JP7845474B2 - Shared terminal control device, dispatch vehicle traffic system, and shared terminal control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a shared terminal control device, a vehicle dispatching system, and a shared terminal control method.

Conventionally, ride-sharing support systems that shorten the waiting time for transfers to shared vehicles have been known (for example, Patent Document 1). The ride-sharing support system described in Patent Document 1 acquires user travel information relating to the public transportation service used by the user, the planned disembarkation station, and the user's destination. It acquires operation information, which is information relating to the arrival time of the service at the planned disembarkation station. Based on the user travel information and operation information, it estimates the user's arrival time at the planned disembarkation station. Based on the user travel information and the estimated arrival time, it generates user group information indicating user groups for each destination, targeting users who are estimated to arrive at the planned disembarkation station within a predetermined time period including the estimated arrival time. The ride-sharing support system then assigns available shared vehicles to the user groups indicated by the user group information and transmits the user group information to the shared vehicle provider.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-135642

However, the aforementioned ride-sharing support system does not provide users with information about the ride-sharing vehicle or other transportation system guidance information between the time they disembark from public transport at their intended disembarking point and the time they transfer to the ride-sharing vehicle. Therefore, it suffers from a lack of convenience for users.

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a shared terminal control device, a vehicle dispatching system, and a shared terminal control method that enhance user convenience.

The present invention solves the above problem by detecting a user approaching a shared terminal, identifying the detected individual user, obtaining guidance information for the identified user from among information related to the transportation system, and displaying the guidance information on the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal.

According to the present invention, user convenience can be improved.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the transportation system for dispatched vehicles in this embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle dispatching transportation system. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of user actions, shared terminals, and server control processes. Figure 4 shows an example of the display screen of a shared terminal's display device. Figure 5 shows another example of the display screen of a shared terminal's display device. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of user behavior, shared terminal and server control processing in a vehicle dispatching system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

≪First Embodiment≫
An embodiment of the vehicle dispatch transportation system according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram for illustrating the vehicle dispatch transportation system according to this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle dispatch transportation system. Referring to Figure 1, the vehicle dispatch transportation system according to this embodiment is a system for assigning vehicles for users to travel from their boarding location to their destination by transferring between vehicles. The transportation system has vehicle dispatch vehicles (hereinafter also referred to as "patrol vehicles") that travel in a patrol area 100 and vehicle dispatch vehicles that travel in a non-patrol area 200. Patrol vehicles are vehicles that travel in circles along a designated route within the patrol area 100. The patrol area 100 includes a patrol route and boarding/alighting points set up at predetermined intervals along the patrol route. Patrol vehicles travel along the patrol route and stop at boarding/alighting points on the patrol route. Users of the transportation system board and alight from patrol vehicles at boarding/alighting points on the patrol route. The pick-up and drop-off points on the patrol route can be designated as the user's departure point and/or destination, and can also be set as transfer points for the user. Dispatched vehicles traveling in the non-patrol area 200 travel along a route connecting the pick-up or drop-off point designated by the user with the transfer points on the patrol route.

For example, as shown in Figure 1, if a user designates a pick-up/drop-off point A within the patrol area 100 as their departure point and a pick-up/drop-off point C (e.g., their home) within area 200 as their destination, the transportation system determines a travel plan to move from pick-up/drop-off point A to destination C. The travel plan includes information about the dispatched vehicle's operation, such as the vehicle the user should ride, the vehicle's route, and the vehicle's arrival and departure times at the pick-up/drop-off points. In the example in Figure 1, the travel plan would be to travel from pick-up/drop-off point A on the patrol route to transfer point B in patrol vehicle X, then transfer from patrol vehicle X to dispatched vehicle Y at transfer point B, and finally travel to destination C within the non-patrol area 200 in dispatched vehicle Y. Note that the user's departure point and/or destination do not necessarily have to be within the patrol area 100; they may be in the non-patrol area 200, and both the user's departure point and destination may be within either the patrol area 100 or the non-patrol area 200.

The dispatched vehicles do not necessarily have to make rounds, and the driving area of the dispatched vehicles does not have to be a round-trip driving area. For example, in the example in Figure 1, vehicle X may take the shortest route on the map from boarding point A to transfer point B as the first driving route, and vehicle Y may take the shortest route on the map from transfer point B to destination C as the second driving route. Area 100 is the driving area of vehicle X. In the example in Figure 1, since the destination (the user's drop-off point) is specified outside area 100, the user transfers from dispatched vehicles X to Y at the transfer point and moves from the first driving route to the first driving route. In the following explanation, the driving area 100 of the dispatched vehicles will be described as the dispatched vehicle's round-trip driving area, but driving area 100 does not have to be a round-trip driving area. Area 200 may also be the round-trip driving area.

When a user uses the ride-hailing service provided by the transportation system, they access the server using a user terminal or a shared terminal and input location information such as their desired pick-up location, drop-off location, departure location, or destination, as well as time information such as their desired pick-up time, drop-off time, departure time, or arrival time. The server assigns a vehicle that meets the user's preferences, determines a travel plan, and provides the user with guidance information regarding the use of the transportation system based on the travel plan.

