Vehicle dispatch management device and vehicle dispatch management method

Abstract

The present invention is a vehicle dispatch management device that manages vehicle dispatch related to a first transportation mode. The device is provided with: a coordination unit that performs coordination processing for vehicle dispatch management with an external device that manages vehicle dispatch related to a second transportation mode; a demand calculation unit that calculates the demand for vehicles related to the first transformation mode on the basis of a vehicle dispatch request during a specified time block; a vehicle selection unit that selects, on the basis of a vehicle dispatch request from a user, one vehicle to be dispatched to the user from among a plurality of vehicle candidates; a vehicle dispatch plan preparation unit that prepares a vehicle dispatch plan for the one vehicle; and an operation instruction unit that issues an operation instruction to the one vehicle. The coordination unit notifies the external device of a support request based on the demand and acquires, from the external device, vehicle information of a support vehicle within a vehicle dispatch limit time based on the specified time block . The vehicle selection unit selects, within the vehicle dispatch limit time, the support vehicle on the basis of the acquired vehicle information. The vehicle dispatch plan preparation unit prepares a vehicle dispatch plan for the support vehicle according to the first transportation mode.

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] Mobility services are services that provide smooth transportation (transportation) of passengers and / or luggage by vehicle. Mobility services require efficient vehicle allocation to increase the utilization rate of each vehicle while improving user convenience. For example, a vehicle allocation plan (operation plan) is made in response to a user's request for a vehicle allocation to travel to a destination, and an appropriate vehicle is allocated to the user's departure point (boarding point). Furthermore, when there are excess vehicles to be allocated to users in one area and a shortage of vehicles in another area, vehicles may be shared between areas.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a technology for generating a vehicle movement plan in which an operation plan for each area is obtained from each dispatch center that manages the operation plan for that specific area, and based on the obtained operation plan, it is determined whether there is a period in a first area and a second area that are not adjacent to each other, in which the first area has an excess number of vehicles and the second area has a shortage of vehicles; if such a period exists, the surplus vehicles in the first area are loaned to the dispatch center that manages the operation plan for the area between the first and second areas, and the dispatch center in the second area borrows vehicles from the dispatch center that manages the operation plan for the area between the first and second areas.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-166679

[0005] In mobility services, the mode of transporting users and cargo is often restricted by the laws and regulations of the country or the restrictions of the vehicles themselves used for the service. For example, in Japan's taxi business, which transports individual users or small groups, unrelated users do not share the same vehicle as in bus services or other shared vehicle providers.

[0006] In such a situation, the technology described in Patent Document 1 above requires vehicles to be transferred between areas depending on the supply and demand situation within each area, which requires energy from the vehicles to move between different areas.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle allocation management device and a vehicle allocation management method that enable the allocation of vehicles provided in different transportation modes depending on the supply and demand situation of vehicles within a service area.

[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 manages the dispatch of vehicles related to a first transportation mode in response to a user's dispatch request. The vehicle dispatch management device includes a coordination unit that performs processing related to coordination of vehicle dispatch management with at least one external device that manages the dispatch of vehicles related to a second transportation mode; a demand quantity calculation unit that calculates the demand quantity of vehicles related to the first transportation mode based on the dispatch request for a predetermined time period; a vehicle selection unit that selects a vehicle to be dispatched to the user from among multiple vehicle candidates based on the user's dispatch request; a dispatch plan creation unit that creates a dispatch plan for the selected vehicle based on the dispatch request; and a driving instruction unit that issues driving instructions to the vehicle in accordance with the dispatch plan. The coordination unit notifies the external device of a support request based on the calculated demand quantity, and acquires vehicle information provided by the external device in response to the notification for at least one support vehicle for which the external device has limited dispatch within a dispatch time limit based on the predetermined time period. The vehicle selection unit selects the support vehicle related to the second transportation mode based on the acquired vehicle information during the dispatch time limit. The vehicle allocation plan creation unit creates a vehicle allocation plan for the support vehicles in accordance with the first transportation mode.

[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, it is possible to accommodate vehicles provided for different transportation modes depending on the supply and demand situation of vehicles within a service area. In particular, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the energy consumption of vehicles for moving between different areas.

[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 illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 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. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating details of a vehicle dispatch planning unit in a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing related to a support request in a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing related to a support request in a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing related to a vehicle dispatch request in a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of vehicle selection processing in a vehicle dispatch management device according to an 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 first vehicle dispatch management device 10, at least one second vehicle dispatch management device 20, an information communication terminal device 30, and a vehicle V, which are communicatively connected to each other via a communication network N. In the figure, only one representative second vehicle dispatch management device 20 is shown. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 can also be connected via the communication network N to a road traffic information management system 40 that provides various traffic information in real time. The first vehicle dispatch management device 10 and the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 are typically operated and managed by different operators, but this is not limited to this.

