JP7743346B2 - Traffic information management device, traffic information management method, and traffic information management program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an operation information management device, an operation information management method, and an operation information management program.

Technology to assist users (passengers) of public transportation such as buses in reaching their desired destinations is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a system in which, when a passenger registers the bus they wish to board, i.e., their "desired bus," communication takes place between a bus stop transmitter and a mobile device, and if the bus parked at the bus stop is their desired bus, a message encouraging the passenger to board is displayed on the mobile device.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-140718

The system described in Patent Document 1 assumes that transmitters are installed at bus stops, and is unable to check whether the desired bus is on a route where transmitters are not installed. As a result, it is necessary to search and check the website of the bus company that operates the route, or other services that are compatible with the route, which is cumbersome.

The present invention was made in light of these circumstances, and aims to prevent passengers from boarding the wrong train on public transportation using a simple configuration.

In order to solve the above problems, the operation information management device of the present invention is, for example, a operation information management device connected to an operation management database that stores information about operation routes, and is characterized by including: a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information about the destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle image acquisition unit that acquires vehicle images captured of the vehicle from the passenger terminal; a operation route extraction unit that extracts vehicle identification information from the vehicle image and extracts a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle, from the operation management database based on the identification information; a determination unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information; and a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made by the determination unit.

An operation information management method according to another aspect of the present invention includes, for example, a destination information acquisition step of acquiring destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle image acquisition step of acquiring a vehicle image of a vehicle photographed from the passenger terminal; an operation route extraction step of extracting vehicle identification information from the vehicle image and extracting a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle, from an operation management database storing information relating to operation routes based on the identification information; a determination step of determining whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information; and a notification control step of notifying the passenger terminal of the result of the determination step.

Another aspect of the present invention provides an operation information management program that causes a computer to function as, for example, a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information related to a destination, from at least a passenger terminal; a vehicle image acquisition unit that acquires a vehicle image of a vehicle from the passenger terminal; a route extraction unit that extracts identification information of the vehicle from the vehicle image and extracts a specific route, which is the route the vehicle will take, from an operation management database that stores information related to route information based on the identification information; a determination unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific route based on the destination information; and a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made by the determination unit.

Any of the above aspects of the present invention can prevent passengers from boarding the wrong vehicle on public transport. This is particularly convenient because the route can be extracted based on captured vehicle images.

Here, if the operation route extraction unit can extract a vehicle ID, which is an ID number assigned to a vehicle, from the identification information of the vehicle image, it may extract the specific operation route based on the vehicle ID. If the vehicle ID cannot be read by analyzing the vehicle image, it may extract information other than the vehicle ID from the identification information of the vehicle image and extract the specific operation route based on the extracted information. In this way, highly accurate information extraction is possible by prioritizing the extraction of information for which extraction accuracy can be ensured.

An operation information management device according to another aspect of the present invention is characterized by including, for example, a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information relating to the destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route and the destination information; and a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made by the determination unit.

An operation information management method according to another aspect of the present invention is characterized by including, for example, a destination information acquisition step of acquiring destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle information acquisition step of acquiring a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle; a determination step of determining whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route and the destination information; and a notification control step of notifying the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made in the determination step.

Another aspect of the present invention provides an operation information management program that causes a computer to function as, for example, a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from at least a passenger terminal; a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether the specific operation route includes the destination based on the specific operation route and the destination information; and a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made by the determination unit.

Any of the above aspects of the present invention can prevent passengers from boarding the wrong public transport vehicle. Furthermore, accurate determination is possible because the determination is based on a specific route acquired from the vehicle.

Here, the vehicle information acquisition unit may receive the specific travel route when communication between the passenger terminal and an on-board device installed in the vehicle occurs. This allows the vehicle to be accurately identified.

Here, the operation information management device is connected to an operation management database that stores information about operation routes, and includes an operation route extraction unit that extracts the specific operation route from the operation management database, wherein the vehicle information acquisition unit acquires identification information for the vehicle, the operation route extraction unit extracts the specific operation route based on the identification information, and the determination unit determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route extracted by the operation route extraction unit and the destination information. This allows for accurate determination because the determination is based on identification information transmitted from the vehicle.

Another aspect of the present invention is a traffic information management device connected to a traffic management database that stores information about traffic routes, and is characterized by including: a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information about the destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle ID acquisition unit that acquires, via the passenger terminal, a vehicle ID displayed on the vehicle, which is an ID number assigned to the vehicle; a traffic route extraction unit that extracts a specific traffic route, which is the vehicle's traffic route, from the traffic management database based on the vehicle ID; a determination unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific traffic route based on the destination information; and a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made by the determination unit.

