JP7801859B2 - SDGs Contribution Points System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to technology that contributes to the achievement of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), and in particular to technology applied to the SDGs contribution point system that contributes to the achievement of goals related to reducing environmental impact.

In recent years, interest in the SDGs has been growing on a global scale. Some of the SDGs, such as "Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts," are related to reducing environmental impacts, such as reducing _CO2 emissions. However, because the goals are abstract, it can be difficult for individuals to understand how they can act and implement their actions to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.

As a mechanism for raising individuals' awareness of actions that contribute to reducing environmental impact, for example, Japanese Patent No. 5835734 (Patent Document 1) describes an eco-contribution point system that measures travel routes from changes in location information acquired by a member's mobile device, estimates the means of transportation along the travel route from travel distance, travel speed, and step count, registers the travel route and means of transportation used daily by the member as a regular route, and recommends alternative routes and means of transportation that are deemed to contribute more to reducing environmental impact or promoting health than the registered regular route as eco-routes; and calculates and awards bonus points for eco-contributions if the route actually traveled by the member is an eco-route that replaces the regular route.

In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-230509 (Patent Document 2) describes an environmental load reduction system that enables users to receive benefits such as discounts on communication fees in accordance with their efforts to reduce environmental load, based on, for example, their total monthly travel distance and the degree to which they use each means of transportation relative to that distance, by detecting the location of their mobile communication device and communicating via a wireless tag. Stores can also receive similar benefits by eliminating the need for plastic bags and paper receipts, thereby raising awareness of the need to reduce environmental load and encouraging people to actively choose the most appropriate methods for reducing it.

In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2019-15595 (Patent Document 3) describes a display device that calculates a first amount of carbon dioxide emissions resulting from a vehicle traveling along a first route from a departure point to a destination using a vehicle, based on power information for the power stored in a vehicle battery that stores the power used to travel the vehicle, calculates a second amount of carbon dioxide emissions resulting from traveling along the second route by public transportation, based on a second route from a departure point to a destination using public transportation, and displays information encouraging the user to reduce carbon dioxide emissions based on the first and second emissions.

Patent No. 5835734 JP 2009-230509 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-15595

The conventional technology described above can encourage and raise awareness among individuals of actions that can contribute to reducing environmental impact.

On the other hand, companies that cannot avoid placing an environmental burden when providing services to customers, such as those operating public transportation such as trains and buses, are continually working to reduce their environmental impact as part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) measures, but they are limited to appealing to shareholders and other stakeholders and have yet to gain recognition from the general public, which is an issue.

The object of the present invention is to provide an SDGs contribution points system that enables companies to communicate to customers that they are continuously implementing measures to reduce environmental impact by linking them to contributions to the SDGs, and that also enables customers to continue using the company's services and maintain an interest in the SDGs.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description and accompanying drawings of this specification.

A brief summary of the representative inventions disclosed in this application is as follows:

An SDGs contribution point system according to a representative embodiment of the present invention is an SDGs contribution point system that awards points to a user in accordance with the user's contribution to reducing environmental load by traveling from a travel start location to an travel end location using a passenger transportation service, and includes: a travel detection unit that detects that the user has started traveling from the travel start location and ended traveling at the travel end location; a travel content determination unit that determines travel content including information on the travel start location, the travel end location, and the means of transportation and records this in a travel history recording unit; an environmental load calculation unit that calculates a first amount of _CO2 emissions per person related to the travel using the passenger transportation service and a second amount of _CO2 emissions per person assuming that the user traveled from the travel start location to the travel end location in a commonly used passenger car; and a point calculation unit that calculates and records the points to be awarded to the user in accordance with the amount of reduction in the first _CO2 emissions from the second _CO2 emissions.

The effects achieved by representative inventions disclosed in this application can be briefly explained as follows:

In other words, according to a representative embodiment of the present invention, it is possible for a company to communicate and appeal to customers that it is continuously implementing measures to reduce environmental impact by linking this to its contribution to the SDGs. It is also possible to encourage customers to continue using the company's services and maintain their interest in the SDGs.