[0016] The vehicle dispatch management system 1 provides, for example, a vehicle dispatch service using multiple vehicles V for a certain area. The vehicles V include a vehicle V1 associated with a first transportation mode managed by a first vehicle dispatch management device 10 and a vehicle V2 associated with a second transportation mode managed by at least one second vehicle dispatch management device 20. In the present disclosure, the first transportation mode refers to a transportation mode that allows users to share the same vehicle based on their dispatch requests. For example, a transportation mode such as an on-demand bus corresponds to the first transportation mode. On the other hand, the second transportation mode refers to a transportation mode that does not allow users to share the same vehicle based on their dispatch requests. For example, a transportation mode using a taxi in Japan corresponds to the second transportation mode. As described below, vehicle V2 may be provided to the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 as a support vehicle V1' under certain circumstances. Note that, hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between vehicle V1 and vehicle V2, the vehicle may be referred to as vehicle V.

[0017] Specifically, the vehicle V1 is a vehicle provided for use by a user in a vehicle dispatch service according to the first transportation mode of the first vehicle dispatch management device 10. The vehicle V1 is typically a manned vehicle driven by a driver, but is not limited to this and may also be an autonomous vehicle (unmanned vehicle) driven by an automated driving system. The automated driving system does not matter in terms of the so-called automated driving level.

[0018] The vehicle V1 is equipped with a control device CTL that controls the vehicle V1 itself and / or its onboard equipment in accordance with operation instructions from the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 (see FIG. 2). The control device CTL includes a processor, memory, etc. (not shown), and realizes various functions by executing a vehicle control program. Under the control of the control device CTL, the vehicle V1 also acquires driving management information necessary for driving from various cameras and sensors and transmits this information to the first vehicle dispatch control device 10. The first vehicle dispatch control device 10 monitors and controls the driving of the vehicle V1 in accordance with the driving management information transmitted from the vehicle V1.

[0019] On the other hand, vehicle V2 is a vehicle provided for use by a user in a vehicle dispatch service using the second transportation mode of second vehicle dispatch management device 20. Vehicle V2 is registered in a vehicle information database (not shown) managed by second vehicle dispatch management device 20. In the present disclosure, vehicle V2 is assumed to be a manned taxi driven by a driver, but is not limited to this.

[0020] Similarly, vehicle V2 is equipped with a control device that controls vehicle V2 itself and / or its onboard equipment in accordance with operation instructions from second vehicle dispatch control device 20. Vehicle V2 receives operation instructions from first vehicle dispatch control device 10 or second vehicle dispatch control device 20 under the control of the control device. For example, when vehicle V2 is operated as support vehicle V1′, it can receive operation instructions directly or indirectly from first vehicle dispatch control device 10.

[0021] The first vehicle dispatch management device 10 is a computing device that comprehensively manages the vehicle dispatch service using the vehicle V1 according to the first transportation mode in a target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service (hereinafter referred to as the "service target area"). The service target area may be divided into several sub-areas. The first vehicle dispatch management device 10, for example, implements a vehicle dispatch management server program according to the first transportation mode and executes the vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor, thereby realizing the vehicle dispatch service using the vehicle V1 according to the first transportation mode. In particular, the vehicle dispatch management server program according to the first transportation mode of the present disclosure includes a subprogram or module for executing processing related to cooperation between the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 and the vehicle dispatch management (vehicle dispatch service).

[0022] The first vehicle dispatch control 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 first vehicle dispatch control device 10, or all or part of the databases 12 may be configured separately from the first vehicle dispatch control device 10.

[0023] In general, the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 accepts a vehicle dispatch request from a user who desires a vehicle dispatch for travel to a destination, and based on the vehicle dispatch request, references the vehicle information database 12c and selects a vehicle V to be dispatched to the user from among a plurality of candidate vehicles V (candidate vehicles). In this case, the candidate vehicles may include vehicle V2 as a support vehicle V1' in addition to vehicle V1. Next, the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a vehicle dispatch plan for the selected vehicle V and proposes the created vehicle dispatch plan to the user. Then, the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 confirms the proposed vehicle dispatch plan based on the user's consent, and issues operating instructions to the vehicle V in accordance with the confirmed vehicle dispatch plan. In the present disclosure, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 predicts the demand (supply and demand) for vehicles V1 based on dispatch requests for a predetermined time period, and when it determines that the supply of vehicles V1 will be insufficient relative to the predicted demand (supply and demand will be tight), it requests support from the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 and receives a predetermined number of vehicles V2 as support vehicles V1' from the second vehicle dispatch control device 20. When such a provision is made, the business operator that operates and manages the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 is required to pay a usage fee, etc. to the business operator that operates and manages the second vehicle dispatch control device 20, according to the dispatch performance, etc. of the support vehicles V1' (for example, mileage, time provided, etc.).

[0024] The second vehicle dispatch management device 20 is a computing device that comprehensively manages the vehicle dispatch service using the vehicle V2 related to the second transportation mode. The configuration of the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 is basically the same as that of the first vehicle dispatch management device 10. In the present disclosure, the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 may be referred to as an external device from the perspective of the first vehicle dispatch management device 10. The service area of ​​the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 is shared in whole or in part with the service area of ​​the first vehicle dispatch management device 10. The second vehicle dispatch management device 20 also realizes the vehicle dispatch service using the second transportation mode by executing a vehicle dispatch management server program related to the second transportation mode under the control of a processor. In the present disclosure, the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 cooperates with the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 to provide the vehicle V2 related to the second transportation mode as a support vehicle V1' under the vehicle dispatch service of the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 under predetermined circumstances.

