the type of item to be transferred is either luggage only or both luggage and people), the request may include information about the luggage. The information about the luggage may include various information such as the name of the luggage, the type of luggage, size, weight, and transfer conditions (such as the temperature range to be maintained, e.g., refrigerated or frozen).

[0051] Furthermore, if the transfer target includes a person (i.e., if the transfer target type is either a person only or both luggage and a person), the request content may include information about the person. The information about the person may include various information such as a user ID, a user name, and basic information (age or generation, gender, address (area), etc.).

[0052] Note that the requester U2 does not necessarily need to input all of the information for the above-described request content. For example, if the requester U2's basic information has been set in advance in basic settings, the requester U2 may omit the task of inputting the basic information when requesting transportation. Furthermore, if the transportation target type includes a person, only transportation target types and transportation means that can transport the person may be selectable. For example, in a transportation request where the transportation target type includes a person, transportation means that cannot transport people, such as drones, may be excluded from the transportation means selection options.

[0053] The function of the operation unit may be realized by, for example, a touch panel or a keyboard. The function of the display unit may be realized by a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display device, a liquid crystal display (LCD), or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device. The function of the display unit and the function of the operation unit may be configured separately.

[0054] The information terminal 20 may be equipped with a microphone (not shown), in which case the requester U2 may use the microphone to input the request details regarding the transportation of the transportation object by voice. The information terminal 20 may also be equipped with a speaker (not shown), in which case the transporter U1 may confirm the transportation instruction information by the voice output from the speaker.

[0055] 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the server 30 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the server 30 according to this embodiment includes a communication unit 310, a storage unit 320, and a control unit 330.

[0056] (Communication Unit 310) The communication unit 310 according to this embodiment performs various communications with the information terminal 20. For example, the communication unit 310 receives from the requester terminal 20B the request content regarding the transportation of the transportation object included in the transportation request registered by the requester U2. The communication unit 310 also transmits information regarding the payment conditions for the transportation set based on the received request content to the requester terminal 20B.

[0057] Furthermore, the communication unit 310 transmits the transport instruction information to the transporter terminal 20A. For example, when the transporter U1 is in charge of transporting the transport object, the communication unit 310 may transmit the transport instruction information regarding the transport of the transport object to the transporter terminal 20A of the transporter U1.

[0058] Furthermore, when the unmanned mobile body 10B is responsible for the transportation of the transportation target, the communication unit 310 may transmit transportation instruction information to the information terminal 20 used by the administrator who manages the unmanned mobile body 10B. In this case, the administrator may remotely operate the unmanned mobile body 10B based on the transportation instruction information, or may transmit the transportation instruction information to the unmanned mobile body 10B using the information terminal 20 used by the administrator.

[0059] Alternatively, if the unmanned mobile body 10B is responsible for transporting the transport target, the communication unit 310 may directly transmit the transport instruction information to the unmanned mobile body 10B. In this case, the unmanned mobile body 10B that has received the transport instruction information may autonomously transport the transport target based on the transport instruction information.

[0060] (Storage Unit 320) The storage unit 320 according to this embodiment may store software and various data. For example, the storage unit 320 may store information related to the transfer target. Here, the information related to the transfer target may be information related to the request content. Specifically, the information related to the transfer target may include management information such as a request number in addition to various information included in the request content received from the requester terminal 20B.

[0061] The storage unit 320 may also store information related to the transferee (transferee U1 and the mobile unit 10). For example, the information related to the transferee may include various information such as a transfer plan for the transferee U1 and the unmanned mobile unit 10B, a transferee ID, a type of transportation means (vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, walking, drone, etc.), a transfer route for the transferee U1 or the unmanned mobile unit 10B, location information for the planned transfer by the transferee U1 or the unmanned mobile unit 10B, location information for each of a plurality of relay locations, a cargo loading status (available space information) for each transfer schedule of the manned mobile unit 10A or the unmanned mobile unit 10B used by the transferee U1 for transportation, information on the transfer target (baggage, people), and information on the number of transfer targets (maximum load capacity of luggage or people).