1 is a diagram showing an overview of an example of the configuration of an SDGs contribution point system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an example of grasping the start and end of travel using a passenger transport service in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an example of a screen of an SDGs application according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart outlining an example of a processing flow for assigning SDGs contribution points in one embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In all drawings used to explain the embodiments, identical parts will generally be given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted. However, parts that have been described using reference numerals in one drawing may be referred to using the same reference numerals when explaining other drawings, although they will not be shown again.

<Overview>
The SDGs contribution point system, which is one embodiment of the present invention, is an information processing system that calculates the extent to which CO2 emissions (or electricity consumption) per person can be reduced by using public transportation such as trains or buses (hybrid or fuel cell type) that can transport large numbers of people instead of passenger _cars when traveling, compared to traveling in commonly used passenger cars (hereinafter simply referred to as ``passenger cars''), and awards the user points (hereinafter referred to as ``SDGs contribution points'') calculated according to the amount of reduction.

In this embodiment, for example, public transportation such as trains and buses are operated and provided to users as a service by companies such as railway companies (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "service provider companies"), and the service provider companies award SDG contribution points to users for contributing to reducing environmental impact by using their own services (which may include affiliated companies, partner companies, etc.). Users can use the awarded SDG contribution points when using various services provided by the service provider companies (which may include affiliated companies, partner companies, etc.) to receive benefits such as fare discounts.

As a result, by using trains or buses instead of cars or taxis when traveling, users can earn SDG contribution points, and if a railway company or the like implements measures to reduce environmental impact, such as introducing new vehicles with reduced _CO2 emissions or increasing the proportion of clean energy in the electricity it uses, users can earn more SDG contribution points by using services that apply such measures.In other words, users can be provided with an incentive to not only use trains or buses when traveling, but also to actively and continuously use services that have been implemented by service providers that apply measures to reduce environmental impact.

<System Configuration>
1 is a diagram showing an overview of an example configuration of an SDGs contribution point system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The SDGs contribution point system 1 is an information processing system operated by a service provider that provides passenger transportation services by public transportation, such as a railway company, or by a business operator commissioned by such a company, and calculates the amount of CO2 emissions (or electricity consumption) reduced when a user ₂ travels using the company's passenger transportation service (for example, transportation by railcar 4 or route bus 5) compared to traveling the same distance by car, and calculates and awards SDGs contribution points to the user 2 according to the amount of reduction.

The SDGs contribution point system 1 is composed of, for example, an SDGs point management server 10, a user terminal 3 which is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone held by each user 2, an SDGs application 30 which is an application program installed on the user terminal 3, and a movement detection unit 31. The example in Figure 1 shows a case where the SDGs application 30 is implemented as a smartphone application, but it can also be configured to be implemented as a web application used via a web browser on a PC (personal computer) (not shown). In this case, some of the components of the SDGs application 30 can also be located and implemented on the SDGs point management server 10 side.

The SDGs point management server 10 is configured, for example, from server equipment or a virtual server built on a cloud computing service, and uses a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown) to execute middleware such as an OS (Operating System), DBMS (DataBase Management System), and web server program deployed to memory from a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), as well as software running on top of these, thereby realizing various functions related to the management of user account information and SDG contribution points.

The SDGs point management server 10 has various parts, such as a point management unit 11 implemented as software. It also has data stores such as point management data 12 and movement history data 13 implemented as databases or file tables. It also has a function to manage the account information of each user 2 and a table that stores account information (not specifically shown).

The point management unit 11 has the function of linking with the SDGs application 30 on the user terminal 3 owned by each user 2 via a network 20 such as the Internet to grant and use SDG contribution points to each user 2, manage point balances, etc. The balance of SDG contribution points associated with each user 2's account and historical data on granting and use are recorded and managed in point management data 12. The movement history data 13 is a table that holds movement history information (boarding location, disembarking location, means of transportation used, date and time, etc.) obtained based on information obtained from the user terminal 3 when each user 2 travels using passenger transportation services provided by the service provider company.

The user terminal 3 has, for example, an SDGs application 30 and a movement detection unit 31. The SDGs application 30 is software that runs on the user terminal 3 and has various units, such as a movement content determination unit 32, an environmental load calculation unit 33, and a point calculation unit 34. It also has various data stores, such as movement history data 35, calculation conditions 36, and point information 37, implemented as databases or file tables.