[0025] For example, in accordance with a support request notified from the first vehicle dispatch control device 10, the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 excludes a predetermined number of vehicles V2 from its own vehicle dispatch control object as support vehicles V1' during a vehicle dispatch limit time based on a predetermined time period, and provides vehicle information on the vehicles V2 to the first vehicle dispatch control device 10. In other words, the vehicle V2 assigned as a support vehicle V1' is subject to limited vehicle dispatch services by the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 during the vehicle dispatch limit time, and is provided under the vehicle dispatch service by the first vehicle dispatch control device 10.

[0026] The information communication terminal device 30 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 communication terminal device 30 is, for example, a smartphone, a pad computer, a laptop personal computer, a desktop computer, etc., but is not limited to these. The information communication terminal device 30 implements, for example, a vehicle dispatch management client program (a so-called vehicle dispatch app). The information communication terminal device 30 executes the vehicle dispatch app under the control of a processor, thereby enabling the user to use the vehicle dispatch service of the first vehicle dispatch management device 10. For example, the user can make a vehicle dispatch request from a vehicle dispatch request screen (not shown) on the user interface of the information communication terminal device 30 and, in response, accept the vehicle dispatch plan created by the first vehicle dispatch management device 10, thereby reserving a ride in the vehicle V.

[0027] The road traffic information management system 40 is an information and communication system that provides road traffic information in real time. For example, the road traffic information management system 40 collects road traffic data from various monitoring equipment installed on roads and also collects driving data from a control device CTL mounted on the vehicle V, and manages road traffic information that is integrated, processed, and edited from the data. 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 40 appropriately provides the road traffic information to the first vehicle dispatch management device 10, the second vehicle dispatch management device 20, and the vehicle V.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration model of a first vehicle dispatch control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the first vehicle dispatch control 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 first vehicle dispatch control device 10 includes various databases 12. This functional configuration model is realized when the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 executes a vehicle dispatch management server program related to the first transportation mode under the control of a processor, thereby cooperating with various hardware resources. The functional configuration model shown here is merely 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 30 and the control device CTL in the vehicle V.

[0029] The user information database 12a stores information about users who use the vehicle dispatch 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 status. The user information is registered in the user information database 12a under the control of the first vehicle dispatch management device 10, for example, when the user inputs predetermined information when the vehicle dispatch app is first launched.

[0030] 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 (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, arterial road), road width, pedestrian / vehicle divider, median, and lane.

[0031] The vehicle information database 12c stores information (vehicle information) about the vehicle V available for use by the user. The vehicle information includes information about the 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.), current vehicle dispatch plan, current location, and current status (service status, remaining battery capacity (travel distance), 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.

[0032] The vehicle allocation plan database 12d stores a vehicle allocation plan for each vehicle V created by the vehicle allocation planner 120 based on a vehicle allocation request. The vehicle allocation plan includes a route from a location where the vehicle V is waiting (a starting location), passing through several points (boarding and disembarking points) along the way where users get on and off, to a destination location (which may not necessarily be the same as the initial location). The vehicle allocation plan also includes expected arrival times at the intermediate locations.

[0033] The vehicle dispatch record information database 12e stores information relating to past vehicle dispatch records for each vehicle V1 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle dispatch record information"). The vehicle dispatch record information includes, for example, various specification information for each vehicle V, such as the operating date and time (start time and end time of operation, etc.), the travel route, the arrival and departure times at each point (e.g., destination), the travel distance, and the fuel efficiency (electricity cost). The vehicle dispatch record information is used, for example, to calculate the demand for vehicle V1 based on vehicle dispatch requests in a current or future predetermined time period.

[0034] The front-end processing unit 110 performs various processes with the user's information communication terminal device 30. 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 30. 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 30, passes it to the vehicle dispatch planning unit 120, and interacts with the information communication terminal device 30 to receive the user's approval or disapproval of the vehicle dispatch plan created by the vehicle dispatch planning unit 120 in response to the request.

[0035] The vehicle allocation planning unit 120 extracts and selects candidate vehicles (candidate vehicles) from among the vehicles V in the target area based on the given vehicle allocation request, and creates a vehicle allocation plan for them. A vehicle allocation plan may be created for each of several different candidate driving routes. The vehicle allocation planning unit 120 proposes the created vehicle allocation plan to the user and confirms it upon receiving the user's approval. The vehicle allocation planning unit 120 then stores the confirmed vehicle allocation plan in the vehicle allocation plan database 12d and issues operation instructions to the corresponding vehicles V via the vehicle communication unit 130. Upon receiving the operation instructions, the vehicle V completes the vehicle allocation service and transmits vehicle allocation record information to the first vehicle allocation management device 10, and the vehicle allocation planning unit 120 stores this in the vehicle allocation record information database 12e.

[0036] 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.

