JP7473768B2 - Vehicle operation management system and vehicle operation management method - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. (1) Published on the website at https://schd.toyoinkgroup.com/ja/news/2019/19112001.html on November 20, 2019. (2) Published on page 8 of the Nikkei Business Daily on March 18, 2020.

The present invention relates to a vehicle operation management system and a vehicle operation management method.

In recent years, development of vehicle operation management systems that monitor the condition of vehicles and manage operation has been progressing to ensure the safe operation of transportation such as buses and trains. Patent Document 1 discloses technology related to a monitoring system that can efficiently monitor with a small number of cameras according to the congestion level in the monitoring area.

JP 2012-69022 A

In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a surveillance camera is installed inside the vehicle to monitor the inside of the vehicle. For example, by using such a surveillance camera, it is possible to detect when a passenger gets on the vehicle.

However, when using surveillance cameras installed inside a vehicle, there is a problem in that it is not possible to accurately detect when a passenger has boarded the vehicle. For example, blind spots may occur depending on where the surveillance camera is installed. Also, for example, if the vehicle is crowded, passengers' faces may be obscured by other passengers, making it impossible to properly capture images of the passengers. In such cases, it is not possible to accurately detect when a passenger has boarded the vehicle. In particular, with the development of autonomous driving systems being active in recent years, technology that can accurately detect when a passenger has boarded a vehicle is important when considering future autonomous driving systems.

In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle operation management system and a vehicle operation management method that can accurately detect when a passenger boards a vehicle.

The vehicle operation management system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first sensor installed at a bus stop to detect passengers waiting at the bus stop, a first monitoring unit to monitor the status of passengers at the bus stop using information acquired by the first sensor, a second sensor installed in a vehicle to detect passengers aboard the vehicle, a second monitoring unit to monitor the status of passengers in the vehicle using information acquired by the second sensor, and an operation management unit to manage the operation of the vehicle. When the vehicle stops at the bus stop, the operation management unit acquires from the first monitoring unit first passenger number information regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle generated in the first monitoring unit, acquires from the second monitoring unit second passenger number information regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle generated in the second monitoring unit, and determines that the passengers waiting at the bus stop have boarded if the number of passengers in the first passenger number information and the number of passengers in the second passenger number information match.

A vehicle operation management method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a step of monitoring the status of passengers at a bus stop using a first sensor installed at the bus stop, a step of monitoring the status of passengers aboard the vehicle using a second sensor installed in the vehicle, and a step of managing the operation of the vehicle. When the vehicle stops at the bus stop, the method generates first passenger number information regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle using information acquired by the first sensor, generates second passenger number information regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle using information acquired by the second sensor, and determines that the passengers waiting at the bus stop have boarded if the number of passengers in the first passenger number information and the number of passengers in the second passenger number information match.

The present invention provides a vehicle operation management system and a vehicle operation management method that can accurately detect when a passenger boards a vehicle.

1 is a block diagram for explaining a vehicle operation management system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a bus stop system provided in the vehicle operation management system according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a bus stop system provided in the vehicle operation management system according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a vehicle system provided in a vehicle operation management system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a vehicle system provided in a vehicle operation management system according to an embodiment. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation of the vehicle operation management system according to the embodiment. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example in which the vehicle operation management system according to the embodiment generates information on congestion status. FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a vehicle traffic management system according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle traffic management system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a bus stop system 10, a vehicle system 20, and a traffic management unit 30. The vehicle traffic management system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system for managing the operation of transportation means (vehicles) such as buses, trains, and taxis. In the following, as an example, a case where the vehicle traffic management system 1 is applied to the operation of a bus will be described, but the present invention can be similarly applied to other transportation means.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bus stop system 10 includes a first sensor 11, a first monitoring unit 12, and a display unit 13. A bus stop here refers to a bus stop, a train station, a taxi stand, etc., and in this specification, these are collectively referred to as a "bus stop." Note that in this specification, the present invention is described as being applied to a bus stop.

The first sensor 11 is installed at the bus stop and detects passengers waiting at the bus stop. The first monitoring unit 12 monitors the status of passengers at the bus stop using information acquired by the first sensor 11. For example, the first monitoring unit 12 uses information acquired by the first sensor 11 to generate first passenger number information regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle. The display unit 13 is installed at the bus stop and notifies passengers waiting at the bus stop of specific information by displaying the specific information.

Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a bus stop system 10 provided in the vehicle operation management system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the bus stop system 10 is a system incorporated in a bus stop 14. A sign (pole) 15 and a chair 16 are provided at the bus stop 14. The sign 15 is provided to indicate the location of the bus stop 14. The chair 16 is provided near the sign 15 and is provided for passengers 17_1 waiting for the bus to sit on. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the chair 16 is full, so other passengers 17_2 waiting for the bus stand next to the chair 16 while waiting.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, a first seating sensor 11_1 and a first floor sensor 11_2 are provided as the first sensor 11. The first seating sensor 11_1 is installed on a chair 16 at the bus stop 14, and detects whether a waiting passenger 17_1 is seated. The first seating sensor 11_1 can be configured using a switch element such as a membrane switch. For example, the switch element is a switch element that is in a conductive state when a passenger is seated and in a non-conductive state when the passenger stands up. The first seating sensor 11_1 may also be configured using a capacitance sensor. Note that the first seating sensor 11_1 is not particularly limited as long as it is a sensor that can detect whether a passenger is seated.

The first floor sensor 11_2 is installed on the floor of the bus stop 14 and detects the presence or absence of a passenger 17_2 standing and waiting at the bus stop 14. Specifically, the first floor sensor 11_2 is installed next to a chair 16 and detects the presence or absence of a passenger standing next to the chair 16 waiting for the bus. For example, the first floor sensor 11_2 can be configured using a floor sensor in which multiple detection cells are arranged in a matrix, a pressure sensor using a pressure-sensitive element, a pressure sensor using capacitance, or the like. The first floor sensor 11_2 is not particularly limited as long as it is a sensor that can detect the presence or absence of a waiting passenger (the presence or absence of a passenger's feet).

The first monitoring unit 12 generates first passenger number information regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle using information acquired by the first seating sensor 11_1 and the first floor sensor 11_2. Here, the first passenger number information is information regarding the number of passengers when passengers waiting at the bus stop 14 board the vehicle 50 (see Figures 4 and 5). In other words, it is information regarding the number of passengers who boarded the vehicle 50 from the bus stop 14, and is information generated by the bus stop system 10. The first monitoring unit 12 generates such first passenger number information using information acquired by the first seating sensor 11_1 and the first floor sensor 11_2.

Specifically, the first monitoring unit 12 acquires information regarding the number of passengers 17_1 sitting in chairs 16, using the seating data of waiting passengers 17_1 detected by the first seating sensor 11_1. The first monitoring unit 12 also acquires information regarding the number of passengers 17_2 who are standing and waiting, using data regarding the feet of waiting passengers 17_2 detected by the first floor sensor 11_2. For example, the first monitoring unit 12 may determine the number of passengers 17_2 who are standing and waiting, based on the number of feet of passengers 17_2 detected by the first floor sensor 11_2. In other words, the number of passengers can be calculated by dividing the number of feet of passengers 17_2 detected by the first floor sensor 11_2 by 2.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, there are two passengers 17_1 sitting in chairs 16, and one passenger 17_2 standing and waiting. Therefore, the first monitoring unit 12 determines that the number of passengers waiting at bus stop 14 is three.

After that, when the vehicle 50 arrives at the bus stop 14, the waiting passengers 17_1 and 17_2 board the vehicle 50. For example, if the vehicle 50 (bus) that stops at the bus stop 14 operates on only one route, all the waiting passengers 17_1 and 17_2 board the vehicle 50. In this case, the first monitoring unit 12 generates first passenger number information (3 people in this case) using the number of passengers 17_1 and 17_2 waiting at the bus stop 14 obtained as described above.

On the other hand, when the vehicle 50 (bus) has multiple operating routes, even if the vehicle 50 (bus) stops at the bus stop 14, not all of the waiting passengers 17_1, 17_2 will necessarily board the vehicle 50. In other words, after the vehicle 50 (bus) stops at the bus stop 14, some passengers may board the vehicle 50, while other passengers may continue to wait at the bus stop 14 as shown in FIG. 3. In this case, the first monitoring unit 12 may generate the first passenger number information (two in this case) by subtracting the number of passengers 17 (one in the case of FIG. 3) waiting at the bus stop 14 after the passengers board the vehicle 50 from the number of passengers 17_1, 17_2 waiting at the bus stop 14 before the arrival of the vehicle 50 (three in the case of FIG. 2).

Note that, although Figs. 2 and 3 show a configuration example in which the first sensor 11 includes the first seating sensor 11_1 and the first floor sensor 11_2, in this embodiment, the first sensor 11 may include only one of the first seating sensor 11_1 or the first floor sensor 11_2. For example, at a bus stop where no chair 16 is installed, only the first floor sensor 11_2 may be installed as the first sensor 11. Also, Figs. 2 and 3 show a configuration example in which the first monitoring unit 12 is incorporated into the sign 15 as an example, but the location where the first monitoring unit 12 is installed is not particularly limited and it can be installed in any location.

