Reservation management device and reservation management method

Abstract

A reservation management control device (11) acquires, from a third-party terminal (40), user identification information for identifying a user (Pb). The reservation management control device (11) determines whether the user (Pb) identified from the user identification information acquired from the third-party terminal (40) is a user (Pb) who needs to be approved by an approver (Pa). When the user (Pb) needs to be approved by the approver (Pa), the reservation management control device (11) confirms a vehicle allocation reservation on the basis of the position of the third-party terminal (40) from which the user identification information was acquired and vehicle allocation reservation candidates permitted by the approver (Pa).

Description

Reservation management device and reservation management method

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

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a vehicle dispatch support system including a vehicle dispatch support server, in which a mobile terminal requests vehicle dispatch by notifying the vehicle dispatch support server of information relating to the current location of the mobile terminal and information relating to a destination.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-109189

[0004] However, with the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, if a user who uses a vehicle does not have a terminal, it is not possible to confirm that the user is at the boarding location. Therefore, even if a vehicle arrives at the boarding location according to a vehicle reservation, there is a possibility that the user is not at the boarding location.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a reservation management device and a reservation management method that can dispatch a vehicle after confirming that a user is at the boarding location.

[0006] A reservation management device according to one aspect of the present invention acquires identification information identifying a user from a third-party terminal. If the user identified from the identification information acquired from the third-party terminal is a user who requires approval from an approver, the reservation management device confirms a vehicle reservation based on the location of the third-party terminal from which the user's identification information was acquired and on vehicle reservation candidates approved by the approver.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle can be dispatched after confirming that the user is at the boarding location.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a vehicle dispatch system according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram explaining a user database. Fig. 3 is a diagram explaining a reservation management database. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the process of registering vehicle dispatch reservation candidates. Fig. 5A is a flowchart showing the process related to vehicle dispatch. Fig. 5B is a flowchart showing the process related to vehicle dispatch.

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a reservation management device and a reservation management method according to this embodiment will be described using a vehicle dispatch service system as an example.

[0010] The configuration of a vehicle dispatch service system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The vehicle dispatch service system 1 is a system that provides a service of transporting passengers using a vehicle Vc. The vehicle dispatch service system 1 can make a reservation for dispatching a vehicle Vc and dispatch the vehicle Vc based on the reservation. Here, a vehicle dispatch reservation refers to reserving the dispatch of a vehicle Vc by specifying the boarding location, boarding time, disembarking location, etc. of the vehicle Vc. Executing a vehicle dispatch refers to operating the vehicle Vc in accordance with the reservation.

[0011] The vehicle dispatch service system 1 of this embodiment is used by a user Pb, an approver Pa, and a third party Pc. The user Pb is a person who uses a vehicle Vc of the vehicle dispatch service system 1, i.e., a passenger. The approver Pa is a person who approves the user Pb's use of the service. In the vehicle dispatch service system 1, the user Pb can use the vehicle Vc within the scope registered by the approver Pa. An example of the approver Pa is a parent, and the user Pb is their child. However, the relationship between the approver Pa and the user Pb may be such that the approver Pa approves the actions of the user Pb. For example, the relationship between the approver Pa and the user Pb may be a relationship between an adult as the approver Pa and their parent as the user Pb. The relationship between the approver Pa and the user Pb may also be a relationship such as a guardian as the approver Pa and a warded person as the user Pb. In addition, this embodiment assumes that the user Pb does not possess a communication terminal such as a smartphone. The third party is anyone other than the user Pb and the approver Pa. The third party is, for example, a family member or friend of the approver Pa, or a guardian of a friend of the user Pb, but may be anyone else.

[0012] The vehicle dispatch service system 1 includes a reservation management server 10, a vehicle dispatch server 20, an approver terminal 30, and a third-party terminal 40. The reservation management server 10, the vehicle dispatch server 20, the approver terminal 30, and the third-party terminal 40 are connected via a network (not shown).