[0037] The functional configuration model of the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 is shown to be substantially the same as that of the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 in that it manages vehicles V2 in the service area.

[0038] 3 is a block diagram showing details of a vehicle dispatch planning unit in a 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 demand calculation unit 124, a collaboration unit 125, a vehicle selection unit 126, a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 127, an operation instruction unit 128, and a vehicle dispatch record information acquisition unit 129.

[0039] The dispatch request acquisition unit 121 acquires or accepts a dispatch request from a user via the front-end processing unit 110. The time when the dispatch request acquisition unit 121 acquires the dispatch request becomes the start time for counting various limit times (such as a boarding limit time and a disembarking limit time, which are the limit times for getting a user on or off) for creating a dispatch plan and the user's waiting time.

[0040] The travel route determination unit 122 determines an optimal travel route based on the dispatch request. For example, the travel route determination unit 122 determines a travel route from the departure point to the destination based on the boarding point (departure point) and disembarking point (destination) indicated in the dispatch request, by having the route search engine perform a route search while referring to the road map information database 12b.

[0041] 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 in response, acquire vehicle information transmitted from the specific vehicle V. 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.

[0042] The demand calculation unit 124 predicts the demand (required number) of vehicles V1 for vehicle dispatch requests in a current or future predetermined time period for each predetermined area based on the dispatch record information stored in the dispatch record information database 12e. The predetermined time period may be, for example, but not limited to, 15-minute, 30-minute, or 1-hour units based on the current time or on times 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours from the current time. The predicted demand for each area may be expressed on a relative scale (e.g., 0 to 2). For example, the demand calculation unit 124 predicts the demand for vehicles V for a predetermined time period on the day being 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 calculation unit 124 may also predict the demand taking into account predetermined environmental factors such as the holding of an event or weather.

[0043] The collaboration unit 125 performs processing related to collaboration of vehicle dispatch management with a second vehicle dispatch management device 20 (external device) that manages the dispatch of vehicles V2 related to the second transportation mode. For example, the collaboration unit 125 creates a support request based on the calculated demand and transmits it to the second vehicle dispatch management device 20. The support request includes a dispatch limit time by which the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 limits the dispatch of vehicles V2. The dispatch limit time can be a time including a predetermined time period for demand forecasting. In other words, the dispatch limit time is the dispatchable time for the first vehicle dispatch management device 10. As a result, during the dispatch limit time, based on the support request, the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 limits the dispatch of the specified vehicle V2 provided as the support vehicle V1′, while the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 is able to dispatch the specified vehicle V2 provided as the support vehicle V1′.

[0044] More specifically, the collaboration unit 125 calculates the shortage based on the demand for a predetermined time period and the available supply of vehicles V1, and creates a support request based on the calculated shortage. The available supply of vehicles V1 is calculated, for example, excluding vehicles V1 that are not in operation due to charging, maintenance, etc. This makes it possible to request the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 to provide support for the required number of vehicles V1 corresponding to the shortage during the predetermined time period. Upon receiving the support request, the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 transmits vehicle information of vehicles V2 (support vehicles V1') that can provide support to the first vehicle dispatch management device 10, and the collaboration unit 125 receives the vehicle information of the support vehicles V1'. Note that the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 restricts the dispatch of vehicles V2 provided as support vehicles V1' during a dispatch limit time based on the predetermined time period.

[0045] Furthermore, the cooperation unit 125 can notify the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 of the operation completion time based on the dispatch plan for the support vehicle V1′ created by the later-described vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 127. This allows the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 to know the operation completion time of the vehicle V2 whose dispatch has been restricted, making it easier to manage operations thereafter.

[0046] The vehicle selection unit 126 extracts and selects a specific vehicle suited to the travel route from among multiple vehicles V. For example, the vehicle selection unit 126 first refers to the vehicle information database 12c, etc., and extracts vehicles V that are near the boarding location indicated in the dispatch request as vehicle candidates based on the boarding location indicated in the dispatch request and the location information indicated in the vehicle information of each vehicle V. Next, the vehicle selection unit 126 selects one vehicle V from the extracted vehicle candidates in accordance with predetermined conditions such as those shown below.

[0047] For example, the vehicle selection unit 126 may calculate a congestion level for the ride-hailing service, determine whether the calculated congestion level exceeds a predetermined congestion threshold, and, if it determines that the congestion level exceeds the predetermined congestion threshold, select a vehicle V1 that is below the predetermined congestion threshold. Here, the congestion level is the longest waiting time among the waiting times of each user. For example, in a situation where there is a user whose waiting time exceeds 15 minutes (congestion level = 15), the vehicle selection unit 126 preferentially selects a vehicle V1 or V2 (support vehicle V1') whose waiting time is less than 15 minutes. This prevents the user's waiting time from becoming longer than the user's tolerance limit, thereby preventing a deterioration in the quality of the ride-hailing service.