Next, the vehicle system 20 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 20 includes a second sensor 21, a second monitoring unit 22, and a vehicle control unit 23. The second sensor 21 is installed in the vehicle 50 (see FIG. 4) and detects passengers aboard the vehicle 50. The second monitoring unit 22 monitors the state of passengers in the vehicle 50 using information acquired by the second sensor 21. For example, the second monitoring unit 22 generates second passenger number information regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle 50 using information acquired by the second sensor 21. The vehicle control unit 23 controls the vehicle 50 based on instructions from the operation management unit 30.

For example, the vehicle operation management system 1 according to this embodiment can be suitably used for an autonomous vehicle 50. In this case, the vehicle control unit 23 is used to implement autonomous driving of the vehicle 50. Furthermore, the vehicle operation management system 1 according to this embodiment can be used not only for autonomous vehicles, but also for vehicles driven by people. In this case, the vehicle system 20 plays a role of assisting the driver.

Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a vehicle system provided in the vehicle operation management system according to the present embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the vehicle system 20 is a system incorporated in a vehicle (bus) 50. The vehicle 50 has a driver's seat 24 and an alighting door 29b at the front, and a boarding door 29a at the center. A plurality of seats 25 are provided inside the vehicle 50. Note that, in the vehicle 50 shown in Figure 4, an example is shown in which the alighting door 29b is located at the front and the boarding door 29a is located at the center, but the boarding and alighting doors of the vehicle 50 may be configured in the opposite manner to that shown in Figure 4. Specifically, the boarding door may be located at the front, and the alighting door may be located at the center. Also, a configuration in which a single entrance to the vehicle 50 is used as both the boarding and alighting doors may be used.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the second sensor 21 includes a second seating sensor 21_1 and a second floor sensor 21_2. The second seating sensor 21_1 is installed in each of the seats 25 provided in the vehicle 50, and detects whether or not a passenger 26 is seated. In FIG. 4, the seats 25 on which the passengers 26 are seated are indicated by solid ovals (similarly in FIG. 5). The second seating sensor 21_1 can be configured using a switch element such as a membrane switch. For example, the switch element is a switch element that is in a conductive state when a passenger is seated and in a non-conductive state when the passenger stands up. The second seating sensor 21_1 may also be configured using a capacitance sensor. The second seating sensor 21_1 is not particularly limited as long as it is a sensor that can detect whether or not a passenger is seated.

The second floor sensor 21_2 is installed on the floor of the vehicle 50 and detects the state of the passenger inside the vehicle 50. Specifically, the second floor sensor 21_2 detects the state of the passenger by detecting the feet 27a, 27b of the passenger 27. In FIG. 4, the standing passenger 27 is indicated by a dashed ellipse (the same applies to FIG. 5). For example, the second floor sensor 21_2 can be configured using a floor sensor in which multiple detection cells are arranged in a matrix, a pressure sensor using a pressure-sensitive element, a pressure sensor using capacitance, or the like. The second floor sensor 21_2 is not particularly limited as long as it is a sensor that can detect the feet of a passenger.

The second monitoring unit 22 generates second passenger number information regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle 50 using the information acquired by the second seating sensor 21_1 and the second floor sensor 21_2. Here, the second passenger number information is information regarding the number of passengers who boarded the vehicle 50 from the bus stop 14, and is information generated on the vehicle 50 side.

To explain this in more detail using FIG. 5, when vehicle 50 arrives at bus stop 14, passengers waiting at bus stop 14 board vehicle 50. At this time, after boarding vehicle 50, passenger 41 walks inside vehicle 50 as indicated by arrow 41a and sits in seat 25. After boarding vehicle 50, passenger 42 walks inside vehicle 50 as indicated by arrow 42a and sits in seat 25.

At this time, the second monitoring unit 22 can generate second passenger number information using data related to the feet of the passengers 41, 42 aboard the vehicle 50 detected by the second floor sensor 21_2. Specifically, the second monitoring unit 22 may determine the number of passengers (2 people) aboard the vehicle 50 based on the number of feet of the passengers 41, 42 detected by the second floor sensor 21_2. For example, the second monitoring unit 22 can calculate the number of passengers by dividing the number of feet of the passengers 41, 42 detected by the second floor sensor 21_2 by 2.

The second monitoring unit 22 may generate the second number of passengers information using the seating data of the passengers 41, 42 aboard the vehicle 50 detected by the second seating sensor 21_1. Specifically, when the second monitoring unit 22 detects new seating after the vehicle 50 arrives at the bus stop 14, the second monitoring unit 22 may regard the number of new seated passengers as the number of passengers.

Because there are passengers disembarking from vehicle 50 at bus stop 14, in order to detect the number of passengers boarding vehicle 50, it is necessary to detect the number of passengers disembarking from vehicle 50 as well. Therefore, in order to accurately detect the number of passengers boarding vehicle 50, it is preferable to monitor passengers in vehicle 50 using both second seating sensor 21_1 and second floor sensor 21_2. On the other hand, if the number of passengers boarding vehicle 50 can be detected with a predetermined accuracy, the second sensor 21 may be configured to include only one of second seating sensor 21_1 or second floor sensor 21_2.