[0062] A transfer schedule is a time frame in which the mobile unit 10 (or the transferee U1 who uses the mobile unit 10 to transfer the transferee) responds to a transfer request. For example, the daily transfer plan of the unmanned mobile unit 10B (or the transferee U1) is divided into predetermined transfer schedules (e.g., 15 minutes or 30 minutes for the unmanned mobile unit 10B, or 1 hour for the transferee U1), and the unmanned mobile unit 10B (or the transferee U1) transfers the transferee registered for each transfer schedule at the time indicated by the transfer schedule. The transfer schedule of the unmanned mobile unit 10B may register transferees to transfer destinations such as 1 or 2, and the transfer schedule of the transferee U1 may register transferees to multiple destinations such as 5 to 10, but this is not limited to this. Furthermore, the transfer plan and transfer schedule may be set for each of multiple candidate receiving locations.

[0063] The storage unit 320 may also store a table containing fees for transporting luggage alone (hereinafter, this may be referred to as the luggage table) and a table containing fees for transporting people alone (hereinafter, this may be referred to as the people table). Here, the table may be a fee schedule in which various information such as quantity (number of people), distance, weight, size, and region is associated with fees. Note that the storage unit 320 may also store a table containing fees for transporting people and luggage alone (hereinafter, this may be referred to as the individual transport table).

[0064] The storage unit 320 may also store a table containing fees for the mixed transport of cargo and people (hereinafter, this may be referred to as a mixed transport table).

[0065] The storage unit 320 may also store parameters related to deductions used in calculating the consolidated transport fee (hereinafter referred to as deduction parameters). The storage unit 320 may also store benefit information related to benefits such as various coupons or services that the requester U2 can receive as a result of the consolidated transport.

[0066] (Control Unit 330) The control unit 330 according to this embodiment controls the overall operation of the server 30. The control unit 330 includes a setting unit 335, as shown in FIG.

[0067] (Setting unit 335) The setting unit 335 in this embodiment acquires the transfer target information input by the requester U2 via the requester terminal 20, and sets the payment conditions for the transfer of the transfer target based on whether the transfer target requested by the requester U2 is a single transfer including only people or luggage, or a mixed transfer including both people and luggage.

[0068] For example, the setting unit 335 may set the fee for the transportation of the transportation object as the payment condition for the transportation of the transportation object based on whether the transportation object is a single transportation or a mixed transportation.

[0069] Specifically, when the object to be transferred is a person, the setting unit 335 may set a fee for the individual transfer of the object to be transferred based on a person table. Furthermore, when the object to be transferred is luggage, the setting unit 335 may set a fee for the individual transfer of the object to be transferred based on a luggage table. Note that the fee for the individual transfer of the object to be transferred may be set using a single transfer table common to both people and luggage.

[0070] In addition, when the objects to be transferred are both people and luggage, the setting unit 335 may set a mixed fee indicating the fee for the mixed transfer of the people and luggage as a lower fee than the total fee for the individual transfer of each object if the people and luggage included in each object to be transferred are transferred separately.

[0071] For example, the setting unit 335 may set the mixed loading fee by applying a discount parameter to at least one of the person table and the baggage table. The discount parameter may be, for example, a discount rate (e.g., a 5% discount) or a fixed discount amount (e.g., a 100 yen discount).

[0072] Alternatively, the setting unit 335 may set the fee for the individual transport of the transport object based on either the person table or the luggage table (or based on the individual transport table) when the transport object is transported by a single transport, and may set the mixed transport fee for each transport object based on the mixed transport table when each transport object is transported by a mixed transport. The mixed transport table here is a table that includes mixed transport fees for each of the luggage and people included in each transport object, based on the luggage table and the person table, that are cheaper than the total transport fee if they were transported by a single transport.