[0048] Furthermore, when the vehicle selection unit 126 determines that the estimated time required for the vehicle V1 relating to the first transportation mode among the multiple vehicle candidates to arrive at the user's boarding location based on the vehicle dispatch request is within a predetermined allowable time, the vehicle selection unit 126 can select the vehicle V1 relating to the first transportation mode as the vehicle V to be dispatched to the user in preference to the support vehicle V1'. As a result, even if the vehicle candidates include a support vehicle V1' that can arrive at the boarding location earlier than the vehicle V1 relating to the first transportation mode, by preferentially selecting the vehicle V1 relating to the first transportation mode, it is possible to keep the overall vehicle dispatch cost of vehicle dispatch management in the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 low.

[0049] The vehicle selection unit 126 may also calculate the utilization rates of the vehicle V1 and the support vehicle V1' currently associated with the first transportation mode in the service area. The utilization rate is the number of vehicles currently providing the vehicle dispatch service relative to the number of vehicles available for supply. The vehicle selection unit 126 may select either the vehicle V1 associated with the first transportation mode or the support vehicle V1' based on the calculated utilization rate. For example, the vehicle selection unit 126 may select a vehicle V to be dispatched to a user so that the utilization rate of the vehicle V1 associated with the first transportation mode is higher than the utilization rate of the support vehicle V1'. This minimizes the dispatch of the support vehicle V1', which tends to have a relatively higher dispatch cost than the vehicle V1 associated with the first transportation mode, thereby reducing the overall dispatch cost of the vehicle dispatch management in the first vehicle dispatch management device 10.

[0050] The vehicle selection unit 126 may also calculate the dispatch costs of the vehicle V1 and the support vehicle V1' associated with the first transportation mode during a predetermined time period. For example, the dispatch costs include the travel costs (fuel consumption / electricity costs, etc.) from the current location of the vehicle V to the destination via the user's boarding location. The dispatch cost of the support vehicle V1' may also include the usage costs associated with providing the vehicle. The vehicle selection unit 126 selects the vehicle V with the lower calculated dispatch cost as the first vehicle. This minimizes the dispatch of the support vehicle V1', which tends to have a relatively higher dispatch cost than the vehicle V1 associated with the first transportation mode, and thus reduces the overall dispatch costs of the vehicle dispatch management in the first vehicle dispatch management device 10.

[0051] The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 127 creates a vehicle allocation plan for vehicle V based on the travel route and vehicle V (i.e., vehicle V1 or support vehicle V1'). If vehicle V is on standby, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 127 creates a new vehicle allocation plan based on the vehicle allocation reservation request, and if vehicle V is in operation, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 127 updates the vehicle allocation plan for vehicle V stored in the vehicle allocation plan database 12d based on the vehicle allocation reservation request. In response to the vehicle allocation requests of different users, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 127 can create a vehicle allocation plan so that the users share vehicles V.

[0052] Furthermore, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 127 proposes the created vehicle allocation plan to the user, and upon receiving the user's acceptance, confirms the vehicle allocation plan. That is, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 127 transmits the vehicle allocation plan to the user's information communication terminal device 30 via the front-end processing unit 110 and causes the information communication terminal device 30 to display the vehicle allocation plan on the user interface. The user accepts or rejects the vehicle allocation plan (vehicle allocation reservation), and in response, the information communication terminal device 30 transmits a notification of acceptance or rejection. Upon receiving the user's acceptance notification via the front-end processing unit 110, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 127 confirms the vehicle allocation plan and notifies the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 127. In response, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 127 registers the confirmed vehicle allocation plan in the vehicle allocation plan database 12d and notifies the operation instruction unit 128.

[0053] The operation instruction unit 128 issues operation instructions to the corresponding vehicle V in accordance with the confirmed vehicle allocation plan. The control device CTL of the vehicle V that has received the operation instructions uses a navigation function to display a driving route in accordance with the vehicle allocation plan, for example, on a user interface. Alternatively, in the case of an unmanned vehicle, the control device CTL determines a detailed actual driving route in accordance with the driving route in the vehicle allocation plan and performs control so that the vehicle V autonomously drives along the actual driving route.

[0054] In the present disclosure, the operation instruction unit 128 can issue operation instructions to the support vehicle V1' without going through the second vehicle dispatch management device 20. As a result, the support vehicle V1' operates under the vehicle dispatch service of the first vehicle dispatch management device 10. Alternatively, the operation instruction unit 128 can issue operation instructions to the support vehicle V1' via the second vehicle dispatch management device 20. For example, the operation instruction unit 128 can transmit an operation instruction to the support vehicle V1' to the second vehicle dispatch management device 20, and in response to this, the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 can transmit the operation instruction to the support vehicle V1'. As a result, the second vehicle dispatch management device 20 can recognize that the vehicle V2 provided as the support vehicle V1' has been operated under the vehicle dispatch service of the first vehicle dispatch management device 10. Furthermore, even if the support vehicle V1' cannot communicate directly with the first vehicle dispatch management device 10, the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 will be able to give operating instructions to the support vehicle V1' by going through the second vehicle dispatch management device 20.