In addition, in Figures 4 and 5, as an example, a configuration example is shown in which the second monitoring unit 22 and the vehicle control unit 23 are installed in the front of the vehicle 50, but the location where the second monitoring unit 22 and the vehicle control unit 23 are provided is not particularly limited, and they can be installed in any location.

Next, the operation management unit 30 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The operation management unit 30 manages the operation of the vehicle 50. Specifically, the operation management unit 30 is configured to be able to communicate with the bus stop system 10 and the vehicle system 20. As a result, the operation management unit 30 is supplied with the monitoring results (the state of passengers at the bus stop 14) from the first monitoring unit 12 of the bus stop system 10 and the monitoring results (the state of passengers in the vehicle 50) from the second monitoring unit 22 of the vehicle system 20. The operation management unit 30 manages the operation of the vehicle 50 based on these monitoring results. Specifically, the operation management unit 30 performs the following processing when the vehicle 50 stops at the bus stop 14.

First, first passenger number information (passenger number information at the bus stop 14) regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle 50, which was generated in the first monitoring unit 12 of the bus stop system 10, is obtained from the first monitoring unit 12. Also, second passenger number information (passenger number information at the vehicle 50) regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle 50, which was generated in the second monitoring unit 22 of the vehicle system 20, is obtained from the second monitoring unit 22. Then, if the number of passengers in the first passenger number information and the number of passengers in the second passenger number information match, it is determined that the passengers waiting at the bus stop 14 have finished boarding.

When the operation management unit 30 determines that passengers waiting at the bus stop 14 have boarded, it may instruct the vehicle control unit 23 to close the doors of the vehicle 50. In response, the vehicle control unit 23 performs control to close the doors of the vehicle 50.

Furthermore, when the operation management unit 30 determines that the safety of passengers aboard the vehicle 50 has been ensured, it may issue an instruction to the vehicle control unit 23 to start traveling. As a result, the vehicle control unit 23 controls the vehicle 50 to start traveling. For example, the operation management unit 30 may determine that the safety of passengers aboard the vehicle 50 has been ensured when the passengers aboard the vehicle 50 are seated. In other words, when the second seating sensor 21_1 detects that passengers 41 and 42 shown in FIG. 5 are seated, it may determine that the safety of passengers 41 and 42 has been ensured. Furthermore, the operation management unit 30 may determine that the safety of passengers aboard the vehicle 50 has been ensured when the passengers aboard the vehicle 50 remain standing for a predetermined period of time.

In addition, when the driver is driving the vehicle 50, the operation management unit 30 may display a message indicating that boarding is complete on the display unit (not shown) of the driver's seat 24 when it determines that passengers waiting at the bus stop 14 have boarded. This allows the driver to know that passengers have boarded, as a message indicating that boarding is complete is displayed on the display unit (not shown) of the driver's seat 24. In addition, even if a passenger moves around inside the vehicle after boarding, the driver can know that passengers have boarded by displaying a message on the display unit (not shown) of the driver's seat 24.

The operation management unit 30 may be configured to be able to communicate with multiple bus stop systems 10 and multiple vehicle systems 20. In this case, the operation management unit 30 can manage the operation of multiple vehicles 50 based on the monitoring results of the multiple bus stop systems 10 and the monitoring results of the multiple vehicle systems 20.

For example, the operation management unit 30 may be configured using a server. Furthermore, the location where the operation management unit 30 is provided is not particularly limited, and it may be configured using a cloud system. Furthermore, the operation management unit 30 may be provided in the bus stop system 10, or in the vehicle system 20. For example, the operation management unit 30 may be provided in a remote location for central management. Furthermore, the operation management unit 30 may be provided in a distributed manner in each vehicle 50 (vehicle system 20). Furthermore, the operation management unit 30 may be provided in both the remote location for central management and each vehicle 50 (vehicle system 20).

Next, the operation of the vehicle operation management system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6. In the following explanation of the operation, the operation from when the vehicle 50 stops at the bus stop 14 and passengers board the vehicle 50 until the vehicle 50 starts traveling will be described. Note that, as a prerequisite, it is assumed that the operation management unit 30 continuously acquires information on the current position of the vehicle 50.

First, the operation management unit 30 acquires the monitoring results of the next stop 14 from the bus stop system 10 (step S1). Here, the next stop 14 is the next stop that the vehicle 50 is scheduled to pass, based on the current position of the vehicle 50. The monitoring results are information regarding the presence or absence (or the number of passengers) of passengers waiting at the next stop 14.