[0013] The reservation management server 10 manages vehicle dispatch reservations for vehicles Vc used by users Pb. The reservation management server 10 is operated by a different operator from the vehicle dispatch server 20 described below, but may also be operated by the same operator as the vehicle dispatch server 20. The reservation management server 10 includes a reservation management control device 11, a communication device 12, and a reservation management database (reservation management DB) 13.

[0014] The reservation management control device 11 is a microcomputer (controller) mainly composed of a CPU, memory, and an input / output interface. The CPU reads various computer programs stored in the memory and executes various commands contained in the programs.

[0015] The reservation management control device 11 can transmit and receive information to and from the vehicle dispatch server 20, the approver terminal 30, and the third-party terminal 40 via the communication device 12. The reservation management control device 11 can also refer to information in the reservation management DB 13.

[0016] In this embodiment, the reservation management control device 11 acquires user identification information that identifies the user Pb from the third-party terminal 40. The reservation management control device 11 determines whether the user Pb identified from the user identification information acquired from the third-party terminal 40 is a user Pb that requires approval from the approver Pa. If the user Pb requires approval from the approver Pa, the reservation management control device 11 confirms the vehicle reservation based on the location of the third-party terminal 40 from which the user identification information was acquired and the vehicle reservation candidates approved by the approver Pa.

[0017] The communication device 12 communicates with the vehicle dispatch server 20, the approver terminal 30, and the third-party terminal 40. The communication device 12 receives information from the vehicle dispatch server 20, the approver terminal 30, and the third-party terminal 40, and transmits information to the vehicle dispatch server 20, the approver terminal 30, and the third-party terminal 40. For example, the communication device 12 may be a device equipped with a mobile communication function such as 4G / LTE or 5G, or may be a device equipped with a Wi-Fi communication function.

[0018] The reservation management DB 13 is a storage device that stores various information necessary for reservation management. The reservation management DB 13 includes a user database (user DB) 13a shown in Fig. 2 and a vehicle reservation database (vehicle reservation DB) 13b shown in Fig. 3.

[0019] The user DB 13a records the correspondence between the approver Pa and the user Pb who requires approval from the approver Pa. The "Approver" column of the user DB 13a describes approver identification information that identifies the approver Pa, and the "User" column describes user identification information. Note that if there are multiple users Pb for the approver Pa, multiple users Pb may be recorded in the "User" column. Furthermore, when using this service, the approver Pa can register a specific third party in advance. In this case, the third party Pc is assigned third-party identification information to identify the third party Pc. Hereinafter, a third party Pc registered by the approver Pa is referred to as a registered third party Pc. The registered third party Pc is recorded in the user DB 13a in a state associated with the approver Pa. The "Third Party" column of the user DB 13a describes third-party identification information.

[0020] The vehicle reservation DB 13b records vehicle reservation candidates that the approver Pa has permitted the user Pb to use. The user Pb can only request a vehicle reservation from vehicle reservation candidates registered in the vehicle reservation DB 13b. The vehicle reservation candidates include information such as "approver," "boarding time," "boarding location," "drop-off location," "number of people," and "type." The "approver" field describes the approver identification information of the approver Pa who registered the vehicle reservation candidate. The "boarding time," "boarding location," "drop-off location," and "number of people" are information necessary for reserving a vehicle Vc. The "boarding time," "boarding location," "drop-off location," and "number of people" describe the time or date and time of boarding the vehicle Vc, the boarding location for boarding the vehicle Vc, the drop-off location for disembarking from the vehicle Vc, and the number of people aboard the vehicle Vc, respectively. Furthermore, the information necessary for reserving a vehicle Vc only needs to include the "boarding time," "boarding location," and "drop-off location," and "number of people" is not necessarily required. The type indicates the type of the vehicle reservation candidate. There are two types of vehicle reservations: advance reservations and permitted destinations. An advance reservation is a vehicle reservation candidate for which the boarding time, boarding location, disembarking location, and number of passengers are all specified in advance. On the other hand, a permitted destination is a vehicle reservation candidate for which at least the disembarking location is specified by permission. An event such as a festival or festival may also be selected as a permitted destination. In this case, a database in which the location, date, time, or duration of the event is stored in advance may be referenced, and a vehicle reservation candidate that specifies at least the disembarking location may be registered as a permitted destination based on information identified from this database.