The movement detection unit 31 has the function of detecting the start and end of movement when user 2 uses a passenger transportation service provided by a service provider. The detected start and end of movement information includes at least the location where user 2 started and ended their movement (station, stop, etc.), and information identifying the vehicle in which user 2 boarded, or information required to identify this. Furthermore, if the SDGs application 30 is not running when the movement detection unit 31 detects this information, it will start it.

The movement content determination unit 32 of the SDGs application 30 has the function of determining the movement content of the user 2 based on the detection results of the movement detection unit 31, etc., and recording this as history in the movement history data 35.

Figure 2 is a diagram outlining an example of determining the start and end of travel using a passenger transport service in one embodiment of the present invention. The example in Figure 2 shows a situation in which a railway vehicle 4 that a user 2 is about to board is parked within a station. Here, the movement detection unit 31 uses the NFC (Near Field Communication) function and GPS (Global Positioning System) position detection function that are generally provided in a user terminal 3.

User 2 passes through the automatic ticket gate 41 at the boarding station to enter and board the desired railway car 4. At this time, the user brings the user terminal 3 close to an NFC tag 42 installed near the entrance/exit of the railway car 4, and the movement detection unit 31 reads information identifying the railway car 4 recorded on the NFC tag 42. This triggers the launch of the SDGs application 30, and the movement content determination unit 32 determines which of the multiple coupled railway cars 4 the user has boarded based on the information read by the movement detection unit 31, and identifies the boarding station from the current location information detected by the GPS function.

Note that the boarding station identified here may not be the time when user 2 boards train 4, as the timing at which user 2 reads the information recorded on NFC tag 42 is up to user 2. Meanwhile, with transportation IC cards such as Suica (registered trademark) now widely used, automatic ticket gates 41 and IC card readers are installed at most stations, and the external system that operates these transportation IC cards holds information about the station where the automatic ticket gate 41 that was passed through is located.

Accurate boarding station information can be obtained by referencing this information, but there may be a time lag before the information that user 2 has passed through the automatic ticket gate 41 is reflected in the external system and becomes available for reference. Therefore, the identification (confirmation) of the boarding station based on information from the passed automatic ticket gate 41 is performed separately and asynchronously as a complement, such as after user 2 has completed their movement, and the boarding station identified in real time based on reading the information recorded in the above-mentioned NFC tag 42 and the location information detected by the GPS function is treated as provisional. Note that, in order for the SDGs application 30 to be able to obtain information about the automatic ticket gate 41 (boarding station) that user 2 has passed through from an external system, it is necessary to associate and store information from user 2's transportation IC card in the SDGs application 30 in advance.

When User 2 disembarks, the procedure is basically the reverse of that for boarding. When User 2 disembarks from the target railway vehicle 4, he or she brings the user terminal 3 close to an NFC tag 42 installed near the entrance/exit of the railway vehicle 4, and the movement detection unit 31 reads the information recorded on the NFC tag 42. The movement content determination unit 32 determines the disembarking station, which is the end of the movement, based on the location information detected by the GPS function when the movement detection unit 31 reads the information.

In this procedure, it is thought that, particularly at the end of the journey (disembarking), it is likely that user 2 will disembark without having the information recorded on NFC tag 42 read by user terminal 3. Therefore, for example, the end of the journey can be determined by obtaining the travel speed from changes in location information detected by the GPS function, and detecting the change (deceleration) in travel speed in the travel detection unit 31 or travel content determination unit 32, and the disembarking station can be identified based on the location information at that time.

The information about the destination station identified in this way may also be treated as provisional, and when User 2 subsequently passes through the automatic ticket gate 41 at the destination station and exits, the information about the destination station recorded as history in the external system that operates the transportation IC card may be separately acquired and supplemented.

The same applies when user 2 travels using route bus 5. When boarding route bus 5, user 2 reads their transportation IC card using an IC card reader (equivalent to automatic ticket gate 41) installed near the boarding/alighting entrance of route bus 5. This makes it possible to obtain information about the confirmed boarding location (bus stop) from a separate external system. User 2 then brings user terminal 3 close to NFC tag 42 installed near the boarding/alighting entrance and reads the recorded information using movement detection unit 31. The movement content determination unit 32 obtains information identifying the route bus 5 that user 2 boarded based on the information read by movement detection unit 31, and tentatively identifies the bus stop that is the starting location of the movement based on location information detected by the GPS function.