[0073] The setting unit 335 may also set the fee for single transportation as a predetermined amount. When the transportation target is transported as a mixed load, the setting unit 335 may set the mixed load fee by applying a reduction parameter to the predetermined amount, which is the fee for single transportation.

[0074] Here, an example of a process for setting a transportation fee for a transportation object will be described with reference to FIG.

[0075] 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a process for setting a transportation fee for a transportation object. For example, when a requester U2 requests transportation of luggage or a person, the requester U2 uses the operation display unit 240 of the requester terminal 20B to input various information such as a transportation start position P1, a transportation end position (person) P2, a transportation end position (baggage) P3, a transportation schedule frame P4, a transportation means P5, and a transportation object type K, as shown in FIG.

[0076] In the example shown in FIG. 4 , during the transfer schedule slot P4 of "10:00 to 10:15," transferee U1 collects (picks up) a person and their luggage together using bus A. The collection location (pick-up location) for the person and luggage here is the location indicated by transfer start position P1. Next, transferee U1 transports the person and luggage collected (picked up) by bus A toward the location indicated by transfer end position (person) P2 and the location indicated by transfer end position (luggage) P3, respectively. For example, transferee U1 transports the person picked up at transfer start position P1 to the location indicated by transfer end position (person) P2, drops off the person, and then transports the luggage collected at transfer start position P1 to the location indicated by transfer end position (luggage) P3.

[0077] The setting unit 335 according to this embodiment sets the transportation fee for the transportation target based on various request contents as shown in Fig. 4. The following describes a case where the setting unit 335 sets a consolidated fee by applying a discount parameter to the fee for a single transportation.

[0078] First, the setting unit 335 may determine whether the transfer is a single transfer or a mixed transfer based on the information input in the transfer target type K. For example, the setting unit 335 may determine that the transfer is a single transfer when either a person or a baggage is input in the transfer target type K. Furthermore, the setting unit 335 may determine that the transfer is a mixed transfer when both a person and a baggage are input, such as "person + baggage" as shown in FIG.

[0079] When the information entered for the transfer target type K as shown in FIG. 4 indicates that the transfer is a mixed load transfer, the setting unit 335 references the fee for transferring a single person based on the distance of the person included in the transfer target and the person table. Here, the distance of the person's transfer may be, for example, the distance between the transfer start position P1 and the transfer end position (person) P2, or the total distance that the transferee U1 deviates from the transfer route by stopping at the transfer start position P1 and the transfer end position (person) P2. Furthermore, if the transfer of luggage is completed before the person, the distance may be the distance from the transfer end position (luggage) P3 to the transfer end position (person) P2.

[0080] Next, the setting unit 335 references the fee for transporting the luggage included in the transportation target based on the distance for transporting the luggage and the luggage table. Here, the distance for transporting the luggage may be, for example, the distance between the transportation start position P1 and the transportation end position (luggage) P3, or the total distance that the transporter U1 deviates from the transportation route by stopping at the transportation start position P1 and the transportation end position (luggage) P3. Furthermore, if the transportation of the person is completed before the transportation of the luggage, it may be the distance from the transportation end position (person) P2 to the transportation end position (luggage) P3.

[0081] The setting unit 335 may then set a consolidated fee by applying a discount parameter to at least one of the referenced fee for transporting a person alone or the fee for transporting a package alone. The communication unit 310 then transmits information including the consolidated fee set by the setting unit 335 to the requester terminal 20B, and the operation display unit 240 of the requester terminal 20B may display the information including the consolidated fee as a transportation amount M as shown in FIG. 4. If the transportation request is for a package alone (person only or package only) and the end location of the person transportation or the end location of the package transportation is set in advance, at least one of the consolidated fee for the package alone transportation or the difference between the consolidated fee and the package alone fee may be displayed (e.g., displayed side by side) so as to be comparable to the package alone fee.