[0021] 1, the vehicle dispatch server 20 dispatches vehicles Vc. The vehicle dispatch server 20 is operated, for example, by a business operator that provides a service of transporting passengers using vehicles Vc. The vehicle dispatch server 20 includes a vehicle dispatch control device 21, a communication device 22, and a vehicle dispatch database (vehicle dispatch DB) 23.

[0022] The vehicle allocation control device 21 is a microcomputer (controller) mainly composed of a CPU, memory, and input / output interface. The vehicle allocation control device 21 can send and receive information between the reservation management server 10, the third-party terminal 40, and the vehicle Vc via the communication device 22. The vehicle allocation control device 21 can also refer to information in the vehicle allocation DB 23. The vehicle allocation control device 21 executes the allocation of the vehicle Vc based on the vehicle allocation reservation confirmed by the reservation management server 10.

[0023] The communication device 22 communicates with the reservation management server 10, the third-party terminal 40, and the vehicle Vc. The function of the communication device 22 is the same as that of the communication device 12. The vehicle dispatch DB 23 records vehicle dispatch reservations confirmed by the reservation management server 10.

[0024] The approver terminal 30 is a terminal linked to the approver Pa, and specifically, a terminal carried by the approver Pa. The approver terminal 30 is a communication terminal with communication functions, such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a wearable device. The approver terminal 30 is a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, a communication device, a storage device, an input device, a display device, and a speaker. The approver terminal 30 transmits vehicle reservation candidates created by the approver Pa to the reservation management server 10, and presents information transmitted from the reservation management server 10 to the approver Pa using either or both of the display device and the speaker. In this embodiment, information display using a display device is exemplified as a method for the approver terminal 30 to present information to the approver, but information output using a speaker may also be used.

[0025] The third-party terminal 40 is a terminal used by a third party Pc. The third-party terminal 40 is a communication terminal equipped with a communication function, such as a personal computer, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a wearable device. A user Pb who does not have a communication terminal can use the third-party terminal 40 to request a vehicle dispatch reservation.

[0026] The third party terminal 40 includes a terminal control device 41 , a communication device 42 , an input device 43 , a display device 44 , a reading device 45 , and a GPS receiver 46 .

[0027] The terminal control device 41 is a microcomputer (controller) mainly composed of a CPU, memory, and input / output interface. The terminal control device 41 can send and receive information between the reservation management server 10, the vehicle dispatch server 20, the approver terminal 30, and the third-party terminal 40 via the communication device 42. In this embodiment, the terminal control device 41 transmits the user identification information read by the reading device 45 and information necessary for vehicle dispatch reservations to the reservation management server 10. The terminal control device 41 also displays information sent from the reservation management server 10 on the display device 44.

[0028] The communication device 42 communicates between the reservation management server 10, the approver terminal 30, and the third-party terminal 40. The communication device 42 has the same functions as the communication device 12. The input device 43 is a device through which the user Pb performs input operations, such as a touch panel integrated with the display device 44. The display device 44 is a device that displays information to the user Pb, such as an LCD display. The reading device 45 is a device that reads user identification information, such as a camera. The user Pb possesses an identification code such as a two-dimensional code. The identification code embodies user identification information, information for accessing the reservation management server 10, and the like. By reading the identification code, the reading device 45 can obtain the information embodied in the two-dimensional code. The information obtained by the reading device 45 is output to the terminal control device 41. The user identification information may be biometric information such as a fingerprint or iris. The third-party terminal 40 may also obtain the user identification information from the user Pb using wireless technology such as short-range communication. GPS receiver 46 receives, from GPS satellites, the location information of third party terminal 40. Note that the configuration by which third party terminal 40 acquires location information is not limited to GPS receiver 46.

[0029] Next, a reservation management method according to this embodiment will be described.