An operation information management method according to another aspect of the present invention includes, for example, a destination information acquisition step of acquiring destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from a passenger terminal; a vehicle ID acquisition step of acquiring, via the passenger terminal, a vehicle ID displayed on a vehicle and which is an ID number assigned to the vehicle; an operation route extraction step of extracting a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle, from an operation management database that stores information relating to operation routes based on the vehicle ID; a determination step of determining whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information; and a notification control step of notifying the passenger terminal of the result of the determination step.

Another aspect of the present invention provides an operation information management program that causes a computer to function as, for example, a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information related to a destination, from at least a passenger terminal; a vehicle ID acquisition unit that acquires, via the passenger terminal, a vehicle ID, which is a vehicle ID displayed on a vehicle and is an ID number assigned to the vehicle; an operation route extraction unit that extracts a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle, from an operation management database that stores information about operation routes based on the vehicle ID; a determination unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the destination information; and a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made by the determination unit.

Any of the above aspects of the present invention can prevent passengers from boarding the wrong public transport vehicle. Furthermore, accurate determinations can be made based on the vehicle ID displayed on the vehicle.

Here, the notification control unit may issue a warning via the passenger terminal if the determination result indicates that the destination is not included in the travel route. This allows passengers to accurately understand the determination result and prevents them from boarding the wrong bus.

Here, the route extraction unit may extract the specific route by referring to the date and/or day of the week. This makes it possible to prevent passengers from boarding the wrong transportation route even if the transportation route varies depending on the day.

Here, the notification control unit may issue a warning via the passenger terminal if the destination is not included in the travel route. This can prevent passengers from boarding the wrong bus.

Here, the notification control unit may cause the passenger terminal and/or the on-board device to issue a notification when communication is established between the passenger terminal and the on-board device, or when information is exchanged. This makes it clear to the passenger that a determination has been made as to whether or not they have boarded the wrong vehicle, providing a sense of security to the passenger.

Computer programs can be provided by downloading them over a network such as the Internet, or by recording them on various computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs.

This invention makes it possible to prevent passengers from boarding the wrong train on public transport.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 1 including an operation information management device 30 according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an operation information management device 30. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of electrical functional blocks of the operation information management device 30. A figure showing an example of data stored in the operation management DB 60, where (A) is an example of the first table T1, (B) is an example of the second table T2, and (C) is an example of the third table T3. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in which the operation information management device 30 notifies the determination result. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 2 including an operation information management device 30A according to a second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of electrical functional blocks of an operation information management device 30A. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in which an operation information management device 30A notifies a determination result. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an outline of electrical functional blocks of an operation information management device 30B and an operation information management system 2A according to a modified example of the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 3 including an operation information management device 30C according to a third embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in which an operation information management device 30C notifies a determination result.

An embodiment of the traffic information management device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The traffic information management device is a device that keeps track of passenger destinations and prevents passengers from boarding the wrong vehicle in a transportation facility that carries multiple passengers bound for different destinations.

The transportation means may be a bus, train, or the like. In the following explanation, the container in which passengers using the transportation means ride will be collectively referred to as a "vehicle." The destination is a location that is selectively set from multiple predetermined locations, such as a bus stop or a train station.

Vehicle identification information is displayed on the vehicle's body (exterior surface). Vehicle identification information is information related to the vehicle's operating route, such as the route number indicating the operating route, the destination, letters or symbols indicating the vehicle ID, the name, logo or emblem of the company managing the operation (hereinafter referred to as the operation management company), etc. The identification information may be displayed as a string of characters, or as code information such as a two-dimensional barcode or color pattern.

A vehicle ID is an ID number assigned to a vehicle, such as an ID number assigned to all public transportation (trains, buses, etc.) according to nationwide rules. A vehicle ID is a string of characters that can identify the company, route, and day of operation (or, in the case of a vehicle that only operates on a specific date and time, information about that specific date and time).

First Embodiment
1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 1 including an operation information management device 30 according to the first embodiment. The operation information management system 1 includes a passenger terminal 10, an operation information management device 30, and an operation management database (DB) 60. The passenger terminal 10 is configured to be able to communicate with the operation information management device 30 via a communication network such as a mobile communication network or wireless communication network.

The passenger terminal 10 is a device carried by a passenger in a vehicle and capable of communication (e.g., mobile communication). The passenger terminal 10 is realized by a portable device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. The passenger terminal 10 mainly comprises an input unit 11, a memory unit 12, an imaging unit 13, a code reading unit 14, a communication processing unit 15, and a display unit 16.