If no passengers get on or off at the next stop 14 (step S2: No), the operation management unit 30 instructs the vehicle system 20 (vehicle control unit 23) to pass through the next stop 14. On the other hand, if there are passengers get on or off at the next stop 14 (step S2: Yes), the operation management unit 30 instructs the vehicle system 20 (vehicle control unit 23) to stop at the next stop 14. As a result, the vehicle 50 stops at the next stop 14.

When the driver is driving the vehicle 50, if there are passengers getting on and off at the next stop 14, the operation management unit 30 may display a message on the display unit (not shown) of the driver's seat 24 indicating that the vehicle will stop at the next stop 14.

After that, when the vehicle 50 stops at the next bus stop 14 (step S3), the passengers waiting at the bus stop 14 start boarding the vehicle 50. At this time, the first monitoring unit 12 of the bus stop system 10 generates first passenger number information (i.e., passenger number information at the bus stop) regarding the number of passengers boarding the vehicle 50 using the information acquired by the first sensor 11. For example, as shown in the example of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the first monitoring unit 12 can generate the first passenger number information (2 in this case) by subtracting the number of passengers waiting at the bus stop 14 after the passengers board the vehicle 50 (1 in the case of FIG. 3) from the number of passengers waiting at the bus stop 14 before the arrival of the vehicle 50 (3 in the case of FIG. 2). The operation management unit 30 acquires the first passenger number information generated in this way from the first monitoring unit 12 (bus stop system 10) (step S4).

The second monitoring unit 22 of the vehicle system 20 generates second passenger number information (i.e., vehicle-side passenger number information) regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle 50 using the information acquired by the second sensor 21. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the second monitoring unit 22 generates second passenger number information regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle 50 using the information acquired by the second seating sensor 21_1 and the second floor sensor 21_2. Specifically, the second monitoring unit 22 detects the trajectory (arrows 41a, 42a) of the passengers 41, 42 using the second floor sensor 21_2, and detects the passengers 41, 42 seated using the second seating sensor 21_1, thereby generating the second passenger number information (two people in the case of FIG. 5). The operation management unit 30 acquires the second passenger number information generated in this manner from the second monitoring unit 22 (vehicle system 20) (step S5).

Then, the operation management unit 30 judges whether the number of passengers in the first passenger number information (passenger number information on the bus stop side) and the number of passengers in the second passenger number information (passenger number information on the vehicle side) match (step S6). If the number of passengers in the first passenger number information and the number of passengers in the second passenger number information match, the operation management unit 30 judges that the boarding of passengers waiting at the bus stop 14 has been completed (step S6: Yes). On the other hand, if the number of passengers in the first passenger number information and the number of passengers in the second passenger number information do not match (step S6: No), the operation management unit 30 repeats the operations of steps S4 to S6 again.

Then, when the operation management unit 30 determines in step S6 that the passengers waiting at the bus stop 14 have boarded, it instructs the vehicle control unit 23 to close the doors of the vehicle 50. As a result, the vehicle control unit 23 performs control to close the doors of the vehicle 50 (step S7).

Then, the operation management unit 30 judges whether the safety of the passengers aboard the vehicle 50 has been ensured (step S8). If the operation management unit 30 judges that the safety of the passengers aboard the vehicle 50 has been ensured (step S8: Yes), it issues an instruction to the vehicle control unit 23 to start driving. As a result, the vehicle control unit 23 controls the vehicle 50 to start driving (step S9). For example, the operation management unit 30 may judge that the safety of the passengers aboard the vehicle 50 has been ensured when the passengers aboard the vehicle 50 are seated. That is, if the second seating sensor 21_1 detects that the passengers 41 and 42 shown in FIG. 5 are seated, it may be judged that the safety of the passengers 41 and 42 has been ensured. In addition, the operation management unit 30 may judge that the safety of the passengers aboard the vehicle 50 has been ensured when the passengers aboard the vehicle 50 continue to stand still for a predetermined time. Then, the vehicle operation management system 1 repeats the operations from step S1 onwards.

In the above description, a case has been described in which the vehicle 50 (bus) stops at multiple bus stops 14 in sequence. However, in this embodiment, for example, when it is detected that a passenger is waiting at a bus stop 14, a new vehicle 50 may be sent (dispatched) to the bus stop 14. In this case, the vehicle 50 may be a bus or a taxi. If the vehicle 50 is a taxi, the bus stop 14 may be a taxi stand.

As described above, in the vehicle operation management system 1 according to this embodiment, when the vehicle 50 stops at the bus stop 14, the operation management unit 30 obtains the first passenger number information (passenger number information at the bus stop 14) regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle 50 from the first monitoring unit 12 (bus stop system 10), obtains the second passenger number information (passenger number information at the vehicle 50) regarding the number of passengers aboard the vehicle 50 from the second monitoring unit 22 (vehicle system 20), and if the number of passengers in the first passenger number information (passenger number information at the bus stop 14) and the number of passengers in the second passenger number information (passenger number information at the vehicle 50) match, it determines that the passengers waiting at the bus stop 14 have boarded.

In this way, the vehicle operation management system 1 according to this embodiment uses the passenger count information at the bus stop 14 and the passenger count information at the vehicle 50 to determine whether passengers have boarded the vehicle, so it is possible to accurately detect that passengers have boarded the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vehicle operation management system and a vehicle operation management method that are capable of accurately detecting that passengers have boarded the vehicle.

As described above, the second monitoring unit 22 of the vehicle system 20 shown in FIG. 1 monitors the state of passengers in the vehicle 50 using the information acquired by the second sensor 21. At this time, the second monitoring unit 22 may generate information related to the congestion state of the vehicle 50 using the information acquired by the second sensor 21. The information related to the congestion state of the vehicle 50 generated in this manner may be displayed on the display unit 13 (see FIG. 2) of the bus stop 14. The information related to the congestion state of the vehicle 50 may also be made viewable by a mobile interface (user terminal) or the like via the Internet, etc.

For example, information regarding the congestion status of vehicle 50 generated by second monitoring unit 22 shown in FIG. 1 is transmitted from vehicle 50 (vehicle system 20) to operation management unit 30. Operation management unit 30 transmits the information regarding the congestion status to bus stop system 10 of bus stop 14 where vehicle 50 is scheduled to arrive next. Bus stop system 10 displays the received information regarding the congestion status on display unit 13 (see FIG. 2). In this way, by displaying the congestion status of vehicle 50 scheduled to arrive at bus stop 14 on display unit 13, waiting passengers can be notified in advance of the congestion status of vehicle 50.

For example, the information regarding the congestion state of the vehicle 50 may be the number of vacant seats in the vehicle 50 (i.e., the number of seats not occupied by passengers). The number of vacant seats in the vehicle 50 can be detected using the second seating sensor 21_1 (see FIG. 4).

For example, the information regarding the congestion state of the vehicle 50 may be the number of passengers who can board the vehicle 50. The number of passengers who can board the vehicle 50 can be detected using the second floor sensor 21_2 (see FIG. 4). For example, the number of passengers who can board the vehicle 50 can be estimated by using the number of passengers' feet detected by the second floor sensor 21_2. The number of passengers who can board the vehicle 50 may also be estimated based on the area where the second floor sensor 21_2 detects pressure. In this case, the larger the area where the second floor sensor 21_2 detects pressure, the smaller the number of passengers who can board. Furthermore, the number of passengers who can board the vehicle 50 may be estimated using the second seating sensor 21_1 in addition to the second floor sensor 21_2.

In addition, in the vehicle operation management system 1 according to this embodiment, the operation management unit 30 may be configured to acquire monitoring results from each of the first monitoring unit 12 of the bus stop system 10 and the second monitoring unit 22 of the vehicle system 20, and accumulate passenger boarding and alighting number data at multiple bus stops. For example, the operation management unit 30 may use past passenger boarding and alighting number data at multiple bus stops to predict the congestion status of a vehicle 50 scheduled to arrive at a specific bus stop, and generate information regarding the congestion status of the vehicle 50. The operation management unit 30 may also use the thus accumulated passenger boarding and alighting number data to predict the congestion status of the vehicle 50 between specific bus stops (specific sections), and generate information regarding the congestion status of the vehicle.

Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of a case where the vehicle operation management system according to this embodiment generates information on congestion. The example shown in Figure 7 shows a case where a vehicle (bus) stops at stops A, B, C, D, etc. in that order, and shows predicted boarding and alighting numbers at each stop, and predicted number of passengers between each stop.

As shown in Figure 7, since stop A is the starting stop, the predicted number of passengers alighting is 0 and the predicted number of passengers boarding is 5. At this time, the predicted number of passengers boarding between stops A and B is 5. At stop B, the predicted number of passengers boarding is 15 and the predicted number of passengers alighting is 2. The predicted number of passengers boarding between stops B and C is 18. At stop C, the predicted number of passengers boarding is 13 and the predicted number of passengers alighting is 3. The predicted number of passengers boarding between stops C and D is 28. At stop D, the predicted number of passengers boarding is 3 and the predicted number of passengers alighting is 10. The predicted number of passengers boarding between stop D and the next stop is 21.

In this way, the operation management unit 30 accumulates data on the number of passengers getting on and off at multiple stops A, B, C, D, ..., and can predict the number of passengers getting on and off at each stop A, B, C, D, ..., and the number of passengers getting on and off between each stop, by using the accumulated data on the number of passengers getting on and off at multiple stops. By using the prediction model created in this way, the operation management unit 30 can predict the congestion status of vehicles 50 scheduled to arrive at each stop. In addition, the prediction model created by the operation management unit 30 (see Figure 7) can also be used when creating operation plans, such as considering route reorganization and increasing or decreasing the number of services.

The operation management unit 30 may further accumulate passenger boarding and alighting count data at multiple bus stops in association with at least one of the time period, day of the week, date, and weather. In this case, the congestion status of the vehicle can be predicted using the accumulated passenger boarding and alighting count data in association with at least one of the time period, day of the week, date, and weather. In this way, by accumulating passenger boarding and alighting count data in association with at least one of the time period, day of the week, date, and weather, the accuracy of prediction of the congestion status of the vehicle can be improved. For example, the congestion status of the vehicle can be predicted in association with the time period, day of the week, date, and weather, such as congestion in the morning, congestion on Fridays, congestion in April, and congestion on rainy days, thereby improving the accuracy of the prediction.

The operation management unit 30 may also use the accumulated boarding and alighting passenger count data described above to predict the number of passengers who can board the vehicle 50 at a specified bus stop. The number of passengers who can board the vehicle 50 predicted by the operation management unit 30 may then be displayed on the display unit 13 (see FIG. 2) of the bus stop 14 as information on the congestion status of vehicles scheduled to arrive at the bus stop. The number of passengers who can board the vehicle 50 predicted by the operation management unit 30 may also be made viewable by a mobile interface (user terminal) or the like via the Internet or the like.

The operation management unit 30 may also continuously obtain monitoring results from each of the bus stop system 10 and the vehicle system 20, and monitor the status of the route managed by the operation management unit 30 in real time. By monitoring in real time in this manner, it is possible to respond quickly when an abnormality occurs on the route under management. For example, when the operation management unit 30 detects that the number of passengers is high in a particular section, it can respond by increasing the number of vehicles on that section.

The first monitoring unit 12 of the bus stop system 10 may also detect the waiting time of passengers waiting at the bus stop 14. The waiting time of passengers waiting at the bus stop 14 can be obtained, for example, by measuring the time that the first sensor 11 continues to detect the passenger. For example, the information on passenger waiting time obtained in this manner can be used as a parameter when predicting congestion in the operation management unit 30. The information on passenger waiting time can also be used when creating an operation plan, such as reorganizing routes and considering an increase or decrease in the number of services.

The operation management unit 30 may also use the accumulated passenger boarding and alighting data described above to predict the number of passengers in a specific section, and if the predicted number of passengers is high, increase the number of vehicles in that section.

For example, the operation management unit 30 may be connected to an external network. By connecting the operation management unit 30 to an external network in this manner, information regarding the congestion status of the vehicle 50 can be distributed to a user terminal via the external network. For example, the operation management unit 30 can distribute the real-time congestion status of the vehicle 50 and predicted results of the congestion status of the vehicle 50 to the user terminal. The user can check the congestion status of the vehicle 50 from an application or website on the user terminal.

The operation management unit 30 may also display information on the waiting time of the vehicle 50 arriving at each bus stop 14 on the display unit 13 of each bus stop 14. The operation management unit 30 may also distribute such information on the waiting time to a user terminal via an external network. Furthermore, the operation management unit 30 may also distribute information on the waiting time of passengers waiting at the bus stop 14, detected by the first monitoring unit 12, to a user terminal via an external network.

The present invention has been described above in accordance with the above embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and of course includes various modifications, alterations, and combinations that a person skilled in the art could make within the scope of the invention of the claims of this patent application.

1 Vehicle operation management system 10 Bus stop system 11 First sensor 12 First monitoring unit 13 Display unit 13
14 Bus stop 15 Sign 16 Chair 17, 17_1, 17_2 Passenger 20 Vehicle system 21 Second sensor 22 Second monitoring unit 23 Vehicle control unit 24 Driver's seat 25 Seat 26 Passenger 27 Passengers 27a, 27b Feet 29a Boarding gate 29b Exit gate 30 Operation management unit 41, 42 Passenger 50 Vehicle

Claims (18)

a first sensor installed at a bus stop and configured to detect a passenger waiting at the bus stop;
a first monitoring unit that monitors a state of a passenger at the bus stop using information acquired by the first sensor;
a second sensor installed in the vehicle to detect a passenger in the vehicle;
a second monitoring unit that monitors a state of a passenger in the vehicle using information acquired by the second sensor;
An operation management unit that manages the operation of the vehicle,
the first monitoring unit generates first passenger number information by subtracting the number of passengers waiting at the bus stop after the passengers board the vehicle from the number of passengers waiting at the bus stop before the arrival of the vehicle;
When the vehicle stops at the bus stop, the operation management unit
Acquire from the first monitoring unit the first passenger number information regarding the number of passengers in the vehicle, the first passenger number information being generated in the first monitoring unit;
Acquire second passenger number information related to the number of passengers in the vehicle, generated in the second monitoring unit, from the second monitoring unit;
When the number of passengers in the first passenger number information and the number of passengers in the second passenger number information match, it is determined that the passengers who have been waiting at the bus stop have completed boarding.
Vehicle operation management system. the first sensor is a first floor sensor installed on a floor of the bus stop;
the first monitoring unit generates the first passenger number information by using data related to the feet of the waiting passengers detected by the first floor sensor;
The vehicle operation management system according to claim 1. the first sensor is a first seating sensor that is installed on a chair at the bus stop and detects whether the waiting passenger is seated;
The first monitoring unit generates the first number of passengers information by using seating data of the waiting passengers detected by the first seating sensor.
The vehicle operation management system according to claim 1 or 2. the second sensor is a second floor sensor installed on a floor of the vehicle;
The second monitoring unit generates the second passenger number information by using data related to the feet of the passengers in the vehicle detected by the second floor sensor.
The vehicle operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the second sensor is a second seating sensor that is installed in a seat provided in the vehicle and detects whether the passenger is seated,
The second monitoring unit generates the second number of passengers information by using seating data of passengers in the vehicle detected by the second seating sensor.
The vehicle operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The vehicle operation management system according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the first and second monitoring units respectively generate the first and second passenger number information regarding the number of passengers in the vehicle based on the number of passengers' feet detected by the first and second floor sensors, respectively. The vehicle operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the vehicle closes a door of the vehicle when the operation management unit determines that the passengers waiting at the bus stop have boarded the vehicle. The vehicle operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the vehicle starts traveling when the operation management unit determines that the safety of the passengers waiting at the bus stop has been ensured after the passengers have boarded the bus. The vehicle operation management system according to claim 8 , wherein the operation management unit determines that the safety of the boarded passenger is ensured when the boarded passenger is seated. The vehicle operation management system according to claim 8 or 9 , wherein the operation management unit determines that the safety of the passenger is ensured when the passenger remains standing still for a predetermined time. The vehicle operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the second monitoring unit is configured to be able to generate information regarding a congestion state of the vehicle by using information acquired by the second sensor. The vehicle operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the operation management unit is configured to acquire monitoring results from each of the first and second monitoring units, and accumulate data on the number of passengers boarding and alighting at a plurality of bus stops, and uses the past data on the number of passengers boarding and alighting at the plurality of bus stops to predict the congestion status of the vehicle scheduled to arrive at a specified bus stop, and generate information regarding the congestion status of the vehicle. The vehicle operation management system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the operation management unit is configured to acquire monitoring results from each of the first and second monitoring units, and accumulate data on the number of passengers boarding and alighting at a plurality of bus stops, and uses the accumulated data on the number of passengers boarding and alighting to predict the congestion status of the vehicle between specified bus stops, and generate information regarding the congestion status of the vehicle. The vehicle operation management system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the operation management unit is further configured to accumulate data on the number of passengers boarding and alighting at the plurality of stops in association with at least one of a time period, a day of the week, a date, and weather, and to predict a congestion state of the vehicle using the accumulated data on the number of passengers boarding and alighting in association with at least one of the time period, the day of the week, the date, and the weather , and to generate information regarding the congestion state of the vehicle. Further comprising a display unit installed at the bus stop,
The display unit is configured to display information regarding a congestion state of the vehicle scheduled to arrive at the bus stop.
The vehicle operation management system according to any one of claims 11 to 14 . The operation management unit predicts the number of passengers who can board the vehicle at the specified bus stop,
The display unit displays the number of passengers who can board the vehicle predicted by the operation management unit as information regarding the congestion state of the vehicle scheduled to arrive at the bus stop.
The vehicle operation management system according to claim 15 . The vehicle operation management system according to any one of claims 11 to 16 , wherein the operation management unit is connected to a network and configured to be able to distribute information regarding a congestion state of the vehicle to a user terminal via the network. a first monitoring step of monitoring a state of a passenger at a bus stop using a first sensor installed at the bus stop;
a second monitoring step of monitoring a state of a passenger aboard the vehicle using a second sensor installed in the vehicle;
A management step of managing the operation of the vehicle,
In the first monitoring step, a first number of passengers information is generated by subtracting a number of passengers waiting at the bus stop after the passengers board the vehicle from a number of passengers waiting at the bus stop before the arrival of the vehicle;
In the second monitoring step, second passenger number information regarding a number of passengers in the vehicle is generated using information acquired by the second sensor,
In the management step, when the vehicle stops at the bus stop, if the number of passengers in the first passenger number information generated in the first monitoring step matches the number of passengers in the second passenger number information generated in the second monitoring step , it is determined that the passengers waiting at the bus stop have completed boarding.
Vehicle operation management methods.

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