Similarly, when getting off route bus 5, user 2 has an IC card reader installed near the boarding/alighting entrance read their transportation IC card, and brings user terminal 3 close to NFC tag 42, which provisionally identifies the bus stop where their journey ends based on the location information detected by the GPS function at that time. Alternatively, instead of reading NFC tag 42, the end of their journey is determined based on the change (deceleration) in their journey speed detected by the GPS function, and their disembarkation location is identified.

The NFC tag 42 can be installed or posted in a location that is easy for users 2 to see and access, such as near the entrances and exits or boarding/alighting areas of trains 4 or route buses 5, by embedding or attaching it to posters, flyers, or guide signs that display a message encouraging users to bring their user terminal 3 closer.

In cases where the user terminal 3 does not have an NFC function, instead of using the NFC function to read the information recorded on the NFC tag 42, the movement detection unit 31 may display a QR code (registered trademark) representing the same content, and the information may be read using the QR code reading function of the user terminal 3's built-in camera.

Instead of the configuration in which the movement detection unit 31 of the user terminal 3 reads information recorded on a medium such as an NFC tag 42 or QR code as described above, if the user terminal 3 is equipped with a transportation IC card application with a payment function such as Mobile Suica (registered trademark), or if such a payment function is incorporated as the SDGs application 30, it is possible to configure the user terminal 3 to communicate with an IC card reader when the user 2 passes through an automatic ticket gate 41 at a station or boards or disembarks a route bus 5, so that the SDGs application 30 can share and link information about boarding and disembarking stations and stops obtained by the transportation IC card application within the user terminal 30.

It is also possible to use the GPS's location detection function to determine the route and trajectory of travel and the time of travel, thereby identifying the stations and stops where passengers board and disembark. For example, each station has designated entrances and exits, and User 2, whose GPS location information indicates that he or she has passed through one of those entrances or exits, is determined to have used that station. Which stations are the boarding and disembarking stations can be determined by tracking the trajectory of travel determined by the GPS function.

By using the GPS function, for example, it is possible to identify which of multiple coupled railway cars 4 the user 2 boarded by comparing the user's trajectory with the trajectory obtained by the GPS function for each railway car 4. It is also possible to detect the start and end of movement based on changes in travel speed, and to identify which car the user boarded based on the date and time information at that time, as well as timetables and other passenger transport service operation information. Furthermore, by performing these identifications, it is also possible to determine the boarding and disembarking stations.

Furthermore, for example, by installing BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacons inside each train car 4 or route bus 5, the BLE communication function generally provided on user terminals 3 such as smartphones can automatically detect whether users 2 are getting on or off the vehicle and obtain vehicle information, and by combining this with detection of changes in movement speed using GPS functions, it is possible to automatically grasp movement information. Note that it is also possible to appropriately combine the various detection methods described above for each type of boarding/disembarking, station, or stop.

Returning to FIG. 1 , the travel content information recorded by the travel content determination unit 32 in the travel history data ₃₅ includes, for example, the user 2's means of transportation (type of train 4, route bus 5, etc.), the start and end locations (stations and stops) of the travel, and the dates and times. Except in cases where CO2 emissions can be measured directly in real time using a sensor (not shown), information on the make and model of the vehicle used by the user 2 is also obtained and recorded. This makes it possible to understand differences in specifications that affect the power consumption ( _CO2 emissions) of the vehicle used by the user 2, and to take this into account when calculating _CO2 emissions. Information on stopovers and routes, the type of train (such as express or limited express), etc., may be obtained by referring to timetables and other passenger transportation service operation information.

Furthermore, as described above, if an NFC tag 42 or a QR code is placed near the entrance of the railcar 4 and the movement detection unit 31 of the user terminal 3 reads the NFC tag 42 or the QR code to detect which of multiple coupled railcars 4 the user has boarded, this information is also recorded as history in the movement history data 35. This information makes it possible to identify the congestion status of the railcar that the user 2 actually boarded, and this can be taken into consideration when calculating _CO2 emissions and when awarding SDG contribution points.