The input unit 11, for example, accepts input from passengers. The input unit 11 accepts input of information related to the passenger's destination (hereinafter referred to as destination information), for example. The destination information is information about the destination, for example, a boarding or disembarking point for a means of transportation. A boarding or disembarking point may be the name of a bus stop or a train station. The destination information may also be information about an address or a point identified by an appropriate method. The input unit 11 may also accept registration by passengers for use of the operation information management system 1. In this case, for example, the input unit 11 accepts input of the passenger's name, contact information, etc.

The memory unit 12 stores, for example, identification information of the passenger carrying the passenger terminal 10 and information regarding the destination.

The imaging unit 13 captures and acquires images of the vehicle's exterior, such as destination displays on the front and sides of the vehicle, the name or logo of the transportation facility, two-dimensional barcodes, and color patterns. The imaging unit 13 is, for example, composed of a visible light camera.

The code reading unit 14 is a functional unit that extracts code information such as two-dimensional barcodes and color patterns from the image captured by the imaging unit 13 and reads the extracted code information. Various well-known methods can be used to read the code information. Note that the code reading unit 14 is not essential.

The communication processing unit 15 communicates with, for example, the operation information management device 30. The communication processing unit 15 transmits image data captured by the imaging unit 13 to the operation information management device 30. The communication processing unit 15 may also transmit the results of code information read by the code reading unit 14 to the operation information management device 30. The communication processing unit 15 also receives from the operation information management device 30 the result of a determination as to whether the vehicle will reach the destination indicated in the destination information.

The communication mode between the communication processing unit 15 and the passenger terminal 10 is arbitrary, and in addition to mobile communication, any suitable short-range communication technology can be used. Furthermore, the communication mode between the passenger terminal 10 and the operation information management device 30 by the communication processing unit 15 is also arbitrary.

The display unit 16 displays, for example, the determination results transmitted from the operation information management device 30. The input unit 11 and display unit 16 are configured, for example, as a touch panel including a touch sensor that performs input functions and a display that performs display functions.

Operation management DB 60 is a database that stores information about transportation routes. Vehicle identification information and information about operation routes (including information about stops (bus stops, stations, etc.) and destinations) are stored in association with each other in the operation management DB 60.

Figure 4 shows an example of data stored in the operation management DB 60, where (A) is an example of the first table T1, (B) is an example of the second table T2, and (C) is an example of the third table T3. The first table T1 is a table containing vehicle IDs, and associates the vehicle ID with the operating company, route number, and schedule conditions (here, operating days) on which the vehicle with that route number operates. The operating company column stores the name of the operating company, and the route number column stores a string of characters (numbers, symbols, etc.) indicating the route number. Schedule conditions are conditions that state that the vehicle will operate on specific days such as days of the week, holidays, and the New Year holidays, and operating days are one of the schedule conditions. Note that in the first table T1, schedule conditions are not limited to operating days of the week, and schedule conditions are not required.

The second table T2 is a table that shows the route and operating days for each operating company and route number. In the second table T2, the operating company, route number, route, operating day of the week, and first departure time are associated with each other. The route is an item used to associate with the third table T3, and an ID assigned to each route is stored. If there are multiple combinations of operating days and first departure times for a single route, they are all stored in the second table T2. For example, if the times differ for each operating day, multiple days are stored, such as operating day 1, operating day 2, etc. Furthermore, for example, if there are multiple operations on the same day of the week, multiple first departure times are stored after operating day 1.

The third table T3 is a table that shows location information for each operating route. In the third table T3, operating routes are associated with location information for the operating routes. Location information for operating routes is location information for the starting point, ending point, and intermediate points (waypoints). Location information includes names and addresses of bus stops and stations. Typically, multiple intermediate points are stored for one operating route.

The third table T3 also stores the required time to reach the destination and the required time to reach each intermediate point, each associated with the destination and each intermediate point. The required time is the time required to reach the destination or each intermediate point from the starting point, and is calculated based on the transportation timetable. The transportation timetable may be stored in the operation management DB 60. Note that the required time information is not required in the third table T3.

The operation information management device 30 is a device that references the destination information held by the passenger terminal 10 and the information stored in the operation management DB 60, and determines whether the operation route of the vehicle that the passenger holding the passenger terminal 10 is about to board includes the passenger's destination.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the operation information management device 30. The operation information management device 30 includes a control device 50, a communication device 52, and a storage device 54. The control device 50 mainly includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 56 and memory 58.

The control device 50 functions as various functional units described below by the CPU executing predetermined programs stored in the storage device 54, memory 58, etc.

The communication device 52 is composed of a communication interface for communicating with external devices. The communication device 52 transmits and receives various information between, for example, the passenger terminal 10 and the operation management DB 60.

The storage device 54 is composed of a hard disk or the like. This storage device 54 stores various programs and information necessary for executing processes in the control device 50, as well as information on the processing results.