Shared terminals 10 are installed at boarding and alighting points along the patrol route. Shared terminals 10 are shared terminals used by multiple users, which communicate with a server and output guidance information related to the guidance system by displaying images and text on a flat-panel display or projector, etc. (e.g., digital signage, roadside terminal). Shared terminals 10 do not necessarily have to be installed on the roadside. For example, shared terminals may be installed in parking spaces or terminals used in facilities such as stores. Also, shared terminals are not necessarily limited to outdoors, but may be terminals used indoors. Furthermore, shared terminals may be terminals that can be moved by users. In the following explanation, shared terminals will be described as roadside terminals. Shared terminals 10 are installed at each boarding and alighting point along the patrol route. The guidance information of the traffic system is guidance information for specific users who have reserved a vehicle. For example, in the example in Figure 1, user P boards patrol vehicle X at boarding/alighting point A and arrives at transfer point B. When user P approaches the shared terminal 10 installed at transfer point B, the shared terminal 10 detects user P and displays guidance information (information for user P) on its display device. The guidance information for user P includes, for example, information related to user P's travel plan, such as the boarding location of the dispatched vehicle Y, the departure time of the dispatched vehicle Y, and vehicle identification information such as the color, type, and license plate number of the dispatched vehicle Y. In other words, the guidance information for user P is information about the dispatched vehicle Y and/or the transfer point at the transfer point. By looking at the guidance image displayed on the display screen of the shared terminal 10, user P can confirm information about the dispatched vehicle Y, which will be the transfer vehicle, and information about the transfer point.

In other words, the shared terminal 10 distinguishes each user who has reserved a vehicle and provides useful guidance information to the detected user. For example, if the guidance information only shows the destination of the vehicle or timetable information, such as the operating schedule of the patrol vehicles, a user may not be able to easily grasp the boarding location or boarding time of the connecting vehicle even if they check guidance information intended for unspecified users. In this embodiment, the shared terminal 10 detects users who approach it, identifies the detected users, and presents guidance information specifically for the identified users, so that users can easily grasp the boarding location of the connecting vehicle, etc.

As shown in Figure 2, the transportation system according to this embodiment comprises a shared terminal 10, a server 20, a dispatched vehicle 30, and a user terminal 40. The shared terminal 10 is a terminal set up at the pick-up and/or drop-off locations of the dispatched vehicle 30, and is a device for displaying information such as transportation system guidance information and advertising information. The server 20 manages the dispatched vehicles. The dispatched vehicle 30 is a vehicle dispatched to the user, and can be an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a vehicle powered solely by an engine. The dispatched vehicle can also be a vehicle driven by a driver, or a vehicle with autonomous driving capabilities. Vehicles with autonomous driving capabilities may be vehicles that can operate autonomously without driver intervention, such as driverless taxis, or they may be manned taxis. The user terminal 40 is a terminal owned by the user. The shared terminal 10, server 20, dispatched vehicle 30, and user terminal 40 are connected to each other via a telecommunications network such as the Internet, enabling them to send and receive information from one another.

The shared terminal 10 includes a shared terminal control device 11, a display device 18, and a communication device 19. The shared terminal control device 11 is a device that controls roadside terminals installed on the patrol route of the dispatched vehicle 30, and is a computer equipped with a program storage ROM (Read Only Memory), a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes each function by executing the program, and RAM (Random Access Memory). The shared terminal control device 11 has functions such as detecting when a user approaches the terminal device, acquiring guidance information, displaying guidance information on the display device 18, accepting user input operations, accepting reservation input, and establishing a link between the shared terminal 10 and the user terminal 40. The shared terminal control device 11 includes a detection unit 12, an information acquisition unit 13, a display control unit 14, an operation input unit 15, a reservation acceptance unit 16, and a link establishment unit 17 as functional blocks for executing various functions. The shared terminal control device 11 is not limited to the functions of the detection unit 12; it may also have other functions, such as a function for managing reservations for dispatched vehicles, or it may have some of the functions included in the server 20.

The detection unit 12 detects a user approaching the shared terminal 10 and identifies the individual user who has approached the shared terminal 10. The user approaching state is a state in which the user is located within a predetermined range (for example, within a few meters) from the installation location of the shared terminal 10. The detection unit 12 detects the user, for example, by facial recognition or gaze detection using a camera installed on the shared terminal 10. The detection unit 12 may also detect the user from the user's gestures. Alternatively, the detection unit 12 may detect the user approaching state using the location information of the user's terminal.

The detection unit 12 detects a user, for example, in the following flow. The detection unit 12 detects the user's face from the image captured by the active camera and determines whether the detected state was maintained for a predetermined time. For example, if the user passes in front of the camera, detection is not possible because the detected state cannot be maintained for the predetermined time. If a user is detected, the detection unit 12 acquires the user's biometric information. The user's biometric information is information used to identify the individual user, such as the user's facial expression, iris, and gait (way of walking). When a user uses the transportation system, they register their face image during initial registration, and the server 20 stores the user's registration information in the database. Registration of the user's personal information, such as a face image, is required to use the transportation system. Note that the user's biometric information may be managed by the shared terminal 10 and/or the server 20.

The detection unit 12 compares the biometric information obtained from the facial image with the biometric information managed by the server 20, and if a match is found, it determines that it has identified a registered user. If a user is identified, the detection unit 12 sends a flag to the server 20 indicating that the user has been identified. If the detection unit 12 cannot identify a registered user from the biometric information, the shared terminal control device 11 may display a guidance screen on the display device 18 to prompt the user to complete the initial registration required to use the transportation system. The detection unit 12 may also detect a user approach state when a user is approaching the shared terminal 10 and the detection unit 12 has identified that the approaching user is a registered user who will use the transportation system (i.e., when the user has been identified).