[0082] As a result, the transfer amount M displayed by the operation display unit 240 is confirmed by the requester U2, and the transfer request button B is further selected, which allows the setting unit 335 to confirm the transfer request for each transfer target registered by the requester U2.

[0083] When the transport request is confirmed by the requester U2 in this way, the communication unit 310 may transmit transport instruction information related to the confirmed transport request to the transporter terminal 20A of the transporter U1 who will transport the item by the confirmed transport means (for example, bus A shown in Figure 4). By presenting the difference in payment conditions (fees) between single transport and mixed transport to the requester U2, it is possible to promote the use of mixed transport and further to improve the space efficiency of the transport means, thereby realizing efficiency in the transport of the items to be transported.

[0084] An example of the process for setting the transportation fee for the transportation object has been described above, but the method for setting the transportation fee by the setting unit 335 according to this embodiment is not limited to this example.

[0085] For example, the setting unit 335 may set the fee for transporting the object to be transported based on whether the specified transportation means is a scheduled service. For example, in FIG. 4 , "Bus A" is specified as transportation means P5. If Bus A is a scheduled service, the fee for transporting the object to be transported may be set lower or a special benefit may be provided compared to when Bus A is not a scheduled service. On the other hand, if the transportation means P5 shown in FIG. 4 is not a scheduled service (e.g., when requester U2 requests urgent transportation), the fee for transporting the object to be transported may be set higher compared to when the transportation is by a scheduled service. This may encourage requester U2 to use scheduled services and may also improve the efficiency of the loading space of scheduled services that carry people and cargo.

[0086] The setting unit 335 may also set a fee for the transportation of the object to be transported based on the loading status of the designated transportation means. For example, the setting unit 335 may set a higher fee for the transportation of the object to be transported as the loading status of the transportation means becomes fuller. Specifically, in FIG. 4 , an example is given in which bus A is designated as transportation means P5. The setting unit 335 may set a higher fee for the transportation of the object to be transported as the loading status of bus A becomes fuller compared to before the loading status became full. More specifically, if a microbus with eight seats (seats) that can accommodate both passengers and luggage is used as transportation means, the setting unit 335 may set the fee for the transportation to the lowest level for a transportation request when all eight seats in the loading space of the microbus are empty, and may set a higher fee for the transportation as the number of available seats in the loading space of the microbus approaches zero. By varying the fee for the transportation based on the loading status in this way, it is possible to encourage requesters U2 to make transportation requests earlier. Furthermore, the more available loading space a transportation means (or transportation schedule) has, the more transportation requests are likely to be utilized, and the space efficiency of that transportation means (or transportation schedule) can be improved.

[0087] Furthermore, when requester U2 places a shopping order, transporter U1 transports the parcels of the shopping order using a certain transportation means (e.g., a truck) on a certain transportation schedule. Here, if the transportation means and transportation schedule are the same as those of the parcels of the shopping order, the transportation costs of transporter U1 may not increase. Therefore, the setting unit 335 may set a lower consolidated fee for the parcels of the shopping order specified by requester U2 that are transported using the same transportation means and the same transportation schedule as the parcels of the shopping order, compared to the fee for transporting the parcels alone. This may encourage requester U2 to use transportation requests, improve the space efficiency of the mobile unit 10, and realize more efficient transportation of the parcels.

[0088] Furthermore, when a transfer target is transported by the manned vehicle 10A, manual transport by the transferee U1 is required. Therefore, compared to transporting a transfer target by the unmanned vehicle 10B, when a transfer target is transported by the manned vehicle 10A, transport costs, such as labor costs for the transferee U1, may be higher. Therefore, the setting unit 335 may set a lower fee for transporting a transfer target when the unmanned vehicle 10B (e.g., a drone) is specified as the transport means, or may offer a special benefit, compared to when the manned vehicle 10A (e.g., a microbus) is specified as the transport means. This allows the user to specify a cheaper transport means for luggage that can be transported by the unmanned vehicle 10B, and the burden on the transferee U1 may be reduced by increasing the number of requests specifying the unmanned vehicle 10B.