The operation information management device 30 can be realized using an information processing device such as a dedicated or general-purpose server computer. The operation information management device 30 may be configured from a single information processing device, or from multiple information processing devices distributed over a communications network. Figure 2 only shows some of the main hardware components of the operation information management device 30, and the operation information management device 30 may also have other components that are generally included in server devices.

Note that each operation information management device 30 may manage operation information for one vehicle, or may be configured to manage operation information for multiple vehicles. It is preferable that the operation information management device 30 be installed as a server device in a location separate from the vehicles.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the electrical functional blocks of the operation information management device 30 according to an embodiment. The operation information management device 30 mainly includes a destination information acquisition unit 31, a vehicle image acquisition unit 32, a route extraction unit 33, a determination unit 34, and a notification control unit 35.

The destination information acquisition unit 31 is a functional unit that acquires destination information from the passenger terminal 10. When information about a boarding or disembarking point on a public transport system is acquired as destination information, the destination information acquisition unit 31 sets the boarding or disembarking point as the destination. Furthermore, when information about an address or a location identified by an appropriate method is acquired as destination information, the destination information acquisition unit 31 extracts the boarding or disembarking point nearest to that location and sets this as the destination.

The vehicle image acquisition unit 32 is a functional unit that acquires images of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as vehicle images) acquired by the passenger terminal 10.

The operation route extraction unit 33 is a functional unit that performs image processing on the vehicle image and extracts a specific operation route, which is the operation route of the vehicle included in the vehicle image (shown in the vehicle image), from the operation management DB 60. The operation route extraction unit 33 is connected to the operation management DB 60. The operation route includes information on points where the vehicle can stop and information on the vehicle's destination, i.e., the end point.

The travel route extraction unit 33 uses an appropriate image analysis method to extract identification information of vehicles reflected in vehicle images. The travel route extraction unit 33 may also extract code information, such as a two-dimensional barcode or color pattern, contained in the vehicle image and read the extracted code information to extract vehicle identification information. Various publicly known methods can be used to read the code information. The code information includes vehicle identification information. Note that if the passenger terminal 10 has a code reading unit 14, the travel route extraction unit 33 does not need to have the function of reading code information.

When performing image processing on vehicle images, the route extraction unit 33 may extract vehicle identification information in stages. The priority order for extracting vehicle identification information is, for example, vehicle ID, route number, destination, and bus/railway company mark. If the route extraction unit 33 can read the vehicle ID from the vehicle image, it extracts a specific route based on the vehicle ID. In this case, no identification information other than the vehicle ID is extracted. Furthermore, if the vehicle ID cannot be read by analyzing the vehicle image, information other than the vehicle ID is extracted from the vehicle image and the specific route is extracted based on the extracted information. Furthermore, when extracting information other than the vehicle ID from the vehicle image, the route extraction unit 33 sequentially attempts to extract route numbers, destination character strings, and indications (text or images) related to the operation management company, and terminates the extraction process when the information is successfully extracted. In this way, prioritizing identification information with a high accuracy for extracting a specific route increases the accuracy of determining whether a vehicle included in the captured image will arrive at its destination. Furthermore, prioritizing the extraction of identification information reduces unnecessary extraction processes and reduces the processing load.

The operation route extraction unit 33 extracts a specific operation route from the operation management DB 60 based on the vehicle identification information. Specifically, the operation route extraction unit 33 references the operation management DB 60, obtains from the operation management DB 60 the operation route associated with the extracted vehicle identification information, and sets this as the specific operation route.

If the vehicle ID is extracted, the route extraction unit 33 obtains the route number from the first table T1 (see Figure 4) and obtains the route associated with that route number from the second table T2 (see Figure 4).

Furthermore, if the operation route extraction unit 33 is unable to extract a vehicle ID, it obtains the operation route associated with the extracted identification information from the second table T2. For example, if the operation route extraction unit 33 is able to extract a route number, it obtains the operation route associated with the route number. For example, if the operation route differs depending on the day of the week even if the route number is the same, the operation route extraction unit 33 obtains the operation route corresponding to the current day of the week based on the operation day column in the second table T2.

For example, if the route extraction unit 33 is able to extract a destination display, it acquires from the third table T3 a route whose destination is the destination listed on the destination display. For example, if the route extraction unit 33 is able to extract a fleet management company, it acquires from the second table T2 a route associated with that fleet management company. In these cases, if multiple routes are available, the route extraction unit 33 may, for example, acquire location information from the passenger terminal 10 and acquire a route whose location is included as a midpoint in the third table T3, or acquire a route whose date and time (day of the week) on which the vehicle image was captured is included in the operation day column of the second table T2.