[0030] A method in which the approver Pa registers vehicle reservation candidates in the reservation management server 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0031] First, when the approver Pa launches the browser on the approver terminal 30, the approver terminal 30 retrieves a web page provided by the reservation management server 10 and displays it on the display device. The approver Pa uses an input device to input vehicle reservation candidates into the input fields provided on the web page. When registering a pre-reservation, the approver Pa inputs information such as the boarding time, boarding location, disembarking location, and number of people. On the other hand, when registering an authorized destination, the approver Pa inputs information about the disembarking location. When the approver Pa operates the input device to transmit information, the approver terminal 30 generates information that associates the input information with the approver identification information and transmits the generated information to the reservation management server 10 as a vehicle reservation candidate (S1). When registering an authorized destination as an event, the approver Pa selects the displayed event information. When the approver Pa operates the input device to send the selected event information, the approver terminal 30 generates information that associates the approver identification information with the selected event information, and sends the generated information to the reservation management server 10 as a vehicle dispatch reservation candidate (S1).

[0032] The reservation management control device 11 of the reservation management server 10 acquires information on vehicle reservation candidates from the approver terminal 30. The reservation management control device 11 records the information on vehicle reservation candidates in the vehicle reservation DB 13b (S2).

[0033] In this embodiment, a method of registering vehicle reservation candidates using a browser has been exemplified, but vehicle reservation candidates may also be registered using a dedicated application installed on the approver terminal 30.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 5A , a method for user Pb to use vehicle Vc will be described. For example, assume that user Pb is visiting the home of a friend of user Pb. User Pb uses vehicle Vc provided by this service when traveling from the friend's home to another location. To use the service, user Pb has his / her identification code read by the reader 45 of a third-party terminal 40 used by the friend's guardian. However, user Pb may also have the identification code read by the reader 45 of a third-party terminal 40 other than the third-party terminal 40 used by the friend's guardian.

[0035] When the reader 45 of the third-party terminal 40 reads the identification code of user Pb, the terminal control device 41 acquires user identification information from the reader 45 (S10). The terminal control device 41 launches a browser, acquires a web page provided by the reservation management server 10, and displays it on the display device 44. The terminal control device 41 transmits the user identification information to the reservation management server 10. Furthermore, if the owner (third party Pc) of the third-party terminal 40 used by user Pb has been assigned third-party identification information, i.e., if the owner (third party Pc) of the third-party terminal 40 is a registered third party Pc, the terminal control device 41 also transmits the third-party identification information to the reservation management server 10.

[0036] The reservation management control device 11 of the reservation management server 10 acquires information from the third-party terminal 40. When the reservation management control device 11 acquires user identification information from the third-party terminal 40, it determines that a request for a vehicle reservation has been made by user Pb and performs the following processing. First, the reservation management control device 11 references the user DB 13a and determines whether the user Pb identified from the user identification information is a user Pb who requires approval from the approver Pa (S11). Specifically, the reservation management control device 11 searches the user DB 13a to determine whether the user identification information acquired from the third-party terminal 40 is in the user DB 13a. If the user identification information acquired from the third-party terminal 40 is in the user DB 13a, the reservation management control device 11 determines that the user Pb identified from the user identification information is a user Pb who requires approval from the approver Pa (S11: Yes).

[0037] The reservation management control device 11 identifies the third-party terminal 40. First, if third-party identification information has not been acquired from the third-party terminal 40, the reservation management control device 11 determines that the access is from a third-party terminal 40 used by a third-party Pc that is not a registered third-party Pc (hereinafter referred to as an "unregistered third-party terminal 40"). On the other hand, if third-party identification information has been acquired from the third-party terminal 40, the reservation management control device 11 identifies the approver identification information associated with the user identification information in the user DB 13a. Then, the reservation management control device 11 determines whether the third-party identification information is associated with the approver identification information. If the third-party identification information is not associated with the approver identification information, the reservation management control device 11 determines that the access is from an unregistered third-party terminal 40. If the third-party identification information is associated with the approver identification information, the reservation management control device 11 determines that the access is from a third-party terminal 40 used by a registered third-party Pc (hereinafter referred to as a "registered third-party terminal 40").