[0089] Furthermore, instead of designating only one of the manned vehicle 10A and the unmanned vehicle 10B as the transport means, both the manned vehicle 10A and the unmanned vehicle 10B may be designated as the transport means. Referring to Figure 5, an example of a transport method when both the manned vehicle 10A and the unmanned vehicle 10B are designated as the transport means will be described.

[0090] 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a transfer method when both a manned vehicle 10A and an unmanned vehicle 10B are designated as transfer means. Fig. 5 shows an example of transfer of each transfer target when both a manned vehicle 10A and an unmanned vehicle 10B are designated as transfer means, a position S1 is designated as the transfer end position (person), and a position S2 is designated as the transfer end position (baggage). Also, Fig. 5 shows an example in which a requester U2 is a person included in the transfer targets, but the person included in the transfer targets does not have to be the requester U2.

[0091] First, as shown in Fig. 5, a requester U2 and a baggage L are transported to a position S1, which is a transport end position (person), by a manned vehicle 10A used by a transporter U1. After arriving at position S1, the requester U2 gets off the manned vehicle 10A and travels to a destination (for example, a store T shown in Fig. 5) by his / her own means of transportation (walking, bicycle, his / her own vehicle, etc.).

[0092] Alternatively, position S1 may be the base of unmanned mobile body 10B, and transferee U1 unloads baggage L from manned mobile body 10A at position S1 and loads the baggage L onto unmanned mobile body 10B. Then, unmanned mobile body 10B may transfer baggage L from position S1 to position S2, which is the transfer end position (baggage).

[0093] Then, after arriving at position S2, the unmanned mobile body 10B drops off the package L at a predetermined position (a delivery box, a front door, or other position where the package L is to be transferred). In this way, instead of the transferor U1 using the manned mobile body 10A to transfer the package L from the transfer start position to the transfer end position (package) position S2, the unmanned mobile body 10B transfers the package L in a certain section (for example, the section from position S1 to position S2 shown in FIG. 5), thereby reducing the burden on the transferor U1 related to the transfer and reducing the labor costs of the transferor U1.

[0094] Therefore, the setting unit 335 may set a lower fee for transporting the object to be transported when both the manned mobile body 10A and the unmanned mobile body 10B are designated as the transport means, compared to when the object to be transported is transported from the start position to the end position using only the manned mobile body 10A.

[0095] Furthermore, the payment terms for the transportation of the transportation object are not limited to the transportation fee for the transportation object. For example, the setting unit 335 may set the issuance of a coupon for the mixed transportation of each transportation object including both people and cargo. The coupon here may include various coupons, such as a coupon that can be used to pay the transportation fee, a coupon that can be used to pay for the purchase of a product, or a coupon that can be exchanged for a certain object.

[0096] In addition, the setting unit 335 may set the issuance of a service receipt right that allows the requester U2 to receive a specified service (cash back, point reduction, service provision, etc.) when a mixed transport of each transport object including both people and cargo is carried out.

[0097] By providing the requester U2 with various coupons or benefits such as services as payment conditions for the transport items described above, the requester U2 can be encouraged to use consolidated transport, thereby realizing efficiency in the transport of the transport items.

[0098] While the specific example of the process for setting payment conditions according to this embodiment has been described above, the setting unit 335 may set payment conditions for the transfer of a transfer object by combining the various payment condition setting methods described above. Next, an example of the operation process of the server 30 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6 .

[0099] 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the operation process of the server 30 according to this embodiment. First, the communication unit 310 receives a transfer request from the requester terminal 20B (S101).

[0100] Next, the setting unit 335 determines whether the transfer target is only people (S105). If the transfer target is only people (S105: Yes), the process proceeds to S117. If the transfer target is not only people (S105: No), the process proceeds to S109.