Then, the operation route extraction unit 33 acquires point information associated with the acquired operation route from the third table T3 and extracts this point information as a specific operation route. For example, if the operation route "ROUTE-ID2" is acquired, the operation route extraction unit 33 extracts from the third table T3 the starting point "POINT2-1," the ending point "POINT2-2," the intermediate point "POINT2-3," etc. associated with "ROUTE-ID2" as a specific operation route.

The determination unit 34 is a functional unit that determines whether a destination is included in a specific operating route based on destination information. For example, if the destination information indicates "A," the determination unit 34 determines whether "A" is included in the specific operating route.

The notification control unit 35 is a functional unit that outputs the determination result of whether the vehicle included in the captured image will arrive at the destination to the passenger terminal 10, and causes the passenger terminal 10 to notify the passenger. The notification on the passenger terminal 10 can be made in various ways. For example, the notification control unit 35 may display the determination result on the display unit 16 of the passenger terminal 10. The notification control unit 35 may also notify the passenger terminal 10 by audio. The notification control unit 35 may also vibrate the passenger terminal 10 or flash the lights.

If the result of the determination is that the destination is not included in the specific operating route, the notification control unit 35 issues a warning via the passenger terminal 10. The notification may be in a form that can be confirmed at least by the passenger who boarded the vehicle by mistake, and may include, for example, a sound, a display on an appropriate display unit inside the vehicle, flashing lights, or other appropriate form. The notification may also include information that the passenger is about to board the wrong vehicle.

In addition, if the destination is not included in the specified operating route, the notification control unit 35 may also notify the characteristics of the vehicle that will arrive at the destination (for example, route name, line number, destination, vehicle exterior characteristics, etc.). In this case, the operating route extraction unit 33 obtains the operating route that includes the destination from the operation management DB 60, and the notification control unit 35 notifies this. The notification control unit 35 may also display a map including the position of the passenger terminal 10 on the passenger terminal 10, and provide information on the stop locations of the vehicle that will arrive at the destination (station platform number, stop name, etc.).

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow in which the operation information management device 30 notifies the determination result. In Figure 5, the process flow is explained using an example situation in which the owner of the passenger terminal 10 is waiting for a bus at a bus stop. Note that in the following explanation, the order of steps can be changed as appropriate.

(Step SP11)
The destination information acquisition unit 31 acquires destination information from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP12.

(Step SP12)
The vehicle image acquisition unit 32 acquires vehicle images from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP13.

(Step SP13)
The travel route extraction unit 33 analyzes the vehicle image. The process of analyzing the vehicle image (step SP13) includes multiple steps (steps SP14 to SP17).

(Step SP14)
The travel route extraction unit 33 attempts to extract a vehicle ID from the vehicle image. If a vehicle ID is extracted from the vehicle image (Yes in step SP14), the process proceeds to step SP18. If a vehicle ID is not extracted from the vehicle image (No in step SP14), the process proceeds to step SP15.

(Step SP15)
The route extraction unit 33 attempts to extract the route number displayed on the vehicle from the vehicle image. If the route number is extracted from the vehicle image (Yes in step SP15), the process proceeds to step SP18. If the route number is not extracted from the vehicle image (No in step SP15), the process proceeds to step SP16.

(Step SP16)
The route extraction unit 33 attempts to extract the destination sign displayed on the vehicle from the vehicle image. If the destination sign is extracted from the vehicle image (Yes in step SP16), the process proceeds to step SP18. If the destination sign is not extracted from the vehicle image (No in step SP16), the process proceeds to step SP17.

(Step SP17)
The operation route extraction unit 33 attempts to extract an image (mark) or text of the vehicle's operation management company from the vehicle image. If an operation management company is extracted from the vehicle image (Yes in step SP17), the process proceeds to step SP18. If an operation management company is not extracted from the vehicle image (No in step SP17), the process ends. At this time, the operation information management device 30 may issue an error notification via the notification control unit 35 and the passenger terminal 10 to the effect that processing cannot be performed (the vehicle's operation route cannot be extracted).

(Step SP18)
The operation route extraction unit 33 extracts a specific operation route from the operation management DB 60 based on the information extracted from the vehicle image in any one of steps SP14 to SP17.

(Step SP19)
The determination unit 34 determines whether the destination is included in the specific travel route, and the process then proceeds to step SP20.

(Step SP20)
The notification control unit 35 notifies the passenger terminal 10 of the determination result in step SP19.

This embodiment can prevent passengers from boarding the wrong vehicle on public transport. Furthermore, if the route extraction unit 33 is configured to extract the route based on the vehicle ID if it can read the vehicle ID, or to extract the route based on the vehicle's identification information if it cannot extract the vehicle ID, highly accurate information extraction can be achieved by prioritizing the extraction of information that can ensure extraction accuracy. Furthermore, if the extraction process for vehicle identification information is performed in stages and the extraction process is terminated when the route is extracted, the processing load can be reduced.