[0055] The operation instruction unit 128 may also instruct the support vehicle V1' to notify those around it that it is operating in the first transportation mode. In response to this, the support vehicle V1' may, for example, display an indication that it is operating in the first transportation mode on an indicator light that notifies those around it (for example, passersby, drivers of other vehicles, etc.). This allows passersby and others in the vicinity to know that the vehicle V2 is operating in the first transportation mode.

[0056] The vehicle dispatch record information acquisition unit 129 collects and acquires vehicle dispatch record information from vehicles V that have completed vehicle dispatch service based on a vehicle dispatch request. As described above, the vehicle dispatch record information includes 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., a stop or waypoint), the travel distance, and the fuel efficiency (electricity cost). The vehicle dispatch record information acquisition unit 129 stores the acquired vehicle dispatch record information in the vehicle dispatch record information database 12e. Note that the vehicle dispatch record information may also be acquired via the vehicle information acquisition unit 123.

[0057] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a collaborative process related to a support request in the first vehicle dispatch control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This process is realized by the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch control server program related to the first transportation mode under the control of a processor, thereby cooperating with various hardware resources.

[0058] 4, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 calculates the demand for vehicle V1 based on a dispatch request for a current or future predetermined time period (S401). For example, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 predicts the demand for vehicle V1 for a 30-minute period one hour later, for example, at 0 minutes and 30 minutes past the hour, 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.

[0059] Next, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 compares the demand for a predetermined time period with the number of vehicles V1 that can be supplied to determine whether there will be a shortage of vehicles V1 (S402). If the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 determines that there will be a shortage of vehicles V1 (Yes in S402), it creates a support request for the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 based on the number of vehicles V1 that are in short supply (S403). Next, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 transmits the created support request to the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 (S404).

[0060] Next, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 receives the vehicle information of the support vehicle V1' transmitted from the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 in response to the transmitted support request (S405). Upon receiving the vehicle information of the support vehicle V1', the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 registers the information in the vehicle information database 12c (S406). This enables the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 to extract the support vehicle V1' as a candidate vehicle. The first vehicle dispatch control device 10 then executes the above process until the end time of the vehicle dispatch service (No in S407). For example, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 updates the predicted demand for a specific time period to the latest value, and similarly transmits a support request to the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 according to the shortage number.

[0061] In addition, if the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there is no shortage of vehicle V1 (No in S402), it determines that there is no need to request assistance during the specified time period and executes the above processing until the end time of the vehicle dispatch service (No in S407).

[0062] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a collaborative process related to a support request in the second vehicle dispatch control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This process is realized by the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 executing a vehicle dispatch control server program related to the second transportation mode under the control of a processor, thereby cooperating with various hardware resources.

[0063] As shown in the figure, the second vehicle dispatch control device 20, like the first vehicle dispatch control device 10, calculates the demand for vehicles V2 based on dispatch requests for a current or future predetermined time period (S501). The predetermined time period is preferably synchronized with that of the first vehicle dispatch control device 10. Next, the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 calculates the number of surplus vehicles V2 based on the demand for the predetermined time period and the number of vehicles V2 that can be supplied (S502). The second vehicle dispatch control device 20 then monitors whether there is a support request from the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 (S503).

[0064] When the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 receives a support request from the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 (Yes in S503), it selects a vehicle V2 to be assigned to support vehicle V1' from the surplus vehicles V2 based on the support request (S504). Next, the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 transmits vehicle information of support vehicle V1' to the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 (S505). As described above, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 receives this information and registers the vehicle information of support vehicle V1' in the vehicle information database 12c.

[0065] Then, the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 executes the above process until the end time of the vehicle dispatch service arrives (No in S506).

[0066] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing related to a vehicle dispatch request in a vehicle dispatch control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This processing is realized by the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch control server program related to the first transportation mode under the control of a processor, thereby cooperating with various hardware resources. It is assumed that, prior to processing related to the vehicle dispatch request, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 has notified the second vehicle dispatch control device 20 of a request for assistance based on the demand for vehicles V1 based on the vehicle dispatch request for a specified time period.

[0067] As shown in the figure, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 waits for a new vehicle dispatch request from a user (S601). 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 30 to input a vehicle dispatch request. The vehicle dispatch request includes user location information. When a vehicle dispatch request is received from the user (Yes in S601), the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 refers to the road map information database 12b based on the vehicle dispatch request and determines the user's departure and destination bus stops (boarding and disembarking locations) (S602).

[0068] Next, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 determines a travel route based on the determined bus stops by referring to the road map information database 12b (S603). The travel route may include several candidates that have the same boarding and disembarking locations but different roads (links) along the way.

[0069] Next, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 extracts one or more vehicles V as vehicle candidate candidates according to the travel route, and selects one vehicle V from among them (S604). The vehicle candidate candidates include the support vehicle V1′ in response to the support request. Details of this vehicle selection process will be described later.

[0070] Next, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 creates or updates a vehicle dispatch plan for the selected vehicle V based on the determined driving route (S605). Next, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 proposes the contents of the created or updated vehicle dispatch plan to the user (S606). That is, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 transmits the contents of the created or updated vehicle dispatch plan to the information communication terminal device 30, and in response, the information communication terminal device 30 displays the contents on the user interface and prompts the user to accept or reject the proposed vehicle dispatch plan.

[0071] The first vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether the proposed vehicle dispatch plan has been accepted by the user (S607). If the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 accepts the proposed vehicle dispatch plan from the user (Yes in S607), the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 confirms the current vehicle dispatch plan (S608). The first vehicle dispatch management device 10 stores the confirmed vehicle dispatch plan in the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d. Next, the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 transmits a notification of confirmation of the vehicle dispatch reservation to the information communication terminal device 30 and transmits a dispatch instruction based on the vehicle dispatch plan to the vehicle V (S609). In this case, if the selected vehicle V is the support vehicle V1', the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 may issue a driving instruction to the support vehicle V1' without going through the second vehicle dispatch management device 20. Alternatively, the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 may issue a driving instruction to the support vehicle V1' via the second vehicle dispatch management device 20.

[0072] On the other hand, if the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 receives a non-acceptance (rejection) from the user in response to the proposed vehicle dispatch plan (No in S607), it cancels the current vehicle dispatch plan based on the user's vehicle dispatch request (S610). In this case, the first 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.

[0073] 7 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a vehicle selection process in the vehicle allocation control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing details of the vehicle selection process (S604) by the first vehicle allocation control device 10 shown in FIG.

[0074] As shown in the figure, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 refers to the vehicle information database 12c based on the dispatch request and extracts candidate vehicles V (S701). For example, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 extracts vehicles V that are near the boarding location indicated in the dispatch request based on the vehicle position information of the vehicles V. In this case, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 excludes vehicles V whose continuous operating time would exceed a specified time if operated based on the dispatch request and vehicles V with a low state of charge (SOC).

[0075] Next, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 refers to the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d and calculates the current congestion level (S702). For example, the congestion level is the longest waiting time among the waiting times of each user. Next, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 determines whether the calculated congestion level exceeds a predetermined congestion threshold (S703). The predetermined congestion threshold is, for example, 15 minutes.

[0076] When the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the calculated congestion degree exceeds a predetermined threshold (Yes in S703), the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects a vehicle V that is below the predetermined congestion threshold. For example, the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects a vehicle V with the lowest congestion degree (shortest waiting time). In other words, the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 prioritizes consideration of the user's waiting time over the vehicle dispatch cost.

[0077] On the other hand, if the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 determines that the calculated congestion degree does not exceed the predetermined threshold (No in S703), the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 attempts to extract a vehicle V1 whose expected arrival time at the boarding location of the candidate vehicle is within a predetermined allowable time (S705). Subsequently, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 determines whether or not there is an extracted vehicle V1 (S706).

[0078] If the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that an extracted vehicle V1 is present (Yes in S706), the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects the extracted vehicle V1 as the vehicle V to be dispatched to the user (S711).

[0079] On the other hand, if the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 determines that the extracted vehicle V1 is not present (No in S706), the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 calculates the current utilization rates of the vehicle V1 and the support vehicle V1' in the service area (S707). Next, the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 compares the utilization rates of the vehicle V1 and the support vehicle V1' to determine whether the utilization rate of the vehicle V1 is lower than the utilization rate of the support vehicle V1' (S708).

[0080] If the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the utilization rate of vehicle V1 is lower than that of support vehicle V1' (Yes in S708), it selects the optimal vehicle V1 from among the candidate vehicles (S711). For example, the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects vehicle V1 that is closest to the user's boarding location. On the other hand, if the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the utilization rate of vehicle V1 is not lower than that of support vehicle V1' (No in S708), it then calculates the dispatch costs of vehicle V1 and support vehicle V1' (S709). Next, the first vehicle dispatch management device 10 compares the dispatch costs of vehicle V1 and support vehicle V1' to determine whether the dispatch cost of vehicle V1 is lower than that of support vehicle V1' (S710).

[0081] If the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 determines that the dispatch cost of vehicle V1 is lower than the dispatch cost of support vehicle V1' (Yes in S710), it selects the optimal vehicle V1 from among the candidate vehicles (S711). On the other hand, if the first vehicle dispatch control device 10 determines that the dispatch cost of vehicle V1 is not lower than the dispatch cost of support vehicle V1' (No in S710), it selects the optimal support vehicle V1' from among the candidate vehicles.

[0082] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to lend out vehicles provided by different transportation modes in a common service area in whole or in part, depending on the supply and demand situation of vehicles V1 based on a vehicle allocation request. In particular, according to the present invention, when the demand for vehicles V of the first vehicle allocation management device 10, which provides a vehicle allocation service using vehicles V1 relating to a first transportation mode, is high during a predetermined time period, surplus vehicles V2 can be borrowed as support vehicles V1' from the second vehicle allocation management device 20, which provides a vehicle allocation service using vehicles V2 relating to a second transportation mode. In response to this, the first vehicle allocation management device 10 can provide a vehicle allocation service using the support vehicles V1'.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Vehicle dispatch management system 10... First vehicle dispatch management device 110... Front-end processing unit 120... Vehicle dispatch planning unit 121... Dispatch request acquisition unit 122... Travel route determination unit 123... Vehicle information acquisition unit 124... Demand calculation unit 125... Linkage unit 126... Vehicle selection unit 127... Vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 128... Operation instruction unit 129... 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... Second vehicle dispatch management device 30... Information communication terminal device 40... Road traffic information management system N... Communication network V... Vehicle, V1... Vehicle related to first transportation mode, V2... Vehicle related to second transportation mode CTL... Control device