In addition, if for some reason it is not possible to capture events at the time of boarding and/or disembarking (usually the travel distance is considered to be relatively short), it is possible to simulate a certain travel distance as the travel content.

The environmental load calculation unit 33 has a function to calculate the amount of _CO2 estimated to have been emitted by a specified trip. In this embodiment, _CO2 is the target, but other environmental load indicators, such as emissions of other greenhouse gases such as chlorofluorocarbons, methane, and _N2O , or electricity consumption, may also be used. The environmental load calculation unit 33 also has a function to calculate the amount of _CO2 estimated to have been emitted if the person had traveled between the same points as the trip by passenger car. In the case of travel by railcar 4, or if the route bus 5 is an electric vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle, if a power source that does not directly emit _CO2 is used in whole or in part during travel, the amount of _CO2 estimated to have been emitted when generating these is converted using a predetermined calculation formula based on the amount of power consumed, the amount of fuel used such as hydrogen, etc.

For example, in the case of electricity, the amount of CO2 emitted to generate the electricity may be more precisely estimated based on information on the ratio of power generation means (thermal power, hydroelectric power, nuclear power, renewable energy such as solar power or wind power, etc.) related to the electricity procured for the operation of the railway vehicles ₄ , etc. The ratio of power generation means does not have to be the actual ratio, and may be simply set, for example, in the morning hours on a clear day, as 20% solar power generation, 20% nighttime electricity (hydroelectric power), and the remaining 60% normal electricity.

Various calculation formulas and conditions, such as simple ratio information of such power generation means, calculation formulas and various conditions for estimating _CO2 emissions (power consumption) based on the specifications of each vehicle of the railway car 4 and each route bus 5, and calculation formulas and various conditions for estimating _CO2 emissions when traveling by passenger car, can be recorded in advance in the calculation conditions 36. Note that if _CO2 emissions can be directly measured by a sensor or the like, the measured _CO2 emissions value may be used.

Since railway vehicles 4 and route buses 5 can transport many people in one vehicle, they can reduce _CO2 emissions per person compared to passenger cars, etc. Therefore, in this embodiment, for example, the CO2 emissions per unit distance of the vehicle used for travel are acquired or calculated, and this is multiplied by the distance between each station or stop on the travel route to determine the _CO2 emissions between stations or stops. Also, the number of passengers on the vehicle between each station or stop is acquired, and the _CO2 emissions between stations or stops are divided by the number of passengers on the vehicle to calculate the _CO2 emissions per person for each station or stop, and these are added up for the entire travel route to calculate _{the CO2} emissions per person for the entire travel route.

The _CO2 emissions per unit distance of a vehicle vary depending on the type and conditions of travel. For example, _CO2 emissions per unit distance increase during rush hour due to traffic congestion and congested schedules, resulting in slow driving. It can also vary depending on the month and day of the week. Furthermore, as the number of passengers in a vehicle increases, the vehicle weight also increases, resulting in increased _CO2 emissions per unit distance. These conditions, for example, can be set in advance as reference values in the calculation conditions 36. If _CO2 emissions can be directly measured by the vehicle, this can be used.

As described above, in this embodiment, the train 4 or route bus 5 that the user 2 is actually riding is identified and its specifications and congestion level are taken into consideration to calculate the _CO2 emissions, but the vehicle may not be identified, i.e., the _CO2 emissions and SDG contribution points may be calculated based on information about the boarding and disembarking locations. For example, by calculating the CO2 emissions between each station or stop in advance from the average _CO2 emissions of all vehicles and recording this in the calculation conditions 36, _the corresponding _CO2 emissions can be obtained from information about the boarding and disembarking locations.

The number of passengers in a vehicle can be defined in units of month, day of the week, time period, region, route, section, etc. based on past statistical data and set in calculation conditions 36. Alternatively, for example, the actual number of passengers can be measured using image recognition technology based on images taken by a camera installed inside the vehicle, or the number of passengers boarding and disembarking can be measured using infrared sensors installed at the vehicle entrances and exits or boarding/alighting doors, and the current number of passengers can be calculated from the difference between the number of paper tickets and numbered tickets issued when boarding and the number collected, or the difference between the number of people boarding and disembarking using a transportation IC card.