While this embodiment has been described using an example in which the starting point and the ending point are different (no circular route), it is also possible for the vehicle to travel on a circular route. If the third table T3 contains multiple operating routes that include both boarding and disembarking points, these routes can be determined to be circular routes. When the vehicle travels on a circular route, the operating route extraction unit 33 calculates the required time from the current location to the destination for each of the multiple operating routes, and designates the route with the shortest required time as the specific operating route. The required time can be calculated by extracting from the third table T3 the required time associated with the intermediate point where the destination is stored and the required time associated with the intermediate point where the current location is stored, and calculating the difference between these. Furthermore, when the vehicle travels on a circular route, the operating route extraction unit 33 may calculate the arrival time for each of the multiple operating routes from the acquired starting time extracted from the second table T2 and the required time to the destination (the intermediate point where the destination is stored) extracted from the third table T3, and designate the route with the earliest arrival time as the specific operating route.

Second Embodiment
Next, an operation information management system 2 including an operation information management device according to a second embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same elements and structures as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 2 including an operation information management device 30A according to the second embodiment. The operation information management system 2 includes a passenger terminal 10, an in-vehicle device 20, and an operation information management device 30A.

Operation information management device 30A differs from operation information management device 30 in that it acquires a specific operation route based on data transmitted from the vehicle. Passenger terminal 10 and on-board device 20 are configured to be able to communicate with operation information management device 30A via a communication network, such as a mobile communication network or wireless communication. Operation information management device 30A may be installed in a location different from the vehicle in which on-board device 20 is installed, or some of its functions may be installed in the vehicle together with on-board device 20. Furthermore, on-board device 20 and operation information management device 30A may be realized by a single hardware configuration.

The in-vehicle device 20 is a device that is installed in a transportation vehicle and is capable of communications (e.g., mobile communications). The in-vehicle device 20 mainly comprises a vehicle information transmission unit 21 and a notification unit 23.

The vehicle information transmission unit 21 is a functional unit that communicates with the passenger terminal 10 and/or the operation information management device 30A and transmits and receives information. When the passenger terminal 10 approaches or contacts the contact area, the vehicle information transmission unit 21 transmits information about the vehicle's operation route (specific operation route) to the operation information management device 30A.

The vehicle information transmission unit 21 and the passenger terminal 10 may communicate using wireless communication, such as an appropriate short-range wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or RFID technology.

The vehicle information transmission unit 21 may be housed in a housing having a contact area to which the passenger terminal 10 is brought close to or in contact. The contact area of the vehicle information transmission unit 21 is provided, for example, near the door of the vehicle (on the exterior wall or inside the vehicle). Note that a vehicle ID for passenger confirmation may be displayed near the contact area of the vehicle information transmission unit 21.

The notification unit 23 is, for example, a device that issues an alarm inside the vehicle. The notification unit 23 notifies passengers whether or not the specific operating route includes their destination. The notification unit 23 is equipped with, for example, a speaker or a display, and notifies passengers by voice, text, or video.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an outline of the electrical functional blocks of the traffic information management device 30A. The traffic information management device 30A mainly includes a destination information acquisition unit 31, a vehicle information acquisition unit 36, a determination unit 34, and a notification control unit 35A.

The vehicle information acquisition unit 36 is a functional unit that acquires the specific operating route from the on-board device 20 when communication between the passenger terminal 10 and the on-board device 20 installed in the vehicle occurs. When communication with the passenger terminal 10 is established or information is exchanged, the vehicle information transmission unit 21 transmits the specific operating route to the vehicle information acquisition unit 36, which receives it.

The vehicle information transmission unit 21 may transmit passenger destination information acquired through communication with the passenger terminal 10 along with the specified operating route to the vehicle information acquisition unit 36, the destination information acquisition unit 31 may receive the destination information, and the vehicle information acquisition unit 36 may receive the specified operating route. Even with this configuration, the operation information management device 30A can acquire the destination information and vehicle identification information to be matched in association with each other.

Like the notification control unit 35, the notification control unit 35A is a functional unit that outputs the determination result of whether or not the vehicle included in the captured image will arrive at the destination to the passenger terminal 10 and causes the passenger terminal 10 to notify the passenger. Furthermore, the notification control unit 35A causes the passenger terminal 10 to issue a warning when it is estimated that the passenger holding the passenger terminal 10 has boarded a vehicle that will not reach the destination. The notification control unit 35A may issue a warning not only via the passenger terminal 10, but also via the notification unit 23 of the in-vehicle device 20.

