Vehicle allocation management device and vehicle allocation management method

Abstract

The present invention is a vehicle allocation management device that provides an on-demand vehicle allocation service. The vehicle allocation management device includes: a user information database that stores user information including places that a protected person under protective supervision of a protector can visit and a schedule of a secondary user; an event selection unit that selects specific events that the protected person can participate via a user interface on an information communication terminal device of the protector; a schedule creation unit that creates the schedule for the protected person on the basis of the specific events; a vehicle allocation plan creation unit that creates a vehicle allocation plan for a vehicle to be allocated to the protected person; and a vehicle allocation instruction unit that issues vehicle allocation instructions to the vehicle in accordance with the vehicle allocation plan. The vehicle allocation plan creation unit extracts, on the basis of the schedule of each protected person, the specific protected person who constitute a user group, and creates a vehicle allocation plan of a vehicle for the user group in which the specific protected person will ride.

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] One example of a mobility service is a service in which a guardian arranges a vehicle for picking up or dropping off a child or other person under their care. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a vehicle monitoring system in which a guardian can check the riding status of a person under their care in real time.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-069033

[0004] However, the system described in the above Patent Document 1 was unable to manage locations (e.g., bus stops) where the person being watched over could get on and off the vehicle under the protective supervision of a guardian. As a result, there was a risk that the person being watched over, such as a child, would get on and off the vehicle at a location not intended by the guardian, and the system was not sufficient to ensure the safety of the person being watched over.

[0005] Furthermore, the system was unable to take into account the schedule of the person being watched over and dispatch a vehicle for the person being watched over at the appropriate time and place, which meant that the guardian had to make an appropriate vehicle dispatch request on their own, taking into account the schedule of the person being watched over, which was inconvenient.

[0006] Furthermore, this system does not take into account the schedules of multiple people being monitored and does not anticipate them sharing a single vehicle, leaving room for improvement in terms of efficient vehicle operation.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a service that appropriately dispatches vehicles to protected persons, such as children, based on events in the schedule of the protected person associated with places that the protected person can visit (visitable places).

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a service that efficiently allocates vehicles while taking into consideration the schedules of multiple protected persons.

[0009] The present invention, which aims to solve the above problems, comprises the following invention-specific matters and technical features.

[0010] According to one aspect, the present invention provides a vehicle dispatch management device for providing an on-demand vehicle dispatch service. The vehicle dispatch management device includes: a user information database that stores and manages user information, including at least one accessible location that a secondary user under the protective supervision of a primary user can visit and the secondary user's schedule; an event selection unit that selects a specific event in which the secondary user can participate via a user interface on an information communication terminal device operated by the primary user; a schedule creation unit that creates the secondary user's schedule based on the selected specific event; a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit that creates a vehicle dispatch plan for vehicles to be dispatched to the secondary user; and a vehicle dispatch instruction unit that issues vehicle dispatch instructions to the vehicles in accordance with the created vehicle dispatch plan. The vehicle dispatch plan creation unit extracts specific secondary users that constitute a predetermined user group from among the multiple secondary users based on the schedules of each of the multiple secondary users, and creates a vehicle dispatch plan for the user group in which the specific secondary users will ride.

[0011] The present invention also applies to a vehicle allocation management method executed by 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.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately allocate vehicles to secondary users (e.g., protected persons) under the protective supervision of a primary user (e.g., a guardian) based on events in the schedule of the secondary user associated with places (visitable places) that the secondary user can visit. In particular, according to the present invention, a vehicle allocation plan is created based on commonalities among the schedules of multiple secondary users so that specific secondary users who make up a predetermined user group ride in the same vehicle, thereby enabling efficient vehicle operation.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 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 diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a user information database. FIG. 4 shows an example of the table structure of a movement range management table in a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows an example of the table structure of a movement range management table in a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating details of the vehicle dispatch management device in the vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for creating a schedule management table by the vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for creating a vehicle dispatch plan by the vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for creating a user group by the vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface of a vehicle dispatch app on an information communication terminal device in the vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11A is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface of a vehicle dispatch app on an information communication terminal device in the vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 11B is a diagram showing an example of a user interface of a vehicle dispatch application on an information communication terminal device in a vehicle dispatch management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface of a vehicle dispatch application on an information communication terminal device in a vehicle dispatch management system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management system 1 includes a vehicle dispatch management device 10, an information communication terminal device 20, and a vehicle V, which are interconnected so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network N. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 can also be connected via the communication network N to a road traffic information management system (not shown) that provides various traffic information in real time.