Regarding _CO2 emissions when traveling by passenger car, for example, a standard value of _CO2 emissions per unit distance set in calculation conditions 36, which is set using a commonly used passenger car as a model, is acquired, and this is multiplied by the travel distance to obtain _CO2 emissions per person. Since _CO2 emissions per unit distance increase in traffic congestion, as with route buses 5, standard values may be set in calculation conditions 36 for units such as month, day of the week, time period, or region. Traffic congestion information provided by VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System, registered trademark) or Google (registered trademark) may be acquired and categorized into several levels, and the congestion situation may be reflected by multiplying the information by a coefficient corresponding to the category.

The travel distance by passenger car may be set to the same value as the travel route by railcar 4 or route bus 5, or may be set to an appropriate condition such as the distance of the shortest route when traveling on a road between the boarding point and the disembarking point, or a simple straight-line distance. In the case of traffic congestion, the travel time increases and _CO2 emissions are expected to increase, so this may be reflected by setting a coefficient according to the travel time and multiplying this.

The point calculation unit 34 has a function of comparing the CO2 emissions associated with the user 2's travel using the passenger transportation service, calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 33, with the _CO2 emissions if the same travel were made by passenger car, to calculate the amount of _{CO2 emissions} reduced by using the passenger transportation service, and calculating SDG contribution points according to that amount and awarding them to the user 2. Information on the awarded SDG contribution points and information related to their use is recorded in point information 37, and is also transmitted to the SDG point management server 10 via the network 20 and managed by the point management unit 11. A configuration may also be adopted in which information necessary for calculating the SDG contribution points is transmitted to the SDG point management server 10, the SDG contribution points are calculated and awarded on the server side, and the information is then transmitted to the SDG application 30.

User 2 can use the SDG contribution points they have been awarded when using passenger transportation services or other services provided by service providers, etc., in the same way as with general point services, to receive benefits such as discounts on fares. For example, when User 2 uses a service via User Terminal 3 and makes payment for it, SDG application 30 references point information 37 or queries SDG point management server 10 to obtain information on User 2's current points.

Then, after the usage fee (discounted by applying the number of points specified by User 2) is paid via an external payment system or the like related to the use of the service, the points used for the payment are subtracted from the held points and recorded in point information 37. Alternatively, information related to the point deduction is sent to the SDGs point management server 10, and the point management unit 11 updates the held point information of User 2 recorded in point management data 12 based on the sent information.

By traveling using passenger transportation services, users 2 can receive SDG contribution points for reducing _CO2 emissions compared to traveling by car, providing an incentive to use passenger transportation services. Furthermore, since the greater the amount of _CO2 emissions reduction, the more SDG contribution points are awarded, users 2 are incentivized to choose transportation methods that result in lower _CO2 emissions, even when using the same passenger transportation service. For example, users ₂ can be encouraged to avoid rush hour travel, when CO2 emissions from vehicles are high due to traffic congestion, or to select new, lower- _CO2 -emitting vehicles introduced by the service provider when riding trains 4 or route buses 5.

On the other hand, if the number of passengers in the vehicle in which User 2 is riding is large, the _CO2 emissions per person will be low, so it is conceivable that there will be an incentive for User 2 to deliberately ride in a crowded vehicle when traveling, for example, by railroad vehicle 4. Here, since a crowded and heavier vehicle generally emits more _CO2 , it is conceivable that if the number of passengers increases beyond a certain level and the vehicle becomes excessively crowded, the _CO2 emissions per person will increase (the calculation method in the environmental load calculation unit 33 may be set in this manner). Furthermore, from the perspective of avoiding so-called "crowding" as a countermeasure against COVID-19, which has become an important issue in recent years, the calculation conditions may be adjusted, such as by reducing the number of SDG contribution points awarded in situations where the vehicle is crowded above a certain level.

As described above, the SDGs contribution point system 1 of this embodiment can calculate the amount of _CO2 emissions reduction associated with the travel of each user 2, which means that it can also calculate the total amount of _CO2 emissions reduction for all users 2 who used a service provider's passenger transportation service via this system over a specified period. In other words, it can calculate the service provider's annual _CO2 emission reduction contribution. By having multiple service providers use this system, it is possible to compare and display the _CO2 emission reduction contributions of these companies. This can provide incentives for each service provider to engage in business activities that further increase their contribution to _CO2 emission reduction. Furthermore, for users 2, using this system for all passenger transportation services they use also increases convenience.