The notification control unit 35A may also cause the passenger terminal 10 and/or the in-vehicle device 20 to issue a notification when communication between the passenger terminal 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 is established, or when information is exchanged. The notification in this case is, for example, a notification indicating that communication between the passenger terminal 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 has been established. With this configuration, it becomes clear to passengers that the in-vehicle device 20 of the vehicle is compatible with the operation information management system 2 and that a determination has been made as to whether or not they have boarded the vehicle by mistake, which gives passengers a sense of security. Furthermore, the owner of the passenger terminal 10 will know that the operation information management system 2 is not compatible because no notification is issued.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow in which the operation information management device 30A notifies the determination result. In Figure 8, the process flow is explained using an example situation in which the owner of the passenger terminal 10 is waiting for a bus at a bus stop. Note that in the following explanation, the order of steps can be changed as appropriate.

(Step SP21)
When the passenger terminal 10 and the vehicle information transmission unit 21 communicate with each other, the destination information acquisition unit 31 acquires destination information from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP22.

(Step SP22)
The vehicle information acquisition unit 36 acquires the specific operating route from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP23.

(Step SP23)
The notification control unit 35A notifies the passenger terminal 10 that communication has been established between the passenger terminal 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 or that information has been exchanged, via the in-vehicle device 20. This notification may be made via the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP24.

(Step SP24)
The determination unit 34 determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route acquired from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to steps SP25 and SP26.

(Step SP25)
The notification control unit 35A notifies the passenger terminal 10 of the determination result.

(Step SP26)
The notification control unit 35A causes the notification unit 23 of the in-vehicle device 20 to notify the determination result.

This embodiment can prevent passengers from boarding the wrong vehicle on public transport. In particular, it is convenient for passengers because the operation information management device 30A can determine whether it is appropriate to board a vehicle simply by having the passenger terminal 10 communicate with the on-board device 20. Furthermore, because the operation information management device 30A receives the specific operation route from the on-board device 20, there is no risk of matching the wrong vehicle.

In this embodiment, the operation information management device 30A receives the specific operation route from the in-vehicle device 20, but the information that the operation information management device 30A receives from the in-vehicle device 20 is not limited to the specific operation route. For example, the operation information management device 30A may receive vehicle identification information from the in-vehicle device 20.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an outline of the electrical functional blocks of a traffic information management device 30B according to a modified example of the second embodiment and a traffic information management system 2A including the traffic information management device 30B. The traffic information management system 2A includes a passenger terminal 10, an in-vehicle device 20, a traffic information management device 30B, and a traffic management DB 60.

Like the operation information management device 30A, the operation information management device 30B acquires specific operation routes based on data transmitted from vehicles. The operation information management device 30B mainly includes a destination information acquisition unit 31, a vehicle information acquisition unit 36A, an operation route extraction unit 33A, a determination unit 34, and a notification control unit 35A.

The vehicle information acquisition unit 36A is a functional unit that acquires vehicle identification information or operating route from the on-board device 20 when communication between the passenger terminal 10 and the on-board device 20 installed in the vehicle occurs. When communication with the passenger terminal 10 is established or information is exchanged, the vehicle information transmission unit 21 transmits the vehicle identification information or operating route to the vehicle information acquisition unit 36A, which receives it.

When the vehicle information acquisition unit 36A acquires vehicle identification information from the in-vehicle device 20, it outputs the vehicle identification information to the travel route extraction unit 33A.

The operation route extraction unit 33A extracts a specific operation route from the operation management DB 60 based on the vehicle identification information acquired from the vehicle information acquisition unit 36A. The process by which the operation route extraction unit 33A extracts a specific operation route from the operation management DB 60 is the same as that of the operation route extraction unit 33.

The processing flow of the operation information management device 30B is the same as that of the operation information management device 30A (see Figure 8). In the case of the operation information management device 30B, in step SP24 of Figure 8, the operation route extraction unit 33A extracts a specific operation route from the operation management DB 60, and the determination unit 34 determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route extracted from the operation management DB 60.

According to this modified example, the operation information management device 30B can determine whether or not a passenger is allowed to board a train simply by having the passenger terminal 10 communicate with the in-vehicle device 20, making it easy to prevent passengers from boarding the wrong train on public transport.

Third Embodiment
Next, an operation information management system 3 including an operation information management device according to a third embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same elements and structures as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an operation information management system 3 including an operation information management device 30C according to the third embodiment. The operation information management system 3 includes a passenger terminal 10, an operation information management device 30C, and an operation management DB 60.

The operation information management device 30C differs from the operation information management device 30 according to the first embodiment in that it accepts input of a vehicle ID from a passenger terminal 10 and extracts a route based on that vehicle ID. The operation information management device 30C mainly includes a destination information acquisition unit 31, a vehicle ID acquisition unit 37, a route extraction unit 33B, a determination unit 34, and a notification control unit 35A.