[0017] The vehicle dispatch management system 1 of the present disclosure provides, for example, an on-demand vehicle dispatch service using multiple vehicles V for a certain area. An "on-demand vehicle dispatch service" refers to a service that allocates (dispatches) a specific vehicle to a user in response to a vehicle dispatch request from the user. In other words, with an on-demand vehicle dispatch service, there is no user-specified vehicle reservation time; instead, an appropriate vehicle V is dispatched to the user based on the vehicle availability at that time. Furthermore, "immediate response" not only refers to dispatching a vehicle immediately in response to a user's vehicle dispatch request, but also includes a certain degree of time that the user would normally tolerate. The vehicle dispatch service of the present disclosure will be described as an example in which a vehicle V is dispatched to a secondary user under the supervision and care of a primary user to participate in various events, such as extracurricular activities. A guardian is an example of a primary user, and a protected individual, such as a child, is an example of a secondary user. Hereinafter, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between a primary user and a secondary user, either or both of them may be simply referred to as a "user."

[0018] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 is a computing device that comprehensively manages a vehicle dispatch service using multiple vehicles V in a target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service (hereinafter referred to as the "service target area"). The service target area may be divided into several smaller areas (subareas). The vehicle dispatch management device 10, for example, implements a vehicle dispatch management server program and executes the vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor to realize the vehicle dispatch service. The vehicle dispatch management server program of the present disclosure includes subprograms or modules for creating and managing schedules for secondary users based on events related to predetermined locations that the secondary users can visit, creating appropriate vehicle dispatch plans tailored to the events indicated in the schedules, and dispatching vehicles V to secondary users in accordance with the vehicle dispatch plans. In particular, the vehicle dispatch management server program of the present disclosure is configured to create a vehicle dispatch plan so that specific secondary users who make up a predetermined user group ride in the same vehicle based on commonality in the schedules of multiple secondary users.

[0019] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 includes various databases 12 that accumulate and manage data necessary to realize the vehicle dispatch service. The databases 12 may include, for example, a user information database 12a, a road map information database 12b, a vehicle information database 12c, and a vehicle dispatch plan database 12d (see FIG. 2). The databases 12 may be configured as part of the vehicle dispatch management device 10, or all or part of the databases 12 may be configured separately from the vehicle dispatch management device 10.

[0020] In general, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 accepts a vehicle dispatch request from a user who requests a vehicle dispatch for travel to the user's destination (place to be visited), selects a vehicle V to be assigned to the user based on the vehicle dispatch request, creates a vehicle dispatch plan, and proposes the created vehicle dispatch plan to the user. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 confirms the proposed vehicle dispatch plan upon the user's consent to the proposed vehicle dispatch plan, and issues dispatch instructions to the vehicle V in accordance with the confirmed vehicle dispatch plan. For example, a vehicle dispatch request may be made directly by a primary user, or may be made in conjunction with an event associated with a place that a secondary user can visit. As described above, in the present disclosure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a vehicle dispatch plan for vehicles V to be shared by specific secondary users who make up a predetermined user group.

[0021] The vehicle V is a vehicle registered in the vehicle information database 12c that is provided for use by users in the vehicle dispatch service. The vehicle V may be a manned vehicle driven by a driver, or an unmanned vehicle (autonomous vehicle) driven by an automated driving system, and the so-called automated driving level does not matter.

[0022] The vehicle V is equipped with a control device CTL that controls the vehicle V itself or its onboard equipment (see FIG. 2). Although not shown, the control device CTL includes a processor, memory, etc., and realizes various functions by executing a vehicle control program. The control device CTL also acquires geographical position information of the vehicle V in real time using a positioning system such as GPS, and can use the acquired position information for navigation functions and transmit it to the vehicle dispatch management device 10.

[0023] The information communication terminal device 20 is, for example, a computing device through which a user (e.g., a primary user) wishing to arrange a vehicle operates a user interface to make a vehicle dispatch request. The information communication terminal device 20 may be, for example, a smartphone, a pad computer, a laptop personal computer, a desktop computer, or the like, but is not limited to these. The information communication terminal device 20 implements, for example, a vehicle dispatch management client program (a so-called vehicle dispatch app). The information communication terminal device 20 typically has a positioning function that acquires its own geographical location information in real time using a positioning system such as GPS. The information communication terminal device 20 executes the vehicle dispatch app under the control of a processor, thereby enabling the user to use the vehicle dispatch service of the vehicle dispatch management device 10. Note that the present disclosure does not exclude secondary users from owning the information communication terminal device 20. For example, the information communication terminal device 20 of the secondary user may be configured to be able to check its own location information, as well as its own schedule and vehicle dispatch plan (described later) on the user interface of the vehicle dispatch app.