[0038] The reservation management control device 11 notifies the approver terminal 30 that the access is from the third-party terminal 40, i.e., that the vehicle dispatch reservation is made using the third-party terminal 40. Upon receiving the notification from the reservation management server 10, the approver terminal 30 displays on the display device (S13) that the vehicle dispatch reservation is made using the third-party terminal 40. However, the reservation management control device 11 may omit this notification if the access is from a registered third-party terminal 40.

[0039] In this case, the reservation management control device 11 may include in the above-mentioned notification information requesting the approver Pa for approval to allow the vehicle dispatch reservation using the third-party terminal 40. Then, the reservation management control device 11 may proceed to the processing described below on the condition that information indicating the approval of the approver Pa is acquired from the approver terminal 30. Note that the reservation management control device 11 may include in the above-mentioned notification information requesting approval only if the third-party terminal 40 is not a registered third-party terminal.

[0040] The reservation management control device 11 identifies the approver identification information associated with the user identification information in the user DB 13a. The reservation management control device 11 searches the vehicle reservation DB 13b based on the identified approver identification information. The reservation management control device 11 extracts vehicle reservation candidates that the approver Pa has authorized for the user Pb, and creates a list of vehicle reservation candidates (S14). The extracted vehicle reservation candidates include personal information such as addresses. Therefore, the reservation management control device 11 performs a restriction process to exclude information related to personal information from the list of vehicle reservation candidates, and then transmits the list of vehicle reservation candidates to the third-party terminal 40 (S15).

[0041] Upon receiving the information from the reservation management server 10, the terminal control device 41 of the third-party terminal 40 displays a list of vehicle reservation candidates on the display device 44 (S16). The display device 44 displays a list of vehicle reservation candidates, as shown in FIG. 3, with personal information restricted. The user Pb uses the input device 43 of the third-party terminal 40 to select a desired vehicle reservation candidate from the list of vehicle reservation candidates. Once this selection is made, the terminal control device 41 confirms the selected vehicle reservation candidate as the request content of user Pb (S17). The terminal control device 41 then transmits information about the vehicle reservation candidate selected by user Pb, as well as the current location of user Pb, i.e., the location of the third-party terminal 40, and information about the current time, to the reservation management server 10 (S18).

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5B , upon receiving information from the third-party terminal 40, the reservation management control device 11 of the reservation management server 10 determines whether the boarding location specified in the vehicle reservation candidate selected by user Pb matches the location of the third-party terminal 40 from which the user identification information was obtained (S19). For example, if there is a park near the home of user Pb's friend, user Pb may visit the park from the friend's home and use the third-party terminal 40 in the park. If the boarding location specified in the vehicle reservation candidate does not match the location of the third-party terminal 40 from which the user identification information was obtained, the reservation management control device 11 changes the boarding location of the vehicle reservation to the location of the third-party terminal 40 from which the user identification information was obtained (S20). However, the reservation management control device 11 may allow the boarding location to be changed on the condition that the distance from the boarding location specified in the vehicle reservation candidate to the location of the third-party terminal 40 is within a predetermined threshold distance.

[0043] If the type of vehicle reservation candidate selected by user Pb is an authorized destination, the vehicle reservation candidate does not specify a boarding location. In this case, the reservation management control device 11 regards the location of the third-party terminal 40 from which the user identification information was acquired as the boarding location specified in the vehicle reservation candidate (S19: YES), and performs the processes from step S21 onwards.

[0044] The reservation management control device 11 determines the boarding time (S21). If the type of the vehicle reservation candidate is an advance reservation, the vehicle reservation candidate also includes the boarding time. However, the time when user Pb makes a vehicle reservation using the third-party terminal 40 may be earlier or later than the boarding time specified in the vehicle reservation candidate. Also, if the type of the vehicle reservation candidate is an authorized destination, the vehicle reservation candidate does not include the boarding time. Therefore, the reservation management control device 11 determines the boarding time based on the time transmitted from the third-party terminal 40. For example, the reservation management control device 11 determines the time obtained by adding a predetermined time to the time transmitted from the third-party terminal 40 as the boarding time for the vehicle reservation.

[0045] The reservation management control device 11 confirms the ride reservation including the boarding time, boarding location, disembarking location, and number of people (S22). If the ride reservation candidate selected by user Pb is a pre-reservation, the boarding time, boarding location, disembarking location, and number of people are confirmed according to the information specified in the ride reservation candidate. However, if the boarding location is changed, the new boarding location after the change, i.e., the location of the third-party terminal 40 that obtained the user identification information, is confirmed as the ride location. On the other hand, if the ride reservation candidate selected by user Pb is an authorized destination, the location of the third-party terminal 40 that obtained the user identification information is confirmed as the ride location. Similarly, if the boarding time is changed, the new boarding time after the change is confirmed as the boarding time. Note that, for authorized destinations, information on the number of people may not be required, and user Pb may be prompted to input the information when selecting a ride reservation candidate.

[0046] The reservation management control device 11 notifies the approver terminal 30 that the vehicle dispatch reservation has been confirmed. Upon receiving this notification, the approver terminal 30 displays information that the vehicle dispatch reservation has been confirmed on its display device (S23). If one or both of the boarding location and boarding time specified in the vehicle dispatch reservation candidate registered by the approver Pa are changed, the reservation management control device 11 includes information that one or both of the boarding location and boarding time have been changed in the above-mentioned notification. As a result, information that one or both of the boarding location and boarding time have been changed is displayed on the display device of the approver terminal 30. Note that the reservation management control device 11 may include information in the above-mentioned notification requesting the approver Pa to approve the change of the boarding location and boarding time. In this case, the reservation management control device 11 may confirm the vehicle dispatch reservation on the condition that it has obtained information indicating the approver Pa's approval from the approver terminal 30.

[0047] The reservation management control device 11 transmits information about the confirmed vehicle dispatch reservation to the vehicle dispatch server 20. At this time, the reservation management control device 11 may transmit information about the confirmed vehicle dispatch reservation to the third-party terminal 40.

[0048] Upon receiving the vehicle dispatch reservation information from the reservation management server 10, the vehicle dispatch control device 21 of the vehicle dispatch server 20 dispatches the vehicle Vc based on the confirmed vehicle dispatch reservation (S24). This results in a dispatch instruction based on the vehicle dispatch reservation being sent to the vehicle Vc. The vehicle dispatch control device 21 also notifies the third-party terminal 40 of the dispatch result of the vehicle Vc and of the deletion of the information recorded in the third-party terminal 40 upon the vehicle dispatch reservation. Upon receiving the notification from the vehicle dispatch server 20, the terminal control device 41 of the third-party terminal 40 displays the dispatch result of the vehicle Vc on the display device 44 (S25). The terminal control device 41 of the third-party terminal 40 also deletes the information recorded in the third-party terminal 40 upon the vehicle dispatch reservation. The notification regarding the deletion of the information may be sent by the reservation management server 10, rather than by the vehicle dispatch server 20.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, the reservation management control device 11 confirms a vehicle reservation based on the location of the third-party terminal 40 from which the user identification information was acquired and the vehicle reservation candidates permitted by the approver Pa. According to this configuration, the location of the third-party terminal 40 from which the user identification information was read is set as the boarding location, so even if a user Pb does not have a communication terminal, it is possible to confirm that the user Pb is at the boarding location. Therefore, the vehicle reservation is confirmed on the condition that the user Pb is present at the boarding location, so a vehicle can be dispatched after confirming that the user is present at the boarding location. Furthermore, since the vehicle reservation is confirmed based on the vehicle reservation candidates permitted by the approver Pa, the vehicle reservation is confirmed within the scope permitted by the approver Pa. This makes it possible to restrict vehicle reservations from being made at will by the user Pb, allowing the approver Pa to use the service with peace of mind.