The vehicle ID acquisition unit 37 is a functional unit that accepts input from the passenger terminal 10. Passengers input a vehicle ID that identifies a vehicle or a travel route into the passenger terminal 10. The vehicle ID is displayed in a manner that is visible to passengers, for example, on the exterior surface of the vehicle or near the boarding and alighting doors. In this embodiment, the vehicle ID is displayed as a character string. The vehicle ID acquisition unit 37 outputs the input vehicle ID to the travel route extraction unit 33.

The operation route extraction unit 33B extracts a specific operation route from the operation management DB 60 based on the vehicle ID acquired from the vehicle ID acquisition unit 37. The process by which the operation route extraction unit 33B extracts a specific operation route from the operation management DB 60 is the same as that of the operation route extraction unit 33.

Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow in which the operation information management device 30C notifies the determination result. In Figure 11, the process flow is explained using an example situation in which the owner of the passenger terminal 10 is waiting for a bus at a bus stop. Note that in the following explanation, the order of steps can be changed as appropriate.

(Step SP31)
The destination information acquisition unit 31 acquires destination information from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP32.

(Step SP32)
The vehicle ID acquisition unit 37 acquires the vehicle ID from the passenger terminal 10. Then, the process proceeds to step SP33.

(Step SP33)
The operation route extraction unit 33 extracts a specific operation route from the operation management DB 60 based on the vehicle ID. Then, the process proceeds to step SP34.

(Step SP34)
The determination unit 34 determines whether the destination is included in the specific travel route, and the process then proceeds to step SP35.

(Step SP35)
The notification control unit 35 notifies the passenger terminal 10 of the determination result in step SP34.

This embodiment allows the vehicle's route to be accurately extracted based on the identification information displayed on the vehicle, preventing passengers from boarding the wrong vehicle.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment and includes design modifications and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2, 2A, 3: Operation information management system 10: passenger terminal 11: input unit 12: memory unit 13: imaging unit 14: code reading unit 15: communication processing unit 16: display unit 20: in-vehicle device 21: vehicle information transmission unit 23: notification unit 30, 30A, 30B, 30C: operation information management device 31: destination information acquisition unit 32: vehicle image acquisition unit 33, 33A, 33B: operation route extraction unit 34: determination unit 35, 35A: notification control unit 36, 36A: vehicle information acquisition unit 37: vehicle ID acquisition unit 50: control device 52: communication device 54: storage device 58: memory 60: operation management DB

Claims (7)

a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from the passenger terminal;
a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires a specific driving route that is a driving route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle;
a determination unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route and the destination information;
a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of a result of the determination made by the determination unit;
Equipped with
The vehicle information acquisition unit receives the specific travel route in response to communication between the passenger terminal and an in-vehicle device provided in the vehicle.
An operation information management device characterized by: 2. The operation information management device according to claim 1 , which is connected to an operation management database in which information about operation routes is stored,
a route extraction unit that extracts the specific route from the operation management database;
the vehicle information acquisition unit acquires identification information of the vehicle;
The operation route extraction unit extracts the specific operation route based on the identification information,
The operation information management device, wherein the determination unit determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route extracted by the operation route extraction unit and the destination information. 3. The operation information management device according to claim 2 ,
The operation information management device, wherein the operation route extraction unit extracts the specific operation route by referring to a date and/or a day of the week. 4. The operation information management device according to claim 1 ,
The operation information management device, wherein the notification control unit issues a warning via the passenger terminal when the destination is not included in the operation route. 2. The operation information management device according to claim 1 ,
The operation information management device is characterized in that the notification control unit causes the passenger terminal and/or the in-vehicle device to make a notification when communication between the passenger terminal and the in-vehicle device is established or when information is exchanged. a destination information acquisition step of acquiring destination information, which is information relating to a destination, from a passenger terminal;
a vehicle information acquisition step of acquiring a specific driving route, which is a driving route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle;
a determining step of determining whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route and the destination information;
a notification control step of notifying the passenger terminal of the result of the determination made in the determination step;
Including,
The vehicle information acquisition step receives the specific travel route in response to communication between the passenger terminal and an in-vehicle device provided in the vehicle.
A method for managing operation information. The computer includes at least a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information, which is information about a destination, from a passenger terminal;
a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires a specific driving route, which is a driving route of the vehicle transmitted from the vehicle;
a determination unit that determines whether the destination is included in the specific operation route based on the specific operation route and the destination information;
a notification control unit that notifies the passenger terminal of the result of the determination by the determination unit;
It functions as
The vehicle information acquisition unit receives the specific travel route in response to communication between the passenger terminal and an in-vehicle device provided in the vehicle.
An operation information management program characterized by: