Information processing device, information processing method, and recording medium

Abstract

Provided are an information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium that are capable of contributing to visualization of deviation tendencies with respect to operation schedules of various vehicles.　The information processing device comprises: an acquisition means that acquires a current position of a vehicle; a first calculation means that calculates a first time indicating an amount of deviation from an operation schedule on the basis of the current position of the vehicle and scheduled travel route information; an image acquisition means that acquires an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and / or an image on the scheduled travel route; a second calculation means that calculates a second time indicating an amount of deviation from the operation schedule that occurs before the vehicle arrives at a prescribed stop location from the current position, on the basis of a road condition ascertained from the image; a prediction means that predicts a difference from a scheduled time at which the vehicle arrives at the prescribed stop location, on the basis of the first time and the second time; and a provision means that provides the difference to a prescribed terminal.

Description

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a recording medium.

[0002] In recent years, a service for visualizing the current location of buses called a bus location system has been spreading. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a bus operation system capable of notifying passengers and prospective passengers of the estimated arrival time at a stop without requiring a dedicated vehicle or personnel for investigating road conditions. According to this document, the bus operation system includes an on-vehicle device mounted on a bus that generates opposite lane information indicating road traffic information on the opposite lane to the lane on which the bus vehicle has traveled, and transmits the opposite lane information to on-vehicle devices of other bus vehicles. The on-vehicle device of the other bus vehicle estimates and displays an estimated arrival time required to arrive at the next stop based on the received opposite lane information. The document also discloses that the estimated arrival time is also displayed on a display device of the bus stop.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-176507

[0004] Although the above-described bus location system can grasp the degree of bus delay with respect to the operation schedule, it has a problem in that it cannot determine whether the delay tends to increase due to traffic congestion or the like, or whether the delay is in a direction of recovery. Further, this problem is not limited to buses, and can be a common issue for various vehicles that collect, deliver and transport people and goods. In this respect, the bus operation system of Patent Document 1 also has a problem that information cannot be obtained unless other buses are traveling on the opposite lane.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a recording medium that can contribute to visualizing a deviation tendency with respect to operation schedules of various vehicles.

[0006] From a first perspective, an information processing device is provided, comprising: acquisition means for acquiring the current location of a vehicle; first calculation means for calculating a first time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule based on the current location of the vehicle and the planned route information; image acquisition means for acquiring at least one of an image of the area around the vehicle and an image of the planned route; second calculation means for calculating a second time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule that occurs from the current location to arrival at a predetermined stop, based on the road conditions grasped from the images; prediction means for predicting the difference between the scheduled time the vehicle will arrive at the predetermined stop and the actual time based on the first time and the second time; and providing means for providing the difference to a predetermined terminal.

[0007] From a second perspective, an information processing method is provided which includes: obtaining the current location of a vehicle; calculating a first time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule based on the current location of the vehicle and the planned route information of the vehicle; obtaining at least one of an image of the area around the vehicle and an image of the planned route; calculating a second time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule that will occur from the current location to arrival at a predetermined stop based on the road conditions grasped from the images; predicting the difference between the scheduled time of arrival of the vehicle at the predetermined stop and the actual time based on the first and second times; and providing the difference to a predetermined terminal.

[0008] From a third perspective, a recording medium is provided that records a program that causes the program to execute: a process for acquiring the current location of a vehicle; a process for calculating a first time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule based on the current location of the vehicle and the planned route information; a process for acquiring at least one of an image of the area around the vehicle and an image of the planned route; a process for calculating a second time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule that occurs from the current location to arrival at a predetermined stop, based on the road conditions grasped from the images; a process for predicting the difference between the scheduled time the vehicle will arrive at the predetermined stop and the actual time based on the first and second times; and a process for providing the difference to a predetermined terminal.

[0009] This disclosure makes it possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium that can contribute to visualizing the trend of deviations from the operating schedules of various types of vehicles.

[0010] This is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. This is a diagram illustrating an overview of one embodiment of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. This is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. This is another diagram illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. This is another diagram illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. This is a diagram illustrating an example of an alternative means of transport proposed by the present disclosure. This is a diagram illustrating an overview of another embodiment of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. This is another diagram illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing the configuration of the computers constituting the mobility assistance system of the present disclosure.