[0050] In this embodiment, the reservation management control device 11 confirms the vehicle reservation based on the vehicle reservation candidate when the boarding location specified in the vehicle reservation candidate matches the location of the third-party terminal 40 that acquired the user identification information. According to this configuration, the vehicle reservation is confirmed on the condition that the user Pb is at the boarding location, so the vehicle can be dispatched after confirming that the user is at the boarding location.

[0051] The user identification information is an identification code possessed by the user Pb or biometric information of the user Pb. With this configuration, the user identification information can be easily acquired at the third-party terminal 40.

[0052] In this embodiment, when the reservation management control device 11 acquires user identification information from the third-party terminal 40, it notifies the approver terminal 30 that the vehicle reservation was made using the third-party terminal 40. With this configuration, the approver Pa can know that the user is making a vehicle reservation using the third-party terminal 40.

[0053] In this embodiment, the notification may include information requesting the approver Pa for approval to allow the vehicle reservation using the third-party terminal 40. With this configuration, the approver Pa can determine whether to approve the vehicle reservation using the third-party terminal 40, so that the approver Pa can use the service with peace of mind.

[0054] In this embodiment, the reservation management control device 11 may omit notification if the third-party terminal 40 is a registered third-party terminal 40. With this configuration, if the third-party terminal 40 is a registered third-party Pc that the approver Pa has registered in advance, the approver Pa is aware of that person's identity. Therefore, even if notification is omitted, the approver Pa's anxiety is alleviated. Furthermore, because the frequency of notifications is reduced, a system that is easy for the approver Pa to use can be provided.

[0055] In this embodiment, the reservation management control device 11 includes information requesting approval in the notification only if the third-party terminal 40 is not a registered third-party terminal. Only if the third-party terminal 40 is not a registered third-party terminal 40 can the approver Pa decide whether to approve the vehicle dispatch reservation made by the third-party terminal 40. This allows the approver Pa to use the service with peace of mind and reduces the frequency of notifications.

[0056] In this embodiment, the reservation management control device 11 generates a list of vehicle reservation candidates, and transmits the list of vehicle reservation candidates to the third-party terminal 40 after excluding information related to personal information. The vehicle reservation candidates include personal information such as the home address of the user Pb. According to this embodiment, since information related to personal information is excluded, the information displayed on the third-party terminal 40 does not include personal information. This allows the user Pb and the approver Pa to use the service with peace of mind.

[0057] In this embodiment, the reservation management control device 11 confirms a vehicle reservation by limiting the drop-off location specified in the vehicle reservation candidate. With this configuration, vehicle reservations can be flexibly confirmed without being restricted by the boarding location and boarding time specified in the vehicle reservation candidate. This makes it possible to provide a service that is easy to use for the user Pb. Furthermore, since the drop-off location is limited to the vehicle reservation candidate, it is possible to restrict vehicle reservations from being made at will by the user Pb. Therefore, the approver Pa can use the service with peace of mind.

[0058] If the third-party terminal 40 is a registered third-party terminal 40, the reservation management control device 11 may allow a vehicle reservation using a drop-off location other than the drop-off locations specified in the vehicle reservation candidates. When using the registered third-party terminal 40, the user Pb is expected to use the third-party terminal 40 under the supervision of the registered third party Pc, which reduces the approving party Pa's anxiety. In such a situation, removing the restriction on the drop-off location makes it possible to provide a service that is more user-friendly to the user Pb.

[0059] Furthermore, when the reservation management control device 11 acquires user identification information from the third-party terminal 40, it may record the location information of the third-party terminal 40 and terminal information (such as an IP address or MAC address) that identifies the third-party terminal 40. This makes it possible to identify the third-party terminal 40 used by user Pb and its location in the future.