The process for identifying individual users by the detection unit 12 may also be performed on the server 20. If the server performs user identification (personal authentication), the detection unit 12 transmits information about the detected user (e.g., captured image) to the server 20. The server 20 stores the user's biometric information in the database 23 and identifies the individual by referring to the stored user biometric information.

The information acquisition unit 13 acquires guidance information for individual users detected by the detection unit 12 from among the information related to the transportation system. In the example in Figure 1, user P gets off the patrol vehicle X at transfer point B and approaches the shared terminal 10 installed at transfer point B. The detection unit 12 detects the user approach state of user P and sends a flag to the server 20 indicating that the user has been identified. As a response signal to the flag, the information acquisition unit 13 acquires guidance information for user P from the server 20. The guidance information for user P is information related to the travel plan of the vehicle reserved by user P, and in the example in Figure 1, it includes the boarding position of vehicle Y, the departure time of vehicle Y, or identification information of vehicle Y.

Furthermore, when a user whose departure point is a pick-up/drop-off location on the patrol route approaches the shared terminal 10 at the departure point, the information acquisition unit 13 may acquire the reservation information of the dispatched vehicle as guidance information for the user. The reservation information of the dispatched vehicle is information related to the travel plan of the dispatched vehicle reserved by the user using the guidance system, and includes time information such as the departure time of the dispatched vehicle, location information such as the departure point, and information on the dispatched vehicle's travel route. If the dispatched vehicle requires a transfer, the travel plan may also include information on the transfer location and the transfer vehicle. Note that if the guidance information is managed by the shared terminal control device 11, the information acquisition unit 13 does not need to acquire the guidance information from the server 20, and may acquire the guidance information from the functional block that manages the guidance information in the shared terminal control device 11.

When the detection unit 12 detects a user approach, the display control unit 14 displays guidance information on the display device 18. When the detection unit 12 detects a user approach and identifies the individual user, and the information acquisition unit 13 acquires guidance information for the identified individual user, the display control unit 14 generates a control command to display the guidance information acquired by the information acquisition unit 13 on the display device 18 and outputs it to the display device 18. Alternatively, the display control unit 14 may transmit the control command to display the guidance information to the user terminal 40 via the link establishment unit 17 (described later) and display it on the display device (display) of the user terminal 40. In the following description, the information displayed on the display device 18 by the display control unit 14 may also be displayed on the display device (display) of the user terminal 40.

The operation input unit 15 accepts input operations from the user. For example, if the display device 18 is a touch panel display, the operation input unit 15 controls the display device 18 and accepts input operations via touch operation on the display device 18. If the input operation entered into the operation input unit 15 is a reservation operation for reserving a vehicle, the reservation acceptance unit 16 accepts the reservation operation and displays a reservation guidance screen for reserving a vehicle on the display device 18. The reservation acceptance unit 16 works in cooperation with the reservation management unit 21 of the server 20 to proceed with the control processing for reserving a vehicle. Specifically, the reservation acceptance unit 16 obtains the information necessary for the reservation from the server 20 via the information acquisition unit 13, executes the reservation application, and displays a guidance screen for accepting the reservation operation on the display device 18. When the display device 18 is touched, the reservation acceptance unit 16 accepts the reservation for the use of a vehicle and transmits the accepted information to the server 20. The reservation reception unit 16 then works in conjunction with the reservation management unit 21 of the server 20 to process the reservation of a vehicle to meet the user's needs.

The link establishment unit 17 establishes a link between the shared terminal 10 and the user terminal 40 and outputs information to the user terminal 40 via the communication device 19. The link is a communication network connecting the shared terminal 10 and the user terminal 40, and is a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth®. For example, when the user terminal 40 enters the range where link establishment is possible (the range where short-range communication is possible), the link establishment unit 17 sends an email to the user terminal 40, and if the user operates the user terminal 40, receives the email, and authorizes link establishment, the link establishment unit 17 establishes a link with the user terminal 40. The detection unit 12 may also use the link establishment by the link establishment unit 17 to detect the user proximity state. That is, if the link establishment unit 17 is able to establish a link with the user terminal 40, the detection unit 12 may detect that the user is in a proximity state.

Furthermore, if the link establishment unit 17 has successfully established a link with the user terminal 40, it may output the guidance information acquired by the information acquisition unit 13 to the user terminal. Also, if the link establishment unit 17 receives a control command from the display control unit 14 to display the guidance information acquired by the information acquisition unit 13 on the display device of the user terminal 40, it may transmit the control command to the user terminal. When the display control unit 14 has finished transmitting the guidance information from the link establishment unit 17 to the user terminal 40, it may display information on the shared terminal 10 indicating that the transmission of the guidance information has been completed. The user can confirm that the guidance information has been transmitted to their user terminal 40 by looking at the display screen of the shared terminal 10.

The display device 18 displays information about the transportation system and reservation information. The display device 18 is, for example, a flat-panel display or a projector. The communication device 19 is connected to the telecommunications network NW and transmits and receives signals with the server 20, the dispatched vehicle 30, and the user terminal 40. If the link establishment unit 17 has established a link between the shared terminal 10 and the user terminal 40, the communication device 19 can also connect to the user terminal 40 via a dedicated line.