[0011] First, an overview of one embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings are associated with one or more embodiments. The reference numerals in the drawings appended to this overview are provided for convenience as examples to aid understanding and are not intended to limit this disclosure to the illustrated embodiments. In addition, the connecting lines between blocks in the drawings and other references referred to in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows schematically indicate the flow of the main signal (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. The program is executed via a computer device, which includes, for example, a processor, a storage device, an input device, a communication interface, and a display device as needed. This computer device is also configured to communicate with devices (including computers) inside or outside the device via the communication interface, whether wired or wireless. In addition, there are ports or interfaces at the input / output connection points of each block in the figures, but these are omitted from the illustration.

[0012] In one embodiment, this disclosure can be implemented using an information processing device 10 comprising an acquisition means 11, a first calculation means 12, an image acquisition means 13, a second calculation means 14, a prediction means 15, and a providing means 16. More specifically, the acquisition means 11 acquires the current position of the vehicle V. The first calculation means 12 calculates a first delay time indicating the amount of delay from the operating schedule based on the current position of the vehicle V and the planned route information. For example, the first calculation means 12 can calculate the first delay time by comparing the assumed position on the planned route of the vehicle with the current position. Alternatively, for example, the first calculation means 12 can also calculate the first delay time by comparing the passing time of a stop or the like on the operating schedule with the actual passing time.

[0013] Furthermore, the image acquisition means 13 acquires at least one of the images of the area around the vehicle V and the images of the planned route. The second calculation means 14 calculates a second time, based on the road conditions as determined from the images, which indicates the amount of deviation from the travel schedule that occurs from the current location to arrival at a predetermined stop. For example, if the second calculation means 14 determines from the images that the road is congested, it calculates the second time based on the degree of congestion. If there are multiple predetermined stops, the second calculation means 14 may calculate the second time for each of these stops.

[0014] The prediction means 15 then predicts the difference between the scheduled time the vehicle will arrive at the predetermined stop and the actual time, based on the first time and the second time. The providing means 16 provides the difference to a predetermined terminal (for example, terminal 20 in Figure 1). If the second calculation means 14 calculates the second time for each of the multiple stops, the prediction means 15 and the providing means 16 can predict and provide the difference for each of the multiple stops.

[0015] The information processing device 10 configured as described above operates as follows. First, the information processing device 10 acquires the current position of the vehicle. The current position of the vehicle may be acquired directly from the vehicle V, or from a server or the like that manages the position of the vehicle V. Then, the information processing device 10 calculates a first time based on the current position of the vehicle V and the planned route information (step S01 in Figure 2).

[0016] Next, the information processing device 10 acquires at least one of the following: an image of the area around the vehicle and an image of the planned route. The image of the area around the vehicle may be acquired directly from the vehicle V, or from a camera or the like that is photographing the road on which the vehicle V is traveling. The image of the planned route can be acquired from a camera installed on the road or from a vehicle preceding the vehicle. Then, the information processing device 10 calculates a second time based on the road conditions grasped from the images (step S02 in Figure 2).

[0017] Next, the information processing device 10 predicts the difference between the scheduled time the vehicle will arrive at the predetermined stop and the actual time based on the first time and the second time (step S03 in Figure 2). Finally, the information processing device 10 provides the difference to a predetermined terminal 20 (for example, a terminal of a user waiting for the vehicle at the stop) (step S04 in Figure 2).

[0018] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. Figure 3 shows the screen displayed on a terminal 20 of a user waiting for a bus at bus stop A3. More specifically, the current location of vehicle V is shown on the bus route. Furthermore, the difference from the scheduled arrival time is shown next to bus stop A3 (current location) in Figure 3. In the example in Figure 3, 30 minutes is displayed as the difference (delay). This 30 minutes is calculated by adding, for example, a first time = 5 minutes and a second time = 25 minutes. A user waiting for a bus at bus stop A3 can refer to this difference (delay) and consider whether to continue waiting for the bus at bus stop A3 or to use other means of transportation.

[0019] The aforementioned bus location system only displays the bus's current location and estimated arrival time; it does not provide delays that account for potential traffic congestion ahead. This disclosure provides users with the difference between the estimated arrival time at a given stop and the actual arrival time, prompting them to take appropriate action.