[0060] Furthermore, the reservation management control device 11 may permit only one vehicle reservation when acquiring user identification information from the third-party terminal 40. This configuration makes it possible to prevent fraudulent use, such as a third party Pc who has lent the third-party terminal 40 making a vehicle reservation without permission under the name of the user Pb.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the reservation management server (reservation management device) described above, but also includes the vehicle reservation method described in this embodiment. In this vehicle reservation method, a vehicle reservation is confirmed based on the location of the third-party terminal 40 that acquired the user identification information and the vehicle reservation candidates authorized by the approver Pa. According to this method, by using the location of the third-party terminal 40 that reads the user identification information as the boarding location, it is possible to confirm that the user Pb is present at the boarding location even if the user Pb does not have a communication terminal. Since the vehicle reservation is confirmed on the condition that the user Pb is present at the boarding location, a vehicle can be dispatched after confirming that the user is present at the boarding location. Furthermore, since the vehicle reservation is confirmed based on the vehicle reservation candidates authorized by the approver Pa, the vehicle reservation is confirmed within the scope permitted by the approver Pa. This makes it possible to restrict vehicle reservations from being made at will by the user Pb, allowing the approver Pa to use the service with peace of mind.

[0062] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the descriptions and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be understood to limit the present invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

[0063] 1: Vehicle dispatch service system, 10: Reservation management server (reservation management device), 11: Reservation management control device (controller), 12: Communication device, 13: Reservation management database, 20: Vehicle dispatch server, 30: Approver terminal, 40: Third-party terminal

Claims

1. A reservation management device that manages vehicle dispatch reservations used by a user, comprising: a communication device that communicates with an approver who approves the user and a third-party terminal used by a third party other than the user, the third-party terminal being capable of obtaining identification information that identifies the user; a storage device that includes a user database in which the approver and the user are associated, and a reservation database in which vehicle dispatch reservation candidates that the approver has permitted the user to use are registered; and a controller, wherein the controller obtains the identification information from the third-party terminal, and if the user identified from the identification information obtained from the third-party terminal is a user who requires approval from the approver, confirms the vehicle dispatch reservation based on the location of the third-party terminal that obtained the user's identification information and the vehicle dispatch reservation candidates permitted by the approver.

2. The reservation management device of claim 1, wherein the controller confirms a vehicle reservation based on the vehicle reservation candidate when the boarding location in the vehicle reservation candidate matches the location of the third-party terminal that obtained the user's identification information.

3. The reservation management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the identification information is an identification code possessed by the user or biometric information of the user.

4. A reservation management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the controller obtains the identification information from the third-party terminal, it notifies the approver terminal linked to the approver that the vehicle reservation was made using the third-party terminal.

5. The reservation management device according to claim 4, wherein the notification includes information requesting the approver to approve the vehicle reservation using the third-party terminal.

6. The reservation management device according to claim 4, wherein said controller omits said notification if said third-party terminal is a terminal used by a registered third party who has been registered in advance by said approver.

7. A reservation management device as described in claim 5, wherein the controller includes information requesting approval in the notification if the third-party terminal is not a terminal used by a registered third party pre-registered by the approver.

8. A reservation management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the controller generates a list of vehicle reservation candidates, and transmits the list of vehicle reservation candidates to the third-party terminal after excluding information related to personal information.

9. The reservation management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the controller confirms the vehicle reservation only for drop-off locations specified in the vehicle reservation candidates.

10. A reservation management device as described in claim 9, wherein the controller allows a vehicle reservation using a drop-off location other than a drop-off location specified in the vehicle reservation candidate when the third-party terminal is a terminal used by a registered third party pre-registered by the approver.

11. A reservation management device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein when the controller acquires the identification information from the third-party terminal, it records the location information of the third-party terminal and terminal information identifying the third-party terminal.

12. The reservation management device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the controller allows only one vehicle dispatch reservation when the identification information is acquired from the third-party terminal.

13. A reservation management method executed by a controller that manages vehicle reservations used by a user, comprising: accepting vehicle reservation candidates that an approver who approves the user has permitted the user to use; acquiring identification information that identifies the user from a third-party terminal used by a third party other than the user and the approver; and, if the user identified from the identification information acquired from the third-party terminal is a user who requires approval from the approver, confirming the vehicle reservation based on the location of the third-party terminal that acquired the user's identification information and the vehicle reservation candidates approved by the approver.

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