Server 20 comprises a reservation management unit 21, a vehicle management unit 22, a database 23, and a communication device 24. Server 20 controls the shared terminal 10 and the dispatched vehicles 30 to perform tasks such as user registration for the transportation system, information management of user data, and reservation management of dispatched vehicles. Server 20 has a program to be executed in order to manage the dispatch service using the transportation system, and performs various functions by executing this program. Server 20 has a ROM that stores the program, a CPU for executing the program, etc.

Server 20 has a reservation management unit 21 and a vehicle management unit 22 as functional blocks. The reservation management unit 21 and the vehicle management unit 22 are functional blocks that perform some of the functions of Server 20, and Server 20 has functions other than those of the reservation management unit 21 and the vehicle management unit 22.

The reservation management unit 21 manages reservation information, including user information of users who have registered to use the transportation system, the vehicles reserved by the users, and the travel plans of the reserved vehicles. Users perform initial registration by operating the shared terminal 10 or user terminal 40 in order to use the transportation system. As part of the initial registration, users enter personal information such as their name and home address, and may also enter attribute information indicating the user's attributes, such as their gender and preferences. The reservation management unit 21 manages user information by saving the information entered during initial registration via the shared terminal 10 or user terminal 40 to the database 23. The reservation management unit 21 may also save the user's usage history as user information, such as the user's pick-up and drop-off locations, departure locations, destinations, usage time of the reserved vehicle, and number of uses.

When reserving a ride, the user operates the application software on their user terminal 40 to input the necessary information for reserving a ride, such as the desired departure location, departure time, number of passengers, destination, and arrival time. The information required for the reservation may be entered not only by operating the user terminal 40, but also by operating the shared terminal 10. The entered reservation information is sent to the server 20, and the reservation management unit 21 of the server 20 extracts a ride 30 that can accommodate the user's request from the available rides 30 and determines a travel plan. In the example in Figure 1, the reservation management unit 21 determines a travel plan to travel from pick-up/drop-off location A to destination C. The reservation management unit 21 may also determine the travel plan while confirming the user's requests regarding the ride 30, pick-up/drop-off locations, pick-up/drop-off times, transfer locations, etc. For example, if a user enters a tourist spot or commercial facility as their desired destination, the reservation management unit 21 extracts destination candidates that the dispatched vehicle 30 can reach, in order of proximity to the desired destination, and transmits the destination candidate information to the shared terminal 10 or user terminal 40. The user then operates the shared terminal 10 or user terminal 40 to select a destination from the destination candidates.

The reservation management unit 21 records the determined travel plan as reservation information for the dispatched vehicle 30, linking it with the personal information of the user who made the reservation, and records it in the database 23. The reservation management unit 21 also transmits the reservation information stored in the database 23 to the shared terminal 10 or user terminal 40 in response to a request from the shared terminal 10 or user terminal 40.

The vehicle management unit 22 manages the operation of dispatched vehicles 30 using their travel plans, current locations, and current traffic conditions. The travel plans for dispatched vehicles 30 may be determined according to a predetermined operating schedule if they are within the patrol area 100. For non-patrol areas 200, which are outside the patrol area 100, the dispatch plans correspond to the travel plans determined by the reservation management unit 21 according to the user's wishes. The vehicle management unit 22 also updates the travel plans according to traffic conditions and other factors.

Database 23 stores registered users' personal information, vehicle reservation information, etc. Communication device 24 is connected to the telecommunications network NW and transmits and receives signals with the shared terminal 10, the vehicle 30, and the user terminal 40.

The dispatched vehicle 30 is a vehicle used for user transportation under the management of the server 20. The dispatched vehicle 30 has at least a communication device 31 capable of communicating with the server 20. The dispatched vehicle 30 transmits the current location information of the vehicle to the server 20 via the communication device 31. The communication device 31 is connected to a telecommunications network NW and transmits and receives signals with the server 20. The communication device 31 may also communicate with the shared terminal 10 and the user terminal 40.

The user terminal 40 is a user-owned device, such as a smartphone or tablet, and is a portable terminal device. The user terminal 40 has a display and displays traffic system guidance information transmitted from the shared terminal 10 or server 20 on its screen.

Next, the reservation process for the dispatched vehicle 30 by the shared terminal 10 and the server 20 will be described. A user who has already registered approaches the shared terminal 10 to use the dispatch service provided by the transportation system. The detection unit 12 of the shared terminal 10 detects the user's approach. The reservation acceptance unit 16 executes a reservation application for the user to start the reservation of a dispatched vehicle and displays a guidance screen on the display device 18 to accept the reservation operation. The user operates the display device 18 to input the desired reservation information. For example, let's assume the user has set their current location as the departure point, no departure time specified, their home as the destination, and they want to arrive at the destination in the evening. The operation input unit 15 accepts the operation input from the user, and the reservation acceptance unit 16 outputs the received reservation information to the server 20. The reservation management unit 21 of the server 20 searches for destination candidates that match the user's wishes based on the input reservation information. Destination candidates refer to the database 23 and include places closest to the user's home, places near home that the user frequently visits, etc. The reservation management unit 21 assigns a vehicle that meets the user's preferences for each destination candidate and determines the vehicle's travel plan. The reservation management unit 21 outputs the reservation information, including the destination candidates, to the shared terminal 10.

