Patent Application
20200041293
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-146775, filed on Aug. 3, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a non-transitory storage medium.
Techniques for determining whether or not owners of terminals are sharing the same vehicle based on position information of the respective terminals and calculating environment loads such as CO2 emission and fuel consumption based on the determination result are known (e.g., see Patent Literature 1).
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-237842
In a mode in which a plurality of users share the same vehicle for traveling (ride sharing), if a combination between a driver user who is a user driving the vehicle and fellow passenger users who are users riding in the vehicle is determined carelessly, it may be difficult for the driver user to arrive at a destination by a scheduled arrival date and time.
The present disclosure has been implemented in view of the above-described circumstances, and it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a technique capable of preventing the driver user from arriving at a destination later than a scheduled arrival date and time as much as possible in ride sharing in which a plurality of users share the same vehicle for traveling.
An information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus in a mode in which a plurality of users share the same vehicle, that determines a combination between a driver user who is a user driving the vehicle and fellow passenger users who are users riding in the vehicle. The information processing apparatus is provided with a controller including at least one processor. The controller is configured to execute: setting, as a scheduled traveling route, a route through which the vehicle driven by the driver user can pass from a place of departure to a destination of the driver user, the route being predicted to allow the driver user to arrive at the destination by a date and time desired by the driver user; and combining the driver user and a fellow passenger user whose getting-in spot which is a desired place of getting in the vehicle and whose getting-off spot which is a desired place of getting off the vehicle are located on the scheduled traveling route among fellow passenger users desiring to ride in the vehicle.
Note that the present disclosure can be considered as an information processing method for determining a combination between a driver user who is a user driving a vehicle and fellow passenger users who are users riding in the vehicle in a mode in which a plurality of users share the same vehicle. The information processing method in that case may be adapted to cause a computer to execute: a step of setting, as a scheduled traveling route, a route through which the vehicle driven by the driver user can pass from a place of departure to a destination of the driver user, the route being predicted to allow the driver user to arrive at the destination by a date and time desired by the driver user; and a step of combining the driver user and a fellow passenger user whose getting-in spot which is a desired place of getting in the vehicle and whose getting-off spot which is a desired place of getting off the vehicle are located on the scheduled traveling route among fellow passenger users desiring to ride in the vehicle.
Furthermore, the present disclosure can also be considered as an information processing program for determining a combination between a driver user who is a user driving a vehicle and fellow passenger users who are users riding in the vehicle in a mode in which a plurality of users share the same vehicle or a non-transitory storage medium that stores the information processing program. The information processing program in that case may be adapted to cause a computer to execute: a step of setting, as a scheduled traveling route, a route through which the vehicle driven by the driver user can pass from a place of departure to a destination of the driver user, the route being predicted to allow the driver user to arrive at the destination by a date and time desired by the driver user; and a step of combining the driver user and a fellow passenger user whose getting-in spot which is a desired place of getting in the vehicle and whose getting-off spot which is a desired place of getting off the vehicle are located on the scheduled traveling route among fellow passenger users desiring to ride in the vehicle.
According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent the driver user from arriving at a destination later than a scheduled arrival date and time as much as possible in ride sharing in which a plurality of users share the same vehicle for traveling.
The present disclosure is an information processing apparatus that determines a combination between a driver user who is a user driving a vehicle and fellow passenger users who are users riding in the vehicle in a mode in which a plurality of users share the same vehicle (ride sharing).
In the above-described ride sharing, when the vehicle driven by the driver user moves from a place of departure to a destination, if a moving distance of the vehicle increases excessively or the vehicle needs to travel through a congested road or the like caused by the vehicle having to go through getting-in spots and getting-off spots of the fellow passenger users, it may be difficult for the driver to arrive at the destination by the scheduled arrival date and time.
In view of such a problem, when determining a combination between the driver user and fellow passenger users riding in the vehicle driven by the driver user, the controller of the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure sets, as a scheduled traveling route, a route through which the vehicle driven by the driver user can pass from a place of departure to a destination of the driver user, the route being predicted to allow the driver user to arrive at the destination by a date and time desired by the driver user first. Next, the controller combines the driver user and a fellow passenger user whose getting-in spot and whose getting-off spot are located on the scheduled traveling route among fellow passenger users desiring to ride in the vehicle driven by the driver user other than himself/herself. This reduces, as much as possible, the likelihood that the driver user will be unable to arrive at the destination by the scheduled arrival date and time caused by the vehicle driven by the driver user having to go through getting-in spots and getting-off spots of the fellow passenger users. As a result, it is possible to reduce, as much as possible, the likelihood that the driver user may arrive at