[0101] If the transfer target is not only people (S105: No), the setting unit 335 determines whether the transfer target is only luggage (S109). If the transfer target is only luggage (S109: Yes), the process proceeds to S117, and if the transfer target is not only luggage (S109: No), the process proceeds to S113.

[0102] If the object to be transferred is not only luggage (S109: No), the setting unit 335 determines that the object to be transferred is a mixed transport including both people and luggage, and sets the fee for mixed transport as the fee for the transport of each object to be transferred (S113), and the server 30 according to this embodiment ends the processing.

[0103] If the object to be transferred is only a person (S105: Yes), or if the object to be transferred is only luggage (S109: Yes), the setting unit 335 determines that the transfer is a single transfer, in which the object to be transferred includes only either a person or luggage, and sets the fee for a single transfer as the fee for the transfer of each object to be transferred (S117), and the server 30 according to this embodiment ends the processing.

[0104] <<4. Hardware Configuration Example>> The information processing described above is realized by cooperation between software and the hardware described below of the server 30. Note that the hardware configuration described below can also be applied to the information terminal 20.

[0105] 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the server 30 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7 , the server 30 includes a control unit 330, a memory 31, a storage 32, a transmission / reception unit 33, an input / output unit 34, and the like, which are electrically connected to one another via a bus 35.

[0106] The control unit 330 is a computing device that controls the overall operation of the server 30, controls the transmission and reception of data between each element, and performs information processing necessary for application execution and authentication processing, etc. For example, the control unit 330 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and / or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and executes programs for this system stored in the storage 32 and deployed in the memory 31 to perform various information processing as described above.

[0107] The memory 31 includes a main memory configured with a volatile storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and an auxiliary memory configured with a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disc Drive). The memory 31 is used as a work area for the control unit 330, and also stores a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) that is executed when the server 30 is started, various setting information, and the like.

[0108] The storage 32 stores various programs such as application programs, etc. A database that stores data used in each process may be constructed in the storage 32.

[0109] The transceiver 33 connects the server 30 to a network and / or a blockchain network. The transceiver 33 may include a short-range communication interface for Bluetooth (registered trademark) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

[0110] The input / output unit 34 includes information input devices such as a keyboard, a microphone, and a mouse, and output devices such as a display and a speaker.

[0111] The bus 35 is commonly connected to the above elements and transmits, for example, address signals, data signals and various control signals.

[0112] <<5. Supplementary Information>> Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0113] For example, the server 30 does not necessarily need to transmit various information such as the transport instruction information to an external device. For example, if the server 30 is equipped with a display unit, the transport instruction information may be displayed on the display unit. Then, for example, an administrator who has confirmed the transport instruction information displayed on the display unit may instruct the transporter U1 or the unmanned vehicle 10B to transport in any manner.

[0114] The setting unit 335 may also set payment terms for the transportation of the transfer target based on basic information about the requester U2 and the people included in the transfer target. For example, the setting unit 335 may set the fee for the transportation of the transfer target based on the age or gender of the requester U2 or the people included in the transfer target. Specifically, the setting unit 335 may set a lower fee for the transportation of the transfer target or provide a special benefit when the age of the requester U2 is below a certain age (e.g., under 20 years old) compared to when the age is equal to or greater than the certain age (e.g., 20 years old or older). Conversely, the setting unit 335 may set a lower fee for the transportation of the transfer target or provide a special benefit when the age of the requester U2 is equal to or greater than the certain age (e.g., 60 years old or older) compared to when the age is less than the certain age (e.g., under 60 years old).

[0115] Furthermore, the setting unit 335 may set payment conditions for the transportation of the object to be transported based on information about the cargo included in the object to be transported. For example, if the transportation conditions for the cargo included in the object to be transported are that it is a frozen shipment, the setting unit 335 may set the fee for the transportation of the object to be transported higher than the normal fee, since it becomes necessary to allocate a transportation means that can handle the frozen shipment.