The information acquisition unit 13 of the shared terminal 10 acquires information on potential destinations. That is, the information acquisition unit 13 acquires information on potential destinations from the server 20 based on the input operation received by the operation input unit 15. If the shared terminal 10 has the same data as the database 23 of the server 20, the shared terminal control device 11 may search for potential destinations, and the information acquisition unit 13 may acquire information on potential destinations from the search results. The display control unit 14 then displays the information on potential destinations on the display device 18 of the shared terminal 10. If a driving plan has been determined in accordance with the potential destinations, the display control unit 14 may also display information included in the driving plan, such as the estimated arrival time at the potential destinations, on the display device 18.

The user selects a destination from the displayed destination options. The reservation acceptance unit 16 outputs information about the selected destination to the server 20, and the server 20 confirms the travel plan for the selected destination. Once the travel plan is confirmed, the reservation of the assigned vehicle 30 is confirmed. The reservation management unit 21 of the server 20 transmits the confirmed vehicle reservation information to the shared terminal 10 as guidance information for the traffic system.
In the example described above, multiple destination candidates were searched for and displayed to the user. However, the system may also display drop-off locations as candidates, not just destinations. For example, in the example in Figure 1, when a passenger is traveling to destination C by transferring at transfer point B within the patrol area 100, if a vehicle can be dispatched from transfer point D within the patrol area to destination C, the reservation management unit 21 searches for transfer points B and D as candidates for drop-off locations. The information acquisition unit 13 then acquires information on the candidate drop-off locations, and the display control unit 14 may display the drop-off location information on the display device 18. The drop-off location information may include not only the location of the drop-off location but also information on surrounding commercial facilities, etc. This expands the range of transfer location options available to the user.

In addition, when the shared terminal 10 and server 20 process the reservation of the dispatched vehicle 30, the candidates that the user can select are not limited to the destination or drop-off location, but may also be the departure location, departure time, arrival time, boarding or alighting time at transfer points, etc.

Next, referring to Figures 1 and 3, we will explain the user's actions, the control processes of the shared terminal 10 and server 20, from the time the user travels to the boarding location, transfers to a dispatched vehicle 30 at a transfer point, and arrives at the destination. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the user's actions and the control processes of the shared terminal 10 and server 20.

In step S1, the user moves from their current location to the nearest pick-up/drop-off location A. In step S2, the detection unit 12 of the shared terminal 10 detects the user's approach and identifies the detected user. The reservation acceptance unit 16 determines, based on the reservation information, whether the identified user has already made a reservation. If there is no reservation information, the reservation acceptance unit 16 displays a guidance screen on the display device 18 to start the reservation for the dispatched vehicle 30. If there is an input operation to start the reservation on the guidance screen, the reservation acceptance unit 16 sends a reservation start signal to the server 20. The reservation start signal contains information such as the pick-up/drop-off location of the dispatched vehicle 30, the pick-up/drop-off time of the dispatched vehicle 30, and the reservation information desired by the user.

In step S3, the reservation management unit 21 of the server 20 extracts a vehicle 30 that can accommodate the user's request based on the reservation information and determines a travel plan. In the example in Figure 1, the travel plan includes the location of the boarding point, boarding and alighting times for vehicle X, the location of the transfer point, boarding and alighting times for vehicle Y, the location of the destination, the travel routes of vehicles X and Y, and identification information for vehicles X and Y.

In step S4, once the reservation management unit 21 confirms the vehicle assignment, it transmits the confirmed reservation information to the shared terminal 10. In step S5, the information acquisition unit 13 of the shared terminal control device 11 acquires the reservation information. The reservation information corresponds to the guidance information for the user identified by the detection unit 12 among the information related to the transportation system. The display control unit 14 causes the display device 18 to display the reservation information. At this time, the display on the display device 18 includes location information of transfer point B and/or vehicle information of the dispatched vehicle X that will stop at transfer point B. The vehicle information of dispatched vehicle X includes information on the stopping position and information on the boarding time of the dispatched vehicle Y to be boarded at transfer point B, etc., and other information related to the dispatched vehicle to be transferred to at the transfer point. In addition, in the control processing of step S5, the display control unit 14 may also display information about the individual user identified by the detection unit 12. Information about the individual user may be, for example, the user's name or the user's facial image. If multiple users approach a roadside terminal and the detection unit 12 detects multiple users, the display control unit 14 displays information about the individual user to clarify which user the detection unit is identifying.

In step S6, the user confirms the reservation details (dispatch information) from the display screen of the display device 18. The display screen also shows the location of transfer point B, so the user can confirm the transfer location, transfer time, etc. In step S7, the user boards the dispatched vehicle X at boarding/alighting point A. In step S8, the user alights from the dispatched vehicle X at transfer point B.

In step S9, the detection unit 12 of the shared terminal 10 detects the approach of a user and identifies the user. In step S10, if the shared terminal control device 11 detects that the user has arrived at transfer point B, it sends an update confirmation signal to the server 20 to check whether or not the transfer information has been updated. In step S11, the reservation management unit 21 checks the operating status of the dispatched vehicle 30 that was reserved as the transfer vehicle and determines whether or not an update is necessary. The operating status of the dispatched vehicle 30 is managed by the vehicle management unit 22. For example, if the arrival of the scheduled transfer vehicle 30 or the user's arrival at transfer point B is later than the boarding time of the dispatched vehicle Y at the time of reservation, the reservation management unit 21 determines that an update of the transfer vehicle is necessary. If an update is necessary, the reservation management unit 21 updates the transfer vehicle by reserving a new dispatched vehicle (transfer vehicle) based on the user's reservation information.