[0024] As one example, the primary user may register at least one or more accessible locations that the secondary user can visit using vehicle V via the user interface (dispatch app screen) of a vehicle dispatch app executed on the information communication terminal device 20 (see FIG. 10 ). As another example, the primary user may check events in the secondary user's schedule via the user interface of the vehicle dispatch app and, if necessary, select events in which the secondary user will participate (see FIGS. 11A and 11B ). This allows the primary user to efficiently select events in which the secondary user will participate while referring to the secondary user's schedule. In response to the event selection, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 accepts an application to use the vehicle dispatch service and creates an appropriate vehicle dispatch plan so that vehicles are dispatched in accordance with the event. As yet another example, the primary user may review and accept the vehicle dispatch plan created to match the selected event via the user interface of the vehicle dispatch app (see FIG. 12 ). In response, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 confirms the created vehicle dispatch plan and issues a dispatch instruction to vehicle V in accordance with the vehicle dispatch plan.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may be configured as a functional configuration model including functional components such as a front-end processing unit 110, a user management unit 120, a vehicle dispatch planning unit 130, and a vehicle communication unit 140. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 is also configured to be able to access various databases 12. This functional model is realized when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 executes a vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor, thereby cooperating with various hardware resources. The functional configuration model shown here is an example, and all or part of the functions of a certain functional component may be realized by other functional components.

[0026] The user information database 12a stores information about users who use the ride-hailing service (hereinafter referred to as "user information"). FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the user information database 12a. As shown in the figure, the user information includes, for example, the user's user ID and password, email address, and information about personal attributes (gender, age, address, etc.). The user information is registered in the user information database 12a under the control of the ride-hailing management device 10, for example, when the user inputs predetermined information when the ride-hailing app is first launched. In the present disclosure, if a user is a primary user, the user information is associated with or configured to include information about a secondary user (hereinafter referred to as "secondary user information"). The secondary user information includes, for example, the secondary user's user ID, name (nickname), attribute information, activity range management table, and schedule management table.

[0027] 4 shows an example of a movement range management table. The movement range management table 12a_1 is a table for managing the movement range of a secondary user. As shown in the figure, the movement range management table 12a_1 may include items such as visitable locations, geographical location information, bus stops, and usage times. The movement range management table 12a_1 is set for each secondary user, for example, via a ride-hailing app on the information communication terminal device 20 of the primary user.

[0028] FIG. 5 also shows an example of a schedule management table. The schedule management table 12a_2 is a table used by the primary user to manage the schedules of each secondary user. The schedule management table 12a_2 is set for each secondary user, for example, via a ride-hailing app on the primary user's information communication terminal device 20. The schedule management table 12a_2 has a certain data structure, but is shown in calendar format in FIG. 5 for ease of understanding. Each event in the secondary user's schedule is the secondary user's unit of action. Although not shown, each event is associated with the travel time required to participate in the event (hereinafter referred to as the "estimated travel time"). The estimated travel time is the scheduled start time for participating in the event.

[0029] Returning to FIG. 2 , the road map information database 12b stores road map information for the target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service. The road map information includes, for example, map data related to 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, for example, road type such as a community road or a main road, and road attribute information such as road width, pedestrian / vehicle divider, median, and lane. The road map information is used, for example, to determine the driving route of the vehicle V indicated by the vehicle dispatch plan.

[0030] The vehicle information database 12c stores information (vehicle information) about vehicles V available for use by users. The vehicle information includes information about a vehicle ID, vehicle attributes (vehicle registration number, vehicle model, maximum number of occupants / maximum load capacity, level of autonomous driving, etc.), vehicle characteristics, other specifications (total length, total width, vehicle height, weight, etc.), a current vehicle dispatch plan, current location, and current status (service status, remaining battery capacity (travel distance), number of occupants, etc.). The vehicle information is used, for example, to select the optimal vehicle V to be dispatched to a user.

[0031] The vehicle allocation plan database 12d stores a vehicle allocation plan for each vehicle V created by the vehicle allocation plan unit 130 based on a vehicle allocation request. The vehicle allocation plan includes a driving route from a waiting location serving as a starting point to a waiting location serving as a terminal point via several boarding and disembarking points (departure and arrival points), an estimated arrival time at each intermediate point, and the like.

[0032] The front-end processing unit 110 performs various processes by communicating information with the user's information communication terminal device 20. As one example, the front-end processing unit 110 performs login authentication processing in response to a login request with a vehicle dispatching app executed on the information communication terminal device 20 of the primary user. As another example, the front-end processing unit 110 performs various processes related to the secondary user with the primary user's vehicle dispatching app under the control of the user management unit 120. As yet another example, the front-end processing unit 110 performs processing under the control of the vehicle dispatch planning unit 130 with the primary user's vehicle dispatching app to propose a vehicle dispatch plan for vehicles to be dispatched to the secondary user and receive an acceptance or rejection of the plan.