<User Interface>
FIG. 3 is a diagram outlining an example screen of the SDGs application 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, an example is shown in which a user 2 travels by railcar 4 as part of a passenger transportation service. The example screen displays, from the top row, information such as the operating status of the railcar 4 currently being used, the amount of electricity consumed and _CO2 emissions per kilometer traveled by the railcar 4, the number of SDG contribution points to be acquired, and the target number and current number of SDG contribution points to be acquired each month. The SDGs application 30 may be used to allow the user 2 to use the accumulated SDG contribution points. Information on measures being implemented by service providers to achieve the SDGs may also be provided.

Through this screen, User 2 can grasp information such as how much the passenger transport service they are currently using can contribute to achieving the SDGs, and how much they have contributed to achieving the SDGs so far through the SDG contribution points they have earned. Service providers can then promote their activities that contribute to achieving the SDGs, and encourage User 2 to use the services they provide, including passenger transport services.

<Processing flow>
4 is a flowchart outlining an example of the process flow for assigning SDGs contribution points in one embodiment of the present invention. In this example, a user 2 travels by train 4, and automatic ticket gates 41 are installed at each station, and an NFC tag 42 storing information identifying the train 4 is installed near the entrance or exit of each train 4.

First, user 2 approaches the automated ticket gate 41 at the boarding station with their transportation IC card or a user terminal 3 with a transportation IC card payment function and passes through (enters), and the information about the boarding station is recorded as history in the external system that operates the transportation IC card and identified (S01).

Next, when user 2 actually boards railway vehicle 4, user 2 brings user terminal 3 close to NFC tag 42 installed near the entrance/exit of railway vehicle 4, and the information is read using the NFC function of movement detection unit 31, which launches SDGs application 30. Then, movement content determination unit 32 identifies the time when user 2 boarded railway vehicle 4 (started movement) and which of multiple coupled railway vehicles 4 the user boarded. This is recorded in movement history data 35 together with information on the boarding station tentatively identified based on location information obtained using the GPS function and changes in movement speed (S02).

In this embodiment, the SDGs application 30 is launched when the movement detection unit 31 of the user terminal 3 reads information from the NFC tag 42, but the movement detection unit 31 of the user terminal 3 may also be configured to read information from the NFC tag 42 while the SDGs application 30 is running.

After that, when user 2 arrives at the destination station, user 2 brings user terminal 3 close to NFC tag 42 installed near the entrance/exit of railway vehicle 4, and the information is read using the NFC function of movement detection unit 31, or the movement content determination unit 32 determines the time when user 2 disembarked from railway vehicle 4 (ended movement) based on the location information and changes in movement speed obtained using the GPS function, and records this information in movement history data 35 together with information on the disembarking station tentatively determined based on the location information and changes in movement speed obtained using the GPS function (S03).

Then, when User 2 approaches the transportation IC card or user terminal 3 to pass through (exit) the automatic ticket gate 41 at the destination station, the information about the destination station is recorded as history in the external system that operates the transportation IC card and identified (S04).

Thereafter, the environmental load calculation unit 33 obtains information on the confirmed boarding and disembarking stations recorded as history from an external system that operates the transportation IC card (S05), and calculates the amount of CO2 emissions associated with the travel of the user 2 based on this information and the data related to the travel details recorded in the travel history data 35, with reference to the various conditions set in the calculation conditions 36 (S06).The environmental load calculation unit 33 also calculates the amount of _{CO2 emissions} if the same travel were made by passenger car (S07).

Thereafter, the point calculation unit 34 compares the CO2 emissions associated with the trip using the railcar 4 calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 33 with the _CO2 emissions if the same trip were taken by passenger car to calculate the amount of _{CO2 emissions} reduction resulting from the use of the railcar 4, and calculates SDG contribution points according to a predetermined standard based on this value (S08).The points are then recorded in the point information 37 as points to be awarded to the user 2, and this is also registered in the SDG point management server 10.The fact that the SDG contribution points have been awarded is then notified to the user 2 via the screen of the SDG application 30 as shown in Figure 3, or via email, SNS, etc. (S09), and the process ends.

In this embodiment, after the user 2 has completed a trip using the passenger transport service, the amount of _CO2 emissions reduced throughout the entire trip is calculated, and SDG contribution points are calculated and awarded according to the amount of reduction, but the timing for calculating SDG contribution points is not limited to this. For example, during the trip, i.e., between steps S02 and S03, in real time or at regular intervals, the current location may be determined using a GPS function or the like provided in the user terminal 3, and the _CO2 emissions from the trip to that location may be calculated sequentially, and the provisional SDG contribution points up to that point may be calculated and displayed on a screen such as that shown in FIG.

As described above, according to the SDGs contribution point system 1 which is one embodiment of the present invention, for example, when user 2 travels using a passenger transportation service consisting of public transportation such as a railway vehicle 4 or a route bus 5 instead of a passenger car, it is possible to calculate the extent to which _CO2 emissions per person have been reduced compared to traveling by passenger car, and to award SDGs contribution points calculated according to the amount of reduction to user 2.

As a result, User 2 not only earns SDG contribution points, but if the service provider is implementing measures to reduce environmental impact, User 2 can earn even more SDG contribution points by using services that apply those measures. In other words, User 2 can be given an incentive to not only use trains 4 and route buses 5 when traveling, but also to actively and continuously use services that apply environmental impact reduction measures. Furthermore, service providers can communicate and appeal to User 2 that they are continuously implementing measures to reduce environmental impact by linking it to their contribution to the SDGs.

The invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the above embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the invention, and the invention is not necessarily limited to those that include all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace some of the configurations of the above embodiments with other configurations.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in part or in whole in hardware, for example by designing them as integrated circuits. Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing programs that realize the respective functions. Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize the respective functions can be stored in a storage device such as memory, a hard disk, or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or on a storage medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

In addition, in the above diagrams, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines in the actual implementation. In reality, it is safe to assume that almost all components are interconnected.

This invention can be used in an SDGs contribution points system that contributes to achieving goals related to reducing environmental impact.

1...SDGs contribution point system, 2...user, 3...user terminal, 4...railway vehicle, 5...routed bus,
10...SDGs point management server, 11...point management unit, 12...point management data, 13...movement history data,
20...Network,
30...SDGs application, 31...movement detection unit, 32...movement content determination unit, 33...environmental load calculation unit, 34...point calculation unit, 35...movement history data, 36...calculation conditions, 37...point information,
41...Automatic ticket gate, 42...NFC tag

Claims (3)

An SDGs contribution point system that awards points to a user in accordance with the user's contribution to reducing the amount of environmental load by traveling from a travel start location to a travel end location using a passenger transportation service,
a movement detection unit that reads information recorded on a medium installed near the entrance/exit of the vehicle in which the user boards when the user boards and/or disembarks, detects that the user has started moving from the movement start location and /or finished moving at the movement end location , and further identifies the vehicle in which the user boarded ;
a travel content determination unit that determines travel content including the travel start location, the travel end location, and information on the means of travel, and records the determined travel content in a travel history recording unit;
an environmental load calculation unit that calculates, for each section of travel using the passenger transportation service, a first amount of CO2 emissions per person obtained by multiplying the amount of CO2 emissions per unit distance of the vehicle by the distance of the section, dividing the result by the number of passengers in the vehicle in the section, and accumulating the result for each section, and calculates a second amount of CO2 emissions per person assuming that the person travels from the travel start location to the travel end location in a commonly used passenger car;
a point calculation unit that calculates and records the points to be awarded to the user according to an amount of reduction of the first CO2 emission amount from the second CO2 emission amount;
An SDGs contribution points system. In the SDGs contribution point system according to claim 1,
The environmental load calculation unit
If the vehicle has a power source that does not directly emit CO2, the SDGs contribution point system estimates the amount of CO2 emitted when generating the power source based on specified conditions and converts the amount of use of the power source during travel using the passenger transportation service into CO2 emissions. In the SDGs contribution point system according to claim 1 ,
The environmental load calculation unit
An SDGs contribution point system that sets the number of passengers in the vehicle based on values set for each specified condition based on past statistical information.