In step S12, the reservation management unit 21 transmits updated information (updated reservation information), including the updated connecting vehicle, to the shared terminal 10. In step S13, the information acquisition unit 13 acquires the updated connecting vehicle information, and the display control unit 14 displays the updated connecting vehicle information on the display device 18. At this time, the display on the display device 18 includes vehicle information of the updated dispatched vehicle. The vehicle information includes information on the stopping position, boarding time, identification information of the dispatched vehicle, etc. Figure 4 shows an example of the display screen of the display device 18. As shown in Figure 4, the display device 18 displays images and text, including a photo or icon of the dispatched vehicle, the type of dispatched vehicle, and the route of the dispatched vehicle. Figure 5 shows another example of the display screen of the display device 18. As shown in Figure 5, the display device 18 may display an image showing the seat availability status of the dispatched vehicle.

In step S14, the user confirms information about the connecting vehicle from the display screen of the display device 18. In step S15, the user boards the newly dispatched connecting vehicle and travels to their destination.

As described above, the shared terminal control device 11 or the control method for the shared terminal control device 11 according to this embodiment detects a user approach state, which is when a user approaches the shared terminal 10, identifies the detected individual user, acquires guidance information for the identified user from among the information related to the traffic system, and displays the guidance information on the display device 18 of the shared terminal 10 and/or the display device of the user terminal 40. As a result, the user can be presented with guidance information for the traffic system in accordance with the timing when the user approaches the shared terminal 10, without having to perform any operation to acquire guidance information for the traffic system. Consequently, user convenience can be improved.

As described above, in this embodiment, the shared terminal control device 11 acquires reservation information for dispatched vehicles and displays the reservation information on the display device 18 of the shared terminal 10 and/or the display device of the user terminal 40. This allows the reservation information for dispatched vehicles 30 to be presented to the user in accordance with the timing when the user approaches the shared terminal 10.

In this embodiment, the shared terminal control device 11 causes the display device 18 of the shared terminal 10 and/or the display device of the user terminal 40 to display information about the dispatched vehicle 30 and/or the transfer location at the transfer point. This allows the information about the transfer vehicle and/or the transfer location to be presented to the user at the time the user arrives at the transfer location and approaches the shared terminal 10.

In this embodiment, the shared terminal control device 11 acquires information on the user's destination candidates based on user input operations and displays the acquired destination candidate information on the display device 18 of the shared terminal 10 and/or the display device of the user terminal 40. This allows the user to select a destination according to their preference.

In this embodiment, the shared terminal control device 11 establishes a link between the shared terminal 10 and the user terminal 40, and outputs reservation information and/or guidance information for the dispatched vehicle 30 to the user terminal 40. This allows the user to check the reservation information on their own terminal.

In this embodiment, the shared terminal control device 11 causes the display device 18 of the shared terminal 10 and/or the display device of the user terminal 40 to display location information of the transfer point and/or vehicle information of the dispatched vehicle that will stop at the transfer point. This allows the user to be presented with the location of the transfer point, the stopping position of the transfer vehicle, or the boarding time of the transfer vehicle.

In this embodiment, the traffic system manages reservation information, including information on the dispatched vehicle 30 reserved by the user and the travel plan of the reserved vehicle 30. It detects when a user is approaching, acquires guidance information for the detected user from the reservation information, and displays the guidance information on the display device 18 of the shared terminal 10 and/or the display device of the user terminal 40. This eliminates the need for the user to perform any operation to acquire guidance information from the traffic system, and the reservation information can be presented to the user as guidance information from the traffic system in accordance with the timing when the user approaches the shared terminal 10. As a result, user convenience can be improved.

In this embodiment, if either the user's boarding location or alighting location is designated as outside the patrol area 100, the transportation system determines a travel plan to move between the patrol route and the patrol route by transferring to a dispatched vehicle 30 at a transfer point on the patrol route, and displays information about the dispatched vehicle 30 and/or the transfer point on the display device 18 of the shared terminal 10 and/or the display device of the user terminal 40. This allows the information about the transfer vehicle and/or the transfer point to be presented to the user in time with the user's arrival at the transfer point and approaching the shared terminal 10. Note that the patrol area 100 corresponds to the "predetermined travel area" of the present invention.

As a modification of this embodiment, the display control unit 14 may display a code on the display device 18 that includes guidance information for the transportation system and is readable by the user terminal 40. The readable code is, for example, a QR code (registered trademark). For example, in the control flow shown in Figure 3, in step S9, the detection unit 12 of the shared terminal 10 detects the approaching state of a user, and if the user is identified, the information acquisition unit 13 of the shared terminal control device 11 extracts information on the dispatched vehicle (transfer vehicle) 30 and/or the transfer location at the transfer point from the reservation information of the detected user. The shared terminal control device 11 then generates a readable code to display the extracted information on the display device 18. If it is necessary to update the transfer information, a readable code to display the updated reservation information may be generated. If it is necessary to update the transfer information, the server 20 may generate the readable code. The user can then obtain guidance information for the detected user by reading the readable code displayed on the display device 18 using the user terminal 40.

≪Second Embodiment≫
Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of control processing and user actions of the traffic system according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, some of the control processing of the shared terminal 10 and the server 20 differs. The following describes the parts that differ from the first embodiment. The same components as in the traffic system according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the same components and control processing will be described by referring to the previously stated explanation and will not be described further.