[0033] The user management unit 120 manages users who use the ride-hailing service. In the present disclosure, the user management unit 120 performs various processes, particularly for the primary user to manage secondary users when using the ride-hailing service. For example, as described below, the user management unit 120 receives the secondary user's visitable locations (available bus stops) from the primary user's ride-hailing app and registers them in the movement range management table 12a_1 in the user information database 12a. The user management unit 120 also creates a schedule for the secondary user and registers it in the schedule management table 12a_2. The schedule may be created based on events associated with the secondary user's visitable locations, for example.

[0034] The vehicle allocation planning unit 130 extracts candidate vehicles from the vehicles V in the target area based on the vehicle allocation request and creates a provisional vehicle allocation plan. A provisional vehicle allocation plan may be created for each of several different candidate driving routes. The vehicle allocation planning unit 130 proposes the provisional vehicle allocation plan to the user and confirms it upon receiving the user's approval. The vehicle allocation planning unit 130 then stores the confirmed vehicle allocation plan in the vehicle allocation plan database 12d and issues a dispatch instruction to the corresponding vehicle V via the vehicle communication unit 140.

[0035] In the present disclosure, the vehicle allocation planner 130 extracts specific secondary users from a plurality of secondary users that constitute a predetermined user group based on the schedules of each of the multiple secondary users, and creates a vehicle allocation plan for vehicles to be allocated to the predetermined user group. For example, the vehicle allocation planner 130 references the schedule management table 12a_2 for each of the multiple secondary users, extracts secondary users whose schedules indicate the same or similar user behavior trends, groups them into a predetermined user group, and creates a vehicle allocation plan for vehicles to be allocated to the predetermined user group. More specifically, the vehicle allocation planner 130 references the schedule management table 12a_2 for each of the multiple secondary users, extracts secondary users who share a specific event, for example, and groups them into a predetermined user group. The vehicle allocation planner 130 may create a vehicle allocation plan so that the specific secondary users get into the same vehicle and arrive at their destination in time for the event (e.g., the start time). In other words, because the vehicle allocation service of the present disclosure is an on-demand vehicle allocation service, the vehicle allocation planner 130 selects an appropriate vehicle V depending on the situation at the time of vehicle allocation for the predetermined user group, and creates a vehicle allocation plan for the vehicle V.

[0036] The vehicle communication unit 140 exchanges various types of information with the vehicle V via the communication network N. For example, the vehicle communication unit 140 acquires vehicle information including the location information of the vehicle V and passes it to the vehicle allocation planning unit 130, and also transmits to the vehicle V a vehicle allocation instruction in accordance with the vehicle allocation plan made by the vehicle allocation planning unit 130.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing details of a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The diagram focuses on a functional configuration model of a user management unit 120 and a vehicle dispatch planner 130, which are particularly relevant to the present disclosure. As shown in the diagram, the user management unit 120 includes, for example, a visitable place registration unit 121, an event information acquisition unit 122, an event selection unit 123, a schedule creation unit 124, and a usage application acceptance unit 125. Here, the movement range management table 12a_1 and the schedule management table 12a_2 associated with the user information database 12a are configured as part of the user management unit 120. The vehicle dispatch planner 130 includes a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 131 and a vehicle dispatch instruction unit 132. In this example, the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 131 includes a user group creation unit 1311.

[0038] The visitable place registration unit 121 acquires at least one visitable place that the secondary user can visit via the user interface of the ride-hailing app on the primary user's information communication terminal device 20 and registers it in the activity range management table 12a_1. The visitable place is associated with, for example, geographical location information, available bus stops, and usage hours (such as business hours). Specifically, the visitable place registration unit 121 acquires the secondary user's visitable places by, for example, displaying a list of facility names on the user interface of the ride-hailing app on the primary user's information communication terminal device 20, allowing the primary user to select a desired facility, and selecting a secondary user who can visit the facility (see FIG. 9 ). Alternatively, the visitable place registration unit 121 may acquire the secondary user's visitable places by having the primary user select a facility searched for by the primary user on a map displayed on the user interface of the ride-hailing app. The visitable place registration unit 121 registers the acquired visitable places of the secondary user in the activity range management table 12a_1 together with the geographical location information, bus stops, and usage hours.

[0039] The event information acquisition unit 122 acquires event information about various events from an external event information database (not shown), etc. The event information may include, for example, information about the event content (such as a festival, craft experience, extracurricular activities, or cram school), the event date and location, the number of participants, and eligibility requirements (such as age) for participation. This allows events taking place at or near accessible locations to be reflected in the secondary user's schedule.

[0040] The event selection unit 123 extracts and selects at least one event in which the secondary user can participate, based on the secondary user's visitable locations indicated in the user information and the acquired event information. For example, if a "Japanese drumming" event is being held at a "BB Exchange Center" within the service area, the event selection unit 123 extracts "Japanese drumming" as an event because the "BB Exchange Center" is a visitable location for the secondary user. This creates a schedule for the secondary user based on events in which the secondary user can participate at or near the visitable locations. Furthermore, the event selection unit 123 may control the display of a specific event in the user interface of the ride-hailing app so that the primary user can select a specific event in which the secondary user will participate from the extracted at least one event. This allows the primary user to easily and reliably select an event in which the secondary user can participate, based on the visitable locations registered in advance.

[0041] The schedule creation unit 124 creates a schedule for the secondary user based on the selected specific event. For example, the schedule creation unit 124 registers the specific event in the secondary user's schedule management table 12a_2 based on event information related to the specific event. This allows a schedule suitable for the secondary user to be created in accordance with the event participation conditions, such as the event content, date and time, location, number of participants, and eligibility, indicated by the event information.

[0042] The schedule creation unit 124 may also create a schedule based on at least one event extracted by the event selection unit 123. This allows a schedule to be created based on events suitable for the secondary user from various events. In this case, the events registered in the schedule are in an undetermined or unknown state as to whether the secondary user will participate. Therefore, the schedule creation unit 124 may control the events to be displayed on the user interface of the ride-hailing app so that the primary user can select whether or not to participate in the undetermined events indicated in the schedule. This allows the primary user to efficiently select events in which the secondary user can participate while referring to the secondary user's schedule.

[0043] The schedule creation unit 124 may also perform control so that the selected specific event is displayed in a visually distinct manner from other events in the schedule. Furthermore, the schedule creation unit 124 may also perform control so that events for which an application to use the ride-hailing service has been accepted by the application acceptance unit 125 (described below) are displayed in a visually distinct manner. This makes it possible to easily identify events in the schedule in which the secondary user will participate and for which an application to use the ride-hailing service has been accepted.

[0044] The application acceptance unit 125 accepts an application for the ride-hailing service based on an event that the secondary user will participate in. For example, the application acceptance unit 125 accepts an application for the ride-hailing service based on an event selected for a schedule displayed on the user interface of the ride-hailing app. This allows the application for the ride-hailing service to be made in accordance with the implementation of the event indicated in the schedule, thereby freeing the primary user from the hassle and hassle of forgetting to request a ride.

[0045] The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 131 accepts a vehicle allocation request from a user via the front-end processing unit 110 and determines a driving route to the destination based on the vehicle allocation request by referring to the road map information database 12b. Next, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 131 refers to the vehicle information database 12c to select a vehicle V to be allocated to the user according to the determined driving route, and creates a vehicle allocation plan for the selected vehicle V. If the vehicle V is waiting, the vehicle allocation plan is created based on a new vehicle allocation request, while if the vehicle V is already operating with the user on board, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 131 can be updated based on the new vehicle allocation request. The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 131 then proposes the created vehicle allocation plan to the user and confirms the vehicle allocation plan based on the user's consent to the proposed vehicle allocation plan.

[0046] In the present disclosure, as described below, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 131 creates a vehicle allocation plan for a vehicle V to be allocated to a predetermined user group created by the user group creation unit 1311. In this case, the vehicle V is a shared vehicle in which multiple secondary users ride together.

[0047] That is, the user group creation unit 1311 extracts specific secondary users from among the secondary users who have applied to use the vehicle dispatch service related to the event, and creates a predetermined user group consisting of the specific secondary users.

[0048] More specifically, the user group creation unit 1311 may extract secondary users with the same or similar user behavior trends based on the schedules shown in the schedule management table 12a_2 as specific secondary users constituting a predetermined user group. For example, if there are multiple secondary users who use the same or nearby bus stops during the same time period, the user group creation unit 1311 may determine that the user behavior trends of these secondary users are the same or similar. This allows vehicles to be dispatched to a predetermined user group consisting of specific secondary users with the same or similar user behavior trends, thereby enabling efficient vehicle dispatch. For example, secondary users participating in a specific event can be said to have the same or similar user behavior trends. Therefore, the user group creation unit 1311 may extract secondary users who have applied to use the vehicle dispatch service to participate in a specific event as specific secondary users. This allows a predetermined user group to be formed consisting of specific secondary users who use the same drop-off point to participate in a specific event, thereby enabling efficient vehicle dispatch.

[0049] Furthermore, if the number of extracted specific secondary users exceeds the upper limit of the number of users in the user group, the user group creation unit 1311 may further narrow down the extracted specific secondary users. The upper limit of the number of users is set, for example, based on the number of passengers in the shared vehicle. For example, if the number of extracted specific secondary users exceeds the upper limit of the number of users, the user group creation unit 1311 extracts specific secondary users to share the shared vehicle by determining an optimal sharing pattern from among the sharing patterns of secondary users using a predetermined evaluation function. This enables efficient vehicle allocation.

[0050] More specifically, the user group creation unit 1311 may determine, from among the ride-sharing patterns of the secondary users, a ride-sharing pattern with the highest evaluation value or exceeding a predetermined reference value using an evaluation function that calculates an evaluation value according to the distance of the travel route between each secondary user's boarding and disembarking locations (e.g., the shorter the distance, the higher the evaluation value). This makes it possible to reduce the energy consumption associated with the movement of the vehicle V. Additionally or alternatively, the user group creation unit 1311 may determine, from among the ride-sharing patterns of the secondary users, a ride-sharing pattern with the highest evaluation value or exceeding a predetermined reference value using an evaluation function that calculates an evaluation value according to the secondary user's waiting time (e.g., the shorter the waiting time, the higher the evaluation value). In this case, the user group creation unit 1311 may select a ride-sharing pattern with the shortest total waiting time for all secondary users, or may exclude ride-sharing patterns with waiting times exceeding a predetermined reference value. This enables efficient dispatching of vehicles V while maintaining user satisfaction with the ride-hailing service.

[0051] The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 131 may create a vehicle allocation plan for a specific user group, for example, based on the event time indicated by event information about the event. "Based on the event time" includes taking into account the expected travel time of the secondary users. This results in a vehicle allocation plan being created for dispatching vehicles V to secondary users in time for the event. More specifically, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 131 creates a vehicle allocation plan for vehicles V based on a route from the event start time to the nearest available bus stop (boarding point) for each specific secondary user, via the nearest available bus stop (boarding point) to the location of the specific event. In this case, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 131 further considers travel time, such as walking, to each bus stop. The current location of the secondary user may be identified using, for example, location information acquired from the secondary user's information communication terminal device 20, or may be estimated based on the unit of activity for the time slot preceding the event time indicated in the schedule.

[0052] The vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 131 also proposes the created vehicle dispatch plan to each primary user who protects and supervises a specific secondary user, and upon receiving acceptance of the plan, finalizes the vehicle dispatch plan. That is, the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 131 transmits the vehicle dispatch plan to the information communication terminal device 20 of the primary user via the front-end processing unit 110, and causes the vehicle dispatch plan to be displayed on the user interface of the vehicle dispatch app on the information communication terminal device 20. The primary user accepts or rejects the vehicle dispatch plan, and in response, the information communication terminal device 20 transmits a notification of acceptance or rejection. Upon receiving the user's acceptance notification via the front-end processing unit 110, the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 131 finalizes the vehicle dispatch plan.

[0053] The dispatch instruction unit 132 issues dispatch instructions to the corresponding vehicle V according to the confirmed dispatch plan. Furthermore, if there is a change in the dispatch plan, the dispatch instruction unit 132 notifies the corresponding vehicle V of the changed dispatch plan. Specifically, the dispatch instruction unit 132 issues a dispatch instruction to the vehicle V to pick up the user at the bus stop where the user is to board and travel to the bus stop where the user is to disembark. The control device CTL of the vehicle V that has received the dispatch instruction navigates the driver to travel according to the travel route in the dispatch plan, for example.

[0054] 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for creating a schedule management table by a vehicle dispatch control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This process is realized by the vehicle dispatch control device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch control server program under the control of a processor, in cooperation with various hardware resources.

[0055] As shown in the figure, when a primary user logs in via the user interface of a vehicle dispatching app executed on the information communication terminal device 20, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to the user information database 12a and acquires the secondary user's movement range from the movement range management table 12a_1 of the secondary user associated with the primary user (S701). For example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 acquires the secondary user's visitable locations, the nearest available bus stop for accessing the visitable locations, and the usage times.

[0056] Meanwhile, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 acquires the latest event information from an external event database (S702). The event information may include, for example, information on the event content, the date and location, the number of participants, and eligibility requirements (such as age) for participation.

[0057] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 extracts specific events that are suitable for the secondary user based on the acquired event information for the secondary user's range of activity (S703). For example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 extracts events where the secondary user can visit, and further narrows down the events based on the available age and number of participants to extract specific events. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 may also exclude events that overlap with the secondary user's already scheduled events.

[0058] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 calculates the estimated travel time required for the secondary user to travel to the location of the extracted specific event (S704). That is, based on the secondary user's schedule management table 12a_2, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 identifies an action unit for the time frame preceding the specific event time frame, and calculates the estimated travel time from the bus stop (boarding location) at the location indicated by the action unit to the bus stop (drop-off location) for the specific event according to the optimal travel route. For example, if the secondary user is at home during the previous time frame, the estimated travel time is the sum of the walking time from home to the nearest bus stop (boarding location), the vehicle travel time from the boarding location to the specific event stop (drop-off location), and the walking time from the drop-off location to the specific event location. Note that in an on-demand vehicle dispatch service, the actual travel time varies depending on the conditions at the time of dispatch (such as the selected vehicle V's driving route and road congestion). Therefore, the vehicle travel time here is an estimated travel time that takes into account, for example, the optimal driving route and past driving history.

[0059] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 registers the extracted specific event in the schedule management table 12a_2 of the secondary user (S705). In this case, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 associates the specific event with the estimated travel time and registers it. As a result, a schedule management table 12a_2 such as that shown in FIG. 5 is created.

[0060] For the schedule shown in the schedule management table 12a_2 created as described above, the primary user can check the events in the secondary user's schedule via the user interface of the ride-hailing app on the information communication terminal device 20, and, if necessary, select the events in which the secondary user will participate.

[0061] 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for creating a vehicle dispatch plan by a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This process is realized by the vehicle dispatch management device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor, in cooperation with various hardware resources.

[0062] As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 executes, for example, the process shown in FIG. 7 at regular or irregular intervals to update the schedule management table 12a_2 of the secondary user associated with the primary user (S801).

[0063] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether there are any secondary users whose schedules require the creation of a vehicle dispatch plan (S802). For example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 references the schedule management table 12a_2 to determine whether there are any secondary users who are scheduled to participate in an event whose scheduled start time has arrived. The scheduled start time is a time set depending on the estimated travel time required to participate in the event. If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the creation time has not arrived (No in S802), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 returns to execution of the processing step S801. On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the creation time has arrived (Yes in S802), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a predetermined user group consisting of specific secondary users, including the secondary user (S803). The user group creation process will be described later.

[0064] When the predetermined user group is created, the vehicle allocation management device 10 creates a vehicle allocation plan for vehicles to be allocated to the predetermined user group (S804). That is, the vehicle allocation management device 10 determines a driving route based on boarding and disembarking locations, selects vehicles V to be allocated to users, and creates the vehicle allocation plan.

[0065] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 proposes the contents of the created / updated vehicle dispatch plan to the user (S805). That is, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 transmits the contents of the created / updated vehicle dispatch plan to the information communication terminal device 20 of the primary user, and in response, the information communication terminal device 20 displays the contents on the user interface and prompts the primary user to accept or reject the proposed vehicle dispatch plan. A primary user is a primary user for each specific secondary user who makes up a predetermined user group.

[0066] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether the vehicle dispatch plan proposal has been accepted from the primary user (S806). If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 accepts the vehicle dispatch plan proposal from the user (Yes in S806), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 confirms the current vehicle dispatch plan (S807). The vehicle dispatch management device 10 stores the confirmed vehicle dispatch plan in the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 transmits a notification of confirmation of the vehicle dispatch reservation to the information communication terminal device 20 and transmits a dispatch instruction based on the vehicle dispatch plan to the vehicle V (S808).

[0067] On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 receives a non-acceptance (rejection) from the user in response to the proposed vehicle dispatch plan (No in S806), it cancels the current vehicle dispatch plan based on the user's vehicle dispatch request (S809). In this case, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 returns the temporarily held vehicle dispatch plan that was used to recreate the vehicle dispatch plan to the original held vehicle dispatch plan.

[0068] 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a user group creation process performed by the vehicle dispatch control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart shows an example of the details of the process step S803 shown in FIG.

[0069] As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 references the schedule management table 12a_2 for each secondary user and extracts specific secondary users who are heading to the same destination during the same time period (S901). For example, a secondary user who is participating in an event (specific event) whose scheduled start time has arrived corresponds to a specific secondary user who is heading to the same destination during the same time period. Secondary users who do not have the same destination but use the same bus stop may also be extracted.

[0070] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether there is a specific secondary user among the extracted secondary users who has the same or nearby starting point (S902). The vehicle dispatch management device 10 may also determine whether there is a secondary user who uses a bus stop along the driving route to the destination. If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there is no specific secondary user who has the same or nearby starting point (No in S902), it is unable to form a specific user group, so it ends the user group creation process and proceeds to processing step S804 shown in FIG. 8. In this case, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a vehicle dispatch plan for a vehicle V to be dispatched to a single secondary user for whom it is time to create a vehicle dispatch plan according to the schedule.

[0071] On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there are specific secondary users who have the same or nearby departure point (Yes in S902), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 provisionally creates a predetermined user group with the corresponding specific secondary users (S903). Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether the number of specific secondary users exceeds the upper limit of the number of users in the user group (S904).

[0072] If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the number of specific secondary users exceeds the upper limit of the user group (Yes in S904), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 then creates ride-sharing patterns for the secondary users within the upper limit (S905). For example, if the extracted specific secondary users are four and the upper limit of the user group is three, there will be a total of four ride-sharing patterns. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 calculates an evaluation value for each of the created ride-sharing patterns using an evaluation function and determines the optimal ride-sharing pattern (S906). For example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines, from the ride-sharing patterns of the secondary users, the ride-sharing pattern that minimizes the waiting time of the secondary users. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 then determines, from the ride-sharing patterns of the secondary users, the specific secondary users of the determined ride-sharing pattern as a predetermined user group (S907).

[0073] On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the number of specific secondary users does not exceed the upper limit of the number of users in the user group (No in S904), it determines the specific secondary users as a specified user group (S907).

[0074] As described above, according to this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 can appropriately dispatch vehicles to secondary users (e.g., protected persons) under the protective supervision of a primary user (e.g., a guardian) based on events in the schedule of the secondary user associated with places (visitable places) that the secondary user can visit. In particular, according to this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a vehicle dispatch plan based on the commonality of the schedules of multiple secondary users so that specific secondary users who make up a predetermined user group ride in the same vehicle, thereby enabling efficient vehicle operation.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Vehicle dispatch management system 10... Vehicle dispatch management device 110... Front-end processing unit 120... User management unit 121... Visitable location registration unit 122... Event information acquisition unit 123... Event selection unit 124... Schedule creation unit 125... Usage application acceptance unit 130... Vehicle dispatch planning unit 131... Vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 1311... User group creation unit 132... Vehicle dispatch instruction unit 140... Vehicle communication unit 12... Database 12a... User information database 12a_1... Movement range management table 12a_2... Schedule management table 12b... Road map information database 12c... Vehicle information database 12d... Vehicle dispatch plan database 20... Information communication terminal device N... Communication network V... Vehicle CTL... Control device

Claims

1. A vehicle dispatch management device that provides an on-demand vehicle dispatch service, comprising: a user information database that manages user information including at least one or more accessible locations that can be visited by secondary users under the protective supervision of a primary user, and the schedules of the secondary users; an event selection unit that selects specific events in which the secondary user can participate via a user interface on an information communication terminal device operated by the primary user; a schedule creation unit that creates the schedule for the secondary user based on the selected specific event; a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit that creates a vehicle dispatch plan for vehicles to be dispatched to the secondary user; and a vehicle dispatch instruction unit that issues vehicle dispatch instructions to the vehicles in accordance with the created vehicle dispatch plan, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit extracts specific secondary users that constitute a predetermined user group from a plurality of secondary users based on the schedules of each of the plurality of secondary users, and creates a vehicle dispatch plan for the user group in which the specific secondary users will ride.

2. The vehicle dispatch management device of claim 1, further comprising an event information acquisition unit that acquires event information related to an event, wherein the event selection unit extracts at least one specific event in which the secondary user can participate based on the visitable locations indicated by the user information and the acquired event information.

3. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 2, wherein the schedule creation unit creates the schedule based on the specific event.

4. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit extracts secondary users who have the same or similar tendencies of user behavior based on the schedule as the specific secondary users.

5. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit extracts a secondary user who shares a specific event in the schedule as the specific secondary user.

6. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit extracts the specific secondary user by selecting an optimal ride-sharing pattern from among the ride-sharing patterns of the secondary user using a predetermined evaluation function.

7. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit extracts the specific secondary user using an evaluation function according to the distance of the travel route based on the boarding and disembarking locations of the secondary user.

8. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit extracts the specific secondary user using an evaluation function according to the waiting time of the secondary user.

9. A vehicle dispatch management method using a vehicle dispatch management device that provides an on-demand vehicle dispatch service, comprising: managing user information in a user information database, including at least one or more places that can be visited by secondary users under the protective supervision of a primary user, and the schedules of the secondary users; selecting specific events that the secondary users can participate in via a user interface on an information communication terminal device operated by the primary user; creating the schedule for the secondary users based on the selected specific events; creating a vehicle dispatch plan for vehicles to be dispatched to the secondary users; and issuing dispatch instructions to the vehicles in accordance with the created vehicle dispatch plan, wherein creating the vehicle dispatch plan comprises extracting specific secondary users that constitute a predetermined user group from a plurality of secondary users based on the schedules of each of the plurality of secondary users; and creating a vehicle dispatch plan for the user group in which the specific secondary users will be riding.

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