[0020] In the example shown in Figure 3, only the difference (delay) is displayed on the screen of terminal 20. However, the screen of terminal 20 may also display the first time and the second time in addition to the difference (delay). By displaying the information in this way, users can infer whether or not there is congestion ahead in the bus's path, and take more appropriate action. Furthermore, the estimated arrival time, taking the difference into account, may also be displayed on the screen of terminal 20, making it possible to provide users with a more accurate estimated arrival time.

[0021] [First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment of the present disclosure, which provides mobility support to users of public transportation, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the outline of one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the example of Figure 4, bus B1 is a bus on a route that goes to station STA via bus stop A. Bus B2 is a bus on a route that goes to station STA via bus stop B. Cameras C are installed on the roads that each bus travels on, and the mobility support system 100 is able to acquire images from cameras C. The following description will explain mobility support for user P1 who is waiting for bus B1 at bus stop A because bus B1 is running late.

[0022] Figure 5 shows one configuration of the mobility support system 100 of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 5, the mobility support system 100 is shown to be connected to a camera C, a vehicle dispatch management system 300, and a bus stop display device 400.

[0023] The mobility support system 100 predicts delays for buses B1 and B2 based on information obtained from buses B1 and B2 and camera C, and displays this information on the display device 400 at the bus stop BS. The mobility support system 100 also has a function to obtain the location of a nearby taxi T1 from the dispatch management system 300 as needed, and to suggest the use of taxi T1 to user P1 if the bus delay is significant. The mobility support system 100 can be considered as one form of the information processing device 10 described above.

[0024] The mobility support system 100 includes an acquisition unit 101, a first calculation unit 102, an image acquisition unit 103, a second calculation unit 104, a prediction unit 105, a provision unit 106, and a proposal unit 107.

[0025] The acquisition unit 101 acquires location information indicating the current location of buses B1 and B2 and sends it to the first calculation unit 102. The method by which the acquisition unit 101 acquires the location information of buses B1 and B2 is not limited to acquiring the location information directly from buses B1 and B2. For example, the acquisition unit 101 may receive the location information of each bus from a bus operation management system that manages the operation of buses B1 and B2. This acquisition unit 101 corresponds to the acquisition means 11 described above.

[0026] The first calculation unit 102 holds the operating schedule information for buses B1 and B2, and calculates a first delay time, which indicates the amount of delay from the operating schedule of buses B1 and B2, based on the current positions of buses B1 and B2. For example, if the position of bus B1 at a certain time is 5 minutes behind the time it would have passed that point if it had been traveling on schedule, the first delay time will be 5 minutes. This first calculation unit 102 corresponds to the first calculation means 12 described above, and the first delay time corresponds to the first time.

[0027] The image acquisition unit 103 acquires images from cameras C positioned along the routes of buses B1 and B2 that allow for the understanding of road conditions in the direction of travel of buses B1 and B2, and sends them to the second calculation unit 104. In addition to cameras C, the image acquisition unit 103 may also receive images from cameras mounted on buses B1 and B2, respectively. This image acquisition unit 103 corresponds to the image acquisition means 13 described above.

[0028] The second calculation unit 104 grasps the road conditions in the direction of travel of buses B1 and B2 based on the images acquired by the image acquisition unit 103. Then, the second calculation unit 104 calculates a second delay time for buses B1 and B2 based on the road conditions in the direction of travel of buses B1 and B2. This second delay time is the delay time that is not included in the first delay time calculated by the first calculation unit 102 and is expected to occur in the future. This second calculation unit 104 corresponds to the second calculation means 14 described above, and the second delay time corresponds to the second time.

[0029] The second delay time can be calculated by combining one or more of the following methods: (1) Occurrence of congestion For example, if congestion occurs in the direction of bus B1's route, the second delay time can be estimated from the length and degree of the congestion. For example, if congestion occurs in the direction of bus B1's route and before bus stop A, requiring 5 minutes to pass through, the second delay time will be 5 minutes. (2) Detection of accidents or construction For example, if an accident or construction section is detected in the direction of bus B1's route, the second delay time can be estimated from the number of lanes affected or the number of lanes merging. For example, if an accident or construction section is detected in the direction of bus B1's route and before bus stop A, requiring 10 minutes to pass through, the second delay time will be 10 minutes. (3) Movement of the vehicle ahead The second delay time can be estimated from the difference between the time it took the vehicle ahead of bus B1 to travel a certain section and the time required for the same section on the timetable. For example, suppose it took the vehicle ahead 2 minutes to travel a 100m section. If the time required to travel through the aforementioned section is 10 seconds according to the operating schedule, the second delay time can be calculated by multiplying 2 minutes - 10 seconds by a predetermined multiplier (for example, a multiplier corresponding to the distance to the bus stop).

[0030] The second delay time calculated as described above can be increased or decreased by taking the following factors into consideration: (4) Existence of number of lanes If the road on which the bus is traveling has many lanes, congestion may be resolved more quickly and the impact of construction, etc. may be minimal. Conversely, if the road on which the bus is traveling has few lanes (in extreme cases, only one lane), congestion may be longer and the impact of construction, etc. may be greater. Thus, the second delay time may be increased or decreased based on the number of lanes. (5) Existence of a detour If a detour exists on the road where the congestion, accident, etc. is occurring, not only the bus in question but also the vehicles in front of the bus may use the detour, which may resolve congestion, etc. more quickly. Thus, the second delay time may be adjusted (reduced) based on the existence of a detour to shorten the second delay time.

[0031] Furthermore, the second calculation unit 104 described above can also use a large-scale language model (LLM) or a VLM (Vision-Language Model) that takes an image as input and outputs a second delay time based on the road conditions depicted in the image.

[0032] The prediction unit 105 uses the first delay time and the second delay time calculated as described above to calculate a predicted delay time that indicates the delay between the scheduled arrival time of buses B1 and B2 at a predetermined stop. For example, the prediction unit 105 can calculate the predicted delay time until buses B1 and B2 arrive at a predetermined stop by adding the first delay time and the second delay time. This prediction unit 105 corresponds to the prediction means 15 described above, and the predicted delay time corresponds to the difference.

[0033] The providing unit 106 transmits the predicted delay time calculated as described above to the display device 400 of the bus stop BS and displays it. The providing unit 106 also transmits the bus's location information to the display device 400. This providing unit 106 corresponds to the providing means 16 described above.

[0034] The suggestion unit (suggestion means) 107 searches for alternative means of transportation and suggests them to the user P1 using the display device 400 at the bus stop BS if the predicted delay time is greater than a predetermined threshold. For example, the suggestion unit 107 calculates the estimated time and route for walking from the location of bus stop A in Figure 4 to station STA and presents it to the user P1. Alternatively, the suggestion unit 107 calculates the estimated time and route for moving from bus stop A to bus stop B in Figure 4 and then taking bus B2 from bus stop B and presents it to the user P1. Alternatively, the suggestion unit 107 obtains the location of taxi T1 in Figure 4 via the dispatch management system 300, calculates the estimated time and route for calling taxi T1 to bus stop A and then heading to station STA, and presents it to the user P1. The threshold is set appropriately depending on the type of bus, the acceptable amount of delay, etc.

[0035] Furthermore, when the proposal unit 107 calculates each route and estimated travel time, it may take into account the delay times calculated by the first calculation unit 102 and the second calculation unit 104. For example, if you travel from bus stop A to bus stop B and then take bus B2 from bus stop B, the proposal unit 107 may add the first and second delay times of bus B2. Also, for example, if you call a taxi T1 to bus stop A and then head to station STA, the proposal unit 107 may take into account the road conditions at the location of taxi T1 and add a time equivalent to the second delay time.

[0036] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation performed by the mobility support system 100 of this embodiment at regular intervals. Referring to Figure 6, first the mobility support system 100 acquires the positions of the buses B1 and B2 to be managed (step S001).

[0037] Next, the mobility support system 100 calculates a first delay time, which indicates the amount of delay from the operating schedule of buses B1 and B2, based on the positions of the buses B1 and B2 (step S002).

[0038] Next, the mobility support system 100 acquires images of the direction of travel of buses B1 and B2 from camera C (step S003).

[0039] Next, the movement support system 100 grasps the road conditions in the traveling direction of the buses B1 and B2 based on images of the traveling direction of said buses B1 and B2. Then, the movement support system 100 calculates a second delay time for the buses B1 and B2 based on the road conditions in the traveling direction of the buses B1 and B2 (step S004).

[0040] Next, the movement support system 100 calculates a predicted delay time indicating the time until the buses B1 and B2 arrive at a predetermined stop by using the first delay time and the second delay time (step S005).

[0041] Next, the movement support system 100 transmits the position information of the buses and the calculated predicted delay time to the display device 400 (step S006).

[0042] The display device 400 that has received the predicted delay time displays guidance information including the position of the bus and the predicted delay time (step S007).

[0043] Further, the movement support system 100 determines whether the predicted delay times of the buses B1 and B2 calculated in step S005 each exceed a predetermined threshold value (step S008). Note that if neither of the predicted delay times of the buses B1 and B2 exceeds the predetermined threshold value (No in step S008), the subsequent processing is omitted.

[0044] As a result of said determination, when at least one of the predicted delay times of the buses B1 and B2 exceeds the predetermined threshold value (Yes in step S008), the movement support system 100 searches for an alternative means of transportation. Then, the movement support system 100 transmits the searched alternative transportation means to the display device 400 (step S009).

[0045] The display device 400 that has received the information of the alternative transportation means displays the alternative transportation means as additional guidance information (step S010).

[0046] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of guidance information that the movement assistance system 100 causes to be displayed on the screen 401 of the display device 400. In the example of FIG. 7, the position of the bus B1 is shown on a graphically represented bus stop route map. The display position of this bus B1 can be determined using the position information of the bus B1 received from the movement assistance system 100. Further, in the example of FIG. 7, the estimated arrival time 13:10 is shown. This estimated arrival time 13:10 is calculated by adding the predicted delay time of 5 minutes to the scheduled arrival time of 13:05 at bus stop A according to the operation timetable. Note that the predicted delay time may be explicitly shown as in FIG. 7, or may be omitted. Further, in the example of FIG. 7, since the predicted delay time is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, no alternative transportation means is displayed.

[0047] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of guidance information that the movement assistance system 100 causes to be displayed on the screen 401 of the display device 400. In FIG. 8 also, the position of the bus B1 is shown on the route map of the bus stops. In the example of FIG. 8, the estimated arrival time 13:35 is shown. This estimated arrival time 13:35 is calculated by adding the predicted delay time of 30 minutes to the scheduled arrival time of 13:05 at bus stop A according to the operation timetable. Further, in the example of FIG. 8, since the predicted delay time exceeds a predetermined threshold, a message stating "There is a major delay in the operation of bus B1" is displayed, and alternative transportation means are also displayed. Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 8, the required travel time (estimated required time) when using each alternative transportation means is also displayed. As described above, this required travel time may be created by the movement assistance system 100 side, or may be created by the display device 400 making an inquiry to another route search device or the like.

[0048] Furthermore, in a more desirable embodiment, the movement assistance system 100 may cause the display device 400 to display the reason for the delay such as the occurrence of traffic congestion. This reason for the delay may be created by the movement assistance system 100 side, or may be created by the display device 400 side. When the display device 400 creates the presentation reason for alternative transportation means, for example, a table storing presentation reasons to be displayed according to the predicted delay time may be prepared in advance, and the reason may be selected according to the delay time.

[0049] Figure 9 is a diagram that visually illustrates the alternative transportation methods proposed in Figure 8. Alternative transportation method 1 shown in Figure 8 is to go to another bus stop B that goes to Station STA (arrow OP1) and take bus B2 from bus stop B. Alternative transportation method 2 shown in Figure 8 is to call a taxi T1 to bus stop A and go to Station STA (arrow OP2). Note that the alternative transportation methods do not have to be the transportation methods described above; for example, user P1 could go to Station STA on foot (arrow OP3).

[0050] As described above, user P1 considers changing their method of getting to station STA by referring to the predicted delay time, alternative means of transportation, and their travel time displayed on the display device 400. For example, if user P1 prioritizes time, they will choose alternative means of transportation 2 (using a taxi), which has the shortest travel time. Alternatively, if user P1 considers cost, they will choose alternative means of transportation 1 (using bus B2), which costs about the same as using bus B1.

[0051] In the embodiment described above, the image acquisition unit 103 was described as acquiring images in the direction of travel of buses B1 and B2. However, the image acquisition unit 103 may also acquire images of the surroundings of buses B1 and B2, respectively. In this case, the second calculation unit 104 will grasp the road conditions from the images of the surroundings of buses B1 and B2 and calculate a second delay time for buses B1 and B2, respectively.

[0052] [Second Embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, an example of applying the present disclosure to assist the mobility of users of public transport was given. However, the present disclosure can also be used to provide the difference between the scheduled arrival time on the route patrol vehicle's operating schedule and the actual arrival time. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the outline of another embodiment of the present disclosure. The difference from Figure 4 is that an arrival time guidance system 100a is provided instead of the mobility assistance system 100, and the truck TR1 is a route patrol vehicle that travels in the order of base A to base B and base C. Furthermore, the arrival time guidance system 100a is capable of providing the difference between the scheduled arrival time of the truck TR1 to bases A to C and the actual arrival time.

[0053] Figure 11 shows the configuration of the arrival time guidance system 100a. The configuration is almost the same as the mobility support system 100 shown in Figure 5, but the first difference is that the first calculation unit 102 and the second calculation unit 104 can handle negative values ​​as the difference from the operation schedule. This is because, unlike transportation such as buses, truck TR1 is allowed to arrive earlier than scheduled. The second difference from the mobility support system 100 is that the suggestion unit 107 is omitted in the arrival time guidance system 100a because it does not need to suggest alternative means of transportation. Furthermore, the third difference from the mobility support system 100 is that the provision unit 106a of the arrival time guidance system 100a provides information using differential information to the terminal 200 of the person in charge waiting at the base BP. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation is omitted. Such an arrival time guidance system 100a corresponds to the information processing device 10.

[0054] Figure 12 shows an example of guidance information displayed on the screen 201 of the terminal 200 by the arrival time guidance system 100a. In the example in Figure 12, the location of truck TR1 is shown on a graphically represented route map of the route patrol area. Also in the example in Figure 12, the estimated arrival time of 13:25 is shown. This estimated arrival time of 13:25 is calculated by adding -10 minutes (the sum of the first and second times) to the original arrival time of 13:35 at base C according to the operation schedule. By looking at this guidance, the person in charge at base BP can prepare according to the arrival time of truck TR1.

[0055] In the case of route delivery vehicles, punctual arrival at the scheduled time is often required. As a result, if a driver arrives early, they may park on nearby roads to adjust their arrival time, which can inconvenience local residents. According to this disclosure, the accurate estimated arrival time can be communicated to receiving personnel at the base, eliminating the need for such time adjustments. In the case of lateness, the exact amount of delay can be communicated, which also has the advantage of not placing an excessive burden on drivers who are rushing to their destination (base).

[0056] While the embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and further modifications, substitutions, and adjustments can be made without departing from the basic technical concept of this disclosure. For example, the network configurations, element configurations, and data representations shown in the drawings are examples to aid in understanding this disclosure and are not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0057] For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, the second delay time is calculated after the first delay time is calculated, but the first delay time may be calculated after the second delay time is calculated, or the two calculation processes may be performed in parallel.

[0058] For example, in the first embodiment described above, an example was given in which the predicted delay time, etc., is displayed on the display device 400 at the bus stop BS. However, the device that displays the predicted delay time may be a mobile terminal of the user P1. In this case, the user P1 can transmit information such as the bus stop where they are currently waiting for bus B1 and the bus service they intend to take to the mobility support system 100, and request guidance information including the predicted delay time. In the second embodiment, the predicted delay time, etc., may also be displayed on display devices installed at each base.

[0059] (Hardware Configuration) In each embodiment of this disclosure, each component of each device represents a functional unit block. Some or all of each component of each device is realized by any combination of an information processing device 900 and a program, for example, as shown in Figure 13. Figure 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 that realizes each component of each device. The information processing device 900 includes, as an example, the following configuration: ・CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901 ・ROM (Read Only Memory) 902 ・RAM (Random Access Memory) 903 ・Program 904 loaded into RAM 903 ・Storage device 905 that stores the program 904 ・Drive device 907 that reads and writes to the recording medium 906 ・Communication interface 908 that connects to a communication network 909 ・Input / output interface 910 that performs data input and output ・Bus 911 that connects each component

[0060] Each component of each device in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 901 acquiring and executing a program 904 that realizes these functions. That is, the CPU 901 in Figure 13 executes a time calculation program and a prediction program, and performs update processing of each calculation parameter held in RAM 903, storage device 905, etc. The program 904 that realizes the functions of each component of each device is, for example, stored in storage device 905 or ROM 902 in advance, and read by the CPU 901 as needed. The program 904 may be supplied to the CPU 901 via a communication network 909, or it may be stored in a recording medium 906 in advance, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0061] There are various variations in how each device is implemented. For example, each device may be implemented by any combination of a separate information processing device 900 and a program for each component. Alternatively, multiple components of each device may be implemented by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. That is, each part (processing means, function) of the information processing device described above can be implemented by a computer program that causes a processor mounted on the device to execute the respective processes using its hardware.

[0062] Furthermore, some or all of the components of each device are realized by other general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or combinations thereof. These may consist of a single chip or multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0063] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the circuits and programs described above.

[0064] When some or all of the components of each device are implemented by multiple information processing devices or circuits, these multiple information processing devices or circuits may be centrally located or distributed. For example, the information processing devices or circuits may be implemented in a form in which each is connected via a communication network, such as a client-and-server system or a cloud computing system.

[0065] The embodiments described above are preferred embodiments of this disclosure and do not limit the scope of this disclosure to these embodiments alone. That is, a person skilled in the art can modify or substitute the embodiments described above to construct various modified forms without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0066] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following.

[0067] [Note 1] An information processing device comprising: acquisition means for acquiring the current location of a vehicle; first calculation means for calculating a first time indicating the amount of deviation from the operating schedule based on the current location of the vehicle and the planned route information of the vehicle; image acquisition means for acquiring at least one of an image of the area around the vehicle and an image of the planned route; second calculation means for calculating a second time indicating the amount of deviation from the operating schedule that occurs from the current location to arrival at a predetermined stop, based on the road conditions grasped from the images; prediction means for predicting the difference between the scheduled time the vehicle will arrive at the predetermined stop and the actual time based on the first time and the second time; and providing means for providing the difference to a predetermined terminal. [Note 2] In the information processing device described above, the vehicle is a bus, the operating schedule is the bus's operating timetable, and the prediction means can be configured to use the difference to predict the difference between the scheduled time the bus will arrive at a predetermined stop and the actual time. [Note 3] The above-described information processing device may further be configured to include a suggestion means that searches for an alternative means of transportation and suggests it to the user when the difference is greater than a predetermined threshold. [Note 4] In the above-described information processing device, the vehicle is a route patrol vehicle that circulates between a plurality of bases as stops, and the prediction means may be configured to use the difference to predict the difference between the scheduled arrival time of the bases patrolled by the route patrol vehicle and the actual arrival time. [Note 5] In the above-described information processing device, the second calculation means may be configured to calculate the second time based on the difference between the time it took for the vehicle ahead of the vehicle to travel a certain section and the required time on the operation schedule. [Note 6] In the above-described information processing device, the second calculation means may be configured to adjust the second time according to the number of lanes on the road where the accident occurred if the road conditions indicate that an accident has occurred. [Note 7] In the information processing device described above, the second calculation means may be configured to reduce the second time if a detour exists between the vehicle and the predetermined stop.[Note 8] An information processing method comprising: obtaining the current location of a vehicle; calculating a first time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule based on the current location of the vehicle and the planned route information of the vehicle; obtaining at least one of an image of the area around the vehicle and an image of the planned route of the vehicle; calculating a second time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule that will occur from the current location to arrival at a predetermined stop based on the road conditions grasped from the images; predicting the difference between the scheduled time of arrival of the vehicle at the predetermined stop and the actual time based on the first time and the second time; and providing the difference to a predetermined terminal. [Note 9] A recording medium that records a program that causes the following to be executed: a process for acquiring the current position of a vehicle; a process for calculating a first time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule based on the current position of the vehicle and the planned route information; a process for acquiring at least one of an image of the area around the vehicle and an image of the planned route; a process for calculating a second time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule that occurs from the current position to arrival at a predetermined stop, based on the road conditions grasped from the images; a process for predicting the difference between the scheduled time the vehicle will arrive at the predetermined stop and the actual time based on the first time and the second time; and a process for providing the difference to a predetermined terminal. The forms described in each of the above notes can be combined with each other after making the necessary modifications. For example, a configuration that combines the contents described in Note 2 and the contents described in Note 5 is also included in the scope of disclosure of this specification. In this case, the information processing device will calculate the second time based on the time it took for the vehicle in front of the bus to travel through a certain section and the time required for the same section on the operating schedule. Furthermore, the forms described in appendices 8 and 9 above can be expanded to the forms described in appendices 2 to 7, similar to appendice 1.

[0068] Furthermore, each disclosure in the above-mentioned patent documents is incorporated into this document by reference and may be used as the basis or part of this disclosure as necessary. Within the framework of this disclosure (including the claims), further modifications and adjustments to the embodiments or examples are possible based on their fundamental technical concept. Also, within the framework of this disclosure, various combinations or selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosure elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible. In other words, this disclosure naturally includes the entire disclosure, including the claims, and various modifications and alterations that a person skilled in the art could make in accordance with the technical concept. In particular, with respect to the numerical ranges described in this document, any numerical value or sub-range included within that range should be interpreted as being specifically described, even if not otherwise stated. Furthermore, each disclosure item of the above-mentioned cited documents may, as necessary, be used in part or in whole as part of this disclosure, in accordance with the spirit of this disclosure, and this is also considered to be included in the disclosure items of this application.

[0069] 10 Information processing device 11 Acquisition means 12 First calculation means 13 Image acquisition means 14 Second calculation means 15 Prediction means 16 Provision means 20, 200 Terminal 100 Mobility support system 100a Arrival time guidance system 101 Acquisition unit 102 First calculation unit 103 Image acquisition unit 104 Second calculation unit 105, 105a Prediction unit 106, 106a Provision unit 107 Provision unit 300 Vehicle dispatch management system 400 Display device 401 Screen 900 Information processing device 901 CPU (Central Processing Unit) 902 ROM (Read Only Memory) 903 RAM (Random Access Memory) 904 Program 905 Storage device 906 Recording medium 907 Drive device 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus B1, B2 Bus BP Base BS Bus stop C Camera P1 User STA Station T1 Taxi TR1 Truck V Vehicle

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising: acquisition means for acquiring the current location of a vehicle; first calculation means for calculating a first time indicating the amount of deviation from the operating schedule based on the current location of the vehicle and the planned route information of the vehicle; image acquisition means for acquiring at least one of an image of the area around the vehicle and an image of the planned route; second calculation means for calculating a second time indicating the amount of deviation from the operating schedule that occurs from the current location to arrival at a predetermined stop, based on the road conditions grasped from the images; prediction means for predicting the difference between the scheduled time the vehicle will arrive at the predetermined stop and the actual time based on the first time and the second time; and providing means for providing the difference to a predetermined terminal.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a bus, the operating schedule is the bus's operating timetable, and the prediction means uses the difference to predict the scheduled arrival time of the bus at a predetermined stop.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, further comprising a suggestion means for searching for and suggesting alternative means of transportation to the user when the difference is greater than a predetermined threshold.

4. The vehicle is a route patrol vehicle that visits a plurality of bases as stopping points, and the prediction means predicts the estimated time of arrival of the route patrol vehicle to the bases it visits using the difference, the information processing device according to claim 1.

5. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second calculation means calculates the second time based on the difference between the time it took for the vehicle ahead of the vehicle to travel a certain section and the time required on the operation schedule.

6. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second calculation means adjusts the second time according to the number of lanes on the road where the accident occurred, if the road conditions indicate that an accident has occurred.

7. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second calculation means reduces the second time if a detour exists between the vehicle and the predetermined stop.

8. An information processing method comprising: obtaining the current location of a vehicle; calculating a first time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule based on the current location of the vehicle and the planned route information of the vehicle; obtaining at least one of an image of the area around the vehicle and an image of the planned route; calculating a second time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule that will occur from the current location to arrival at a predetermined stop based on the road conditions grasped from the images; predicting the difference between the scheduled time of arrival of the vehicle at the predetermined stop and the actual time based on the first time and the second time; and providing the difference to a predetermined terminal.

9. A recording medium that records a program that causes the following to be executed: a process for acquiring the current location of a vehicle; a process for calculating a first time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule based on the current location of the vehicle and the planned route information; a process for acquiring at least one of an image of the area around the vehicle and an image of the planned route; a process for calculating a second time indicating the deviation from the operating schedule that occurs from the current location to arrival at a predetermined stop, based on the road conditions grasped from the images; a process for predicting the difference between the scheduled time the vehicle will arrive at the predetermined stop and the actual time based on the first time and the second time; and a process for providing the difference to a predetermined terminal.

Images