Claims

1. A vehicle dispatch management device that manages the dispatch of vehicles related to a first transportation mode in response to a user's vehicle dispatch request, comprising: a coordination unit that performs processing related to coordination of vehicle dispatch management with at least one or more external devices that manage the dispatch of vehicles related to a second transportation mode; a demand quantity calculation unit that calculates the demand quantity of vehicles related to the first transportation mode based on the dispatch request in a specified time period; a vehicle selection unit that selects one vehicle to be dispatched to the user from a plurality of vehicle candidates based on the user's vehicle dispatch request; a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit that creates a vehicle dispatch plan for the selected one vehicle based on the vehicle dispatch request; and an operation instruction unit that gives operation instructions to the one vehicle in accordance with the vehicle dispatch plan, wherein the coordination unit notifies the external device of a support request based on the calculated demand quantity, and acquires vehicle information of at least one or more support vehicles for which the external device has limited dispatch during a dispatch limit time based on the specified time period, which is provided by the external device in response to the notification; and the vehicle selection unit selects the support vehicle during the vehicle dispatch limit time based on the acquired vehicle information, The vehicle allocation plan creation unit creates a vehicle allocation plan for the support vehicles in accordance with the first transportation mode.

2. The vehicle dispatch management device described in claim 1, wherein the linking unit notifies the external device of the specified time period as the dispatch restriction time for restricting the dispatch of vehicles related to the second transportation mode managed by the external device.

3. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 2, wherein the operation instruction unit issues operation instructions to the support vehicle without going through the external device.

4. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 2, wherein the operation instruction unit issues operation instructions to the support vehicle via the external device.

5. The vehicle dispatch management device described in claim 2, wherein the coordination unit calculates a shortage based on the demand during the specified time period and the available supply of vehicles related to the first transportation mode, and creates the assistance request based on the shortage.

6. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 2, wherein the linking unit notifies the external device of the operation completion time of the support vehicle based on the dispatch plan.

7. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle selection unit selects a vehicle from the plurality of candidate vehicles whose congestion level is below a predetermined congestion threshold when the congestion level based on the waiting time of each user exceeds the predetermined congestion threshold.

8. The vehicle dispatch management device of claim 2, wherein the vehicle selection unit selects the vehicle relating to the first transportation mode among the plurality of vehicle candidates as the vehicle to be dispatched to the user in preference to the support vehicle if the estimated time required for the vehicle relating to the first transportation mode to arrive at the user's boarding location based on the dispatch request is within a predetermined allowable time.

9. The vehicle allocation management device described in claim 2, wherein the vehicle selection unit calculates the utilization rates of the vehicle related to the first transportation mode and the support vehicle, and selects a vehicle to be allocated to the user so that the utilization rate of the vehicle related to the first transportation mode is higher than the utilization rate of the support vehicle.

10. The vehicle allocation management device described in claim 2, wherein the vehicle selection unit calculates the allocation costs of the vehicle related to the first transportation mode and the support vehicle during the specified time period, and the vehicle selection unit selects the vehicle with the lower calculated allocation cost as the one vehicle.

11. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 2, wherein the operation instruction unit instructs the support vehicle selected as the one vehicle to notify surrounding areas that it is operating in the first transportation mode.

12. A vehicle dispatch management device as described in claim 1, wherein the vehicle relating to the first transportation mode is a shareable vehicle that allows users to share rides based on different vehicle dispatch requests, and the vehicle relating to the second transportation mode is a non-shareable vehicle that does not allow users to share rides based on different vehicle dispatch requests.

13. A vehicle dispatch management method by a vehicle dispatch management device that manages the dispatch of vehicles related to a first transportation mode in response to a user's vehicle dispatch request, comprising: performing processing related to coordination of vehicle dispatch management with at least one or more external devices that manage the dispatch of vehicles related to a second transportation mode; calculating a demand for vehicles related to the first transportation mode based on the dispatch request in a predetermined time period; selecting one vehicle to be dispatched to the user from a plurality of candidate vehicles based on the user's vehicle dispatch request; creating a dispatch plan for the selected one vehicle based on the dispatch request; and issuing operating instructions to the one vehicle in accordance with the dispatch plan; wherein the coordination includes: notifying the external device of a support request based on the calculated demand; and acquiring vehicle information of at least one or more support vehicles for which the external device has limited dispatch during a dispatch time limit based on the predetermined time period, the vehicle information being provided by the external device in response to the notification; and selecting the vehicle includes selecting the support vehicle during the dispatch time limit based on the acquired vehicle information. A vehicle allocation management method, wherein creating the vehicle allocation plan includes creating a vehicle allocation plan for the support vehicles in accordance with the first transportation mode.

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