Referring to Figures 1 and 6, we will now explain the user's actions and the control processes of the shared terminal 10 and server 20 when a user travels to a boarding location and alights at a different boarding/alighting location than the transfer location specified in the reservation. Of the control flow shown in Figure 6, the control flow of steps S1 to S9 is the same as the control flow of the first embodiment.

The detection unit 12 of the shared terminal 10 detects the approach of a user and identifies the user. Then, the shared terminal control device 11 compares the detected user's disembarkation location with the transfer location indicated in the detected user's reservation information to determine whether the user's disembarkation is an intermediate stop (step S20). If the user's disembarkation location and the transfer location indicated in the reservation information match, the shared terminal control device 11 determines that it is not an intermediate stop. If the user's disembarkation location and the transfer location indicated in the reservation information do not match, the shared terminal control device 11 determines that it is an intermediate stop. The shared terminal control device 11 transmits a determination result signal indicating the determination result to the server 20.

In step S21, the reservation management unit 21 of the server 20 checks whether an update of the connecting vehicle is necessary based on the determination result indicated by the determination result signal. If it is determined that the passenger is getting off midway, the reservation management unit 21 determines that an update of the connecting vehicle is necessary. If an update is necessary, the reservation management unit 21 extracts candidates for a new dispatched vehicle (connecting vehicle) based on the user's reservation information. The new dispatched vehicle 30 is a vehicle that departs from the boarding/alighting point where the user got off midway. For example, in the example shown in Figure 1, if the passenger is transferring at a transfer point on the circulating route and the destination is a boarding/alighting point on the circulating route, the candidates for the new dispatched vehicle 30 include the circulating vehicle that will arrive at the transfer point next time. The reservation management unit 21 then transmits the information of the dispatched vehicle candidates to the shared terminal 10.

In step S23, the information acquisition unit 13 acquires information on the dispatched vehicle candidates, and the display control unit 14 displays the dispatched vehicle candidate information on the display device 18.

At this time, the information acquisition unit 13 and the display control unit 14 may perform processes to acquire information on candidate vehicles from the server 20 and to display the information on candidate vehicles on the display device 18, depending on whether the user is approaching the shared terminal 10. For example, if the user moves away from the shared terminal 10 after detecting the user approach state in the control process of step S9, while the control processes of steps S20 and S21 are being executed, even if the information on candidate vehicles is displayed on the display device 18, the user may not be able to see the displayed image on the display device 18. In particular, if the user gets off at the wrong transfer point when making a reservation and does not realize the mistake, or if the user does not realize that they need to reserve a new vehicle when getting off midway, the user may not be approaching the shared terminal 10. For this reason, in this embodiment, the detection unit 12 detects the user approach state again. If the user approach state cannot be detected, the shared terminal control device 11 sends a communication signal to the user terminal 40. The user terminal 40 displays a notification screen based on the notification signal. Notifications to the user include notifications prompting them to return to the shared terminal 10, notifications stating that the boarding location is incorrect and a new vehicle needs to be reserved, or notifications of candidate vehicles. Notifications to the user are not limited to screen displays; they may also be transmitted via vibration using the vibration function of the user terminal 40. On the other hand, if the shared terminal control device 11 detects that a user is approaching, it executes the process in step S23.

In step S24, the user selects a vehicle 30 from the displayed list of available vehicles by touching the shared terminal 10. In step S25, the shared terminal control device 11 obtains the vehicle selection result and transmits information about the selected vehicle 30 to the server 20. The reservation management unit 21 of the server 20 assigns a reservation to the selected vehicle 30 and updates the travel plan. After the travel plan is updated, the information acquisition unit 13 of the shared terminal control device 11 obtains information about the updated travel plan, and the display control unit 14 displays the information about the updated travel plan on the display device 18 of the shared terminal 10 and/or the display device of the user terminal 40.

As described above, in this embodiment of the transportation system, if the user alights at a location other than a transfer point designated in the travel plan, the travel plan is updated, and the display control unit 14 displays information regarding the updated travel plan on the display device 18 of the shared terminal 10 and/or the display device of the user terminal 40. This allows the updated travel plan to be presented to the user when they approach the shared terminal 10 installed at the location where they alighted, in case they alight at a location other than a transfer point indicated in the reservation information.

The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiments is intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

10 Roadside terminal 11 Shared terminal control device 12 Detection unit 13 Information acquisition unit 14 Display control unit 15 Operation input unit 16 Reservation acceptance unit 17 Link establishment unit 18 Display device 19 Communication device 20 Server 21 Reservation management unit 22 Vehicle management unit 30 Dispatched vehicle 40 User terminal

Claims (20)

A shared terminal control device that controls a shared terminal installed on the route of a dispatched vehicle,
A detection unit that detects a user approaching the shared terminal and identifies the detected individual user,
An information acquisition unit acquires information about the traffic system, specifically guidance information for the user detected by the detection unit,
The system includes a display control unit that causes the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal to display the guidance information,
The aforementioned shared terminal is installed at a transfer point where passengers transfer between the dispatched vehicles.
The aforementioned information acquisition unit,
The reservation information of the vehicle reserved by the user is obtained,
If the user disembarks at a location other than the transfer point indicated in the user's reservation information, the updated travel plan information will be obtained.
The display control unit is a shared terminal control device that causes the updated information regarding the travel plan to be displayed on the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal. In the shared terminal control device according to claim 1,
The aforementioned shared terminal control device is
When the detection unit detects that the user has arrived at the transfer point, it sends an update confirmation signal to the server to check for the presence or absence of transfer information.
Get updated information on connecting trains.
A shared terminal control device that includes the updated transfer vehicle information in the guidance information and displays it on the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal. In the shared terminal control device according to claim 1,
The display control unit is a shared terminal control device that causes the shared terminal's display device and/or the user terminal's display device to display the reservation information. In the shared terminal control device according to claim 1 or 2,
The display control unit is a shared terminal control device that causes the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal to display information about the dispatched vehicle at the transfer point. In the shared terminal control device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The shared terminal has an operation input unit that accepts input operations from the user,
The information acquisition unit acquires information on the user's candidate destinations based on the input operation.
The display control unit is a shared terminal control device that causes the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal to display the destination candidate information. In the shared terminal control device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The information acquisition unit is a shared terminal control device that acquires information on the user's candidate destinations and information on the drop-off locations of the dispatched vehicles. In the shared terminal control device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The system includes a link establishment unit that establishes a link between the shared terminal and the user terminal,
The link establishment unit is a shared terminal control device that outputs reservation information for the dispatched vehicle to the user terminal. In the shared terminal control device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The system includes a link establishment unit that establishes a link between the shared terminal and the user terminal,
The link establishment unit is a shared terminal control device that transmits the guidance information to the user terminal. In the shared terminal control device according to claim 7 ,
The display control unit is a shared terminal control device that, when the transmission of the guidance information from the link establishment unit to the user terminal is completed, displays information on the shared terminal indicating that the transmission of the guidance information has been completed. In the shared terminal control device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The display control unit is a shared terminal control device that causes the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal to display location information of the transfer point where the dispatched vehicle is transferred, and/or vehicle information of the dispatched vehicle that is parked at the transfer point. In the shared terminal control device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The display control unit is a shared terminal control device that displays information relating to the individual user identified by the detection unit. In the shared terminal control device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The display control unit is a shared terminal control device that causes the display device of the shared terminal to display a code that includes the guidance information and is readable by the user terminal. In a vehicle dispatching transportation system,
A shared terminal installed along the route of the aforementioned dispatched vehicle,
The system includes a controller for managing the dispatched vehicles,
The controller has a reservation management unit that manages reservation information including information on the vehicle reserved by the user and the travel plan of the reserved vehicle.
The aforementioned shared terminal is
A detection unit that detects a user approaching the shared terminal and identifies the detected individual user,
An information acquisition unit acquires guidance information for the user identified by the detection unit from the controller, among the reservation information,
The system includes a display control unit that causes the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal to display the guidance information,
The aforementioned shared terminal is installed at a transfer point where passengers transfer between the dispatched vehicles.
The aforementioned information acquisition unit,
The reservation information of the vehicle reserved by the user is obtained,
If the user disembarks at a location other than the transfer point indicated in the user's reservation information, the updated travel plan information is obtained.
The display control unit is a traffic system that causes the updated information regarding the travel plan to be displayed on the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal. In the transportation system according to claim 13,
The aforementioned shared terminal is
When the detection unit detects that the user has arrived at the transfer point, it sends an update confirmation signal to the server to check for the presence or absence of transfer information.
Get updated information on connecting trains.
A transportation system that includes the updated transfer vehicle information in the guidance information and displays it on the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal. In the transportation system according to claim 13 or 14,
The aforementioned reservation management department,
If either the user's boarding location or alighting location is designated as being outside the predetermined driving area of the dispatched vehicle, the driving plan is determined such that the user transfers to the dispatched vehicle at the transfer point and travels along a first driving route within the predetermined driving area and a second driving route outside the predetermined driving area.
The aforementioned shared terminal is installed at least at the aforementioned transfer point,
The display control unit is a transportation system that causes the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal to display information about the dispatched vehicle and/or the transfer point at the transfer point. In the transportation system described in claim 14,
The aforementioned reservation management department,
The user determines a travel plan that includes the transfer point,
If the user disembarks at a location other than the transfer point indicated in the reservation information, the travel plan will be updated.
The display control unit is a traffic system that causes the updated information regarding the travel plan to be displayed on the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal. In the transportation system according to claim 13 or 14 ,
The shared terminal has an operation input unit that accepts input operations from the user at the shared terminal,
The aforementioned reservation management unit is a traffic system that determines the travel plan of the dispatched vehicle according to the traffic conditions at the time of the input operation. In the transportation system according to claim 15,
The aforementioned predetermined driving area is a traffic system in which the dispatched vehicles patrol a designated driving area. A control method for controlling a shared terminal installed on the route of a dispatched vehicle, which is a shared terminal control method executed by a processor,
The aforementioned shared terminal is installed at a transfer point where passengers transfer between the dispatched vehicles.
The aforementioned processor,
The system detects users approaching the shared terminal and identifies the individual users who have been detected.
Among the information related to the transportation system, information regarding guidance for the identified user is obtained.
The reservation information of the vehicle reserved by the user is obtained,
If the user disembarks at a location other than the transfer point indicated in the user's reservation information, the updated travel plan information will be obtained.
A shared terminal control method for displaying the updated information regarding the travel plan on the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of a user terminal. In the shared terminal control method according to claim 19,
The aforementioned processor ,
When the system detects that the user has arrived at the transfer point, it sends an update confirmation signal to the server to check for the availability of transfer information.
Get updated information on connecting trains.
A shared terminal control method that includes the updated transfer vehicle information in the guidance information and displays it on the display device of the shared terminal and/or the display device of the user terminal.