[0116] Furthermore, although the present specification has mainly described an example in which the transporter U1 transports luggage using the mobile body 10, the transporter U1 does not necessarily have to use the mobile body 10. For example, the transporter U1 may transport luggage on foot.

[0117] It is also possible to create a computer program that causes hardware such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM built into the information terminal 20 and the server 30 to perform functions equivalent to those of the respective components of the information terminal 20 and the server 30 described above.

[0118] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Mobile object 20 Information terminal 210 Communication unit 230 Control unit 240 Operation display unit 30 Server 310 Communication unit 320 Storage unit 330 Control unit 335 Setting unit

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising: a setting unit that sets payment conditions for the transportation of an object to be transported based on whether the object to be transported requested by the requester is a single transportation including only people or cargo, or a mixed transportation including both people and cargo.

2. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets a fee for the transportation of the object to be transported based on whether the object to be transported requested by the requester is a single transportation including only people or luggage, or a mixed transportation including both people and luggage.

3. The information processing system of claim 2, wherein the setting unit sets a mixed transport fee indicating the fee for the mixed transport of each of the people and luggage transport objects at a lower rate than the total fee for the individual transport of each of the people and luggage included in each of the transport objects if they were transported separately.

4. The information processing system of claim 3, wherein the setting unit sets the mixed cargo fee by applying a parameter related to a reduction to either the fee for transporting the person alone or the fee for transporting the luggage alone.

5. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the setting unit sets the fee for transporting the transport object based on a table including the fee for the single transport and a table including the mixed transport fee.

6. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the fee for the single transport is based on the distance for the transport of the object to be transported.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein the distance is based on a transfer start position and a transfer end position of the transfer object.

8. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the fee for the single transport is a predetermined amount.

9. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the setting unit sets the fee for transporting the object to be transported based on whether the designated means of transport is a scheduled service or not.

10. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein the setting unit sets a lower fee for transporting the object to be transported when the designated means of transport is a scheduled service compared to when the designated means of transport is not a scheduled service.

11. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the setting unit sets the fee for transporting the object to be transported based on the loading status of the designated means of transport.

12. The information processing system according to claim 11, wherein the setting unit sets a higher fee for transporting the object to be transported as the loading status becomes fuller.

13. The information processing system of claim 3, wherein the setting unit sets the mixed shipping fee for the shopping order cargo specified by the requester and the transportation object for which the same transportation means and the same transportation schedule are specified lower than the fee for the transportation of the transportation object alone.

14. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the means for transporting the object to be transported includes a manned vehicle and an unmanned vehicle.

15. The information processing system according to claim 14, wherein the setting unit sets a lower fee for transporting the object when an unmanned vehicle is specified as the transport means compared to when a manned vehicle is specified as the transport means.

16. The information processing system described in claim 15, wherein the setting unit sets a lower fee for transporting the object to be transported when both the manned mobile body and the unmanned mobile body are designated as transport means compared to when the object to be transported is transported only by the manned mobile body.

17. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the issuance of at least one of a coupon that can be used to pay for transportation fees, a coupon that can be used to pay for purchasing goods, or a coupon that can be exchanged for a certain object, when transporting each transport object including both people and cargo together.

18. An information processing system as described in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the setting unit sets the issuance of a service receipt right that allows the requester to receive a specified service when a mixed transport of each transport object including both people and cargo is carried out.

19. An information processing device comprising: a setting unit that sets payment conditions for the transportation of an object to be transported based on whether the object to be transported requested by the requester is a single transportation including only people or cargo, or a mixed transportation including both people and cargo.

20. An information processing method executed by a computer, including setting payment conditions for the transportation of an object to be transported based on whether the object to be transported requested by the requester is a single transportation including only people or cargo, or a mixed transportation including both people and cargo.

21. A program that enables a computer to implement a setting function that sets payment conditions for the transportation of an object to be transported based on whether the object to be transported requested by the requester is a single transportation that includes only people or cargo, or a mixed transportation that includes both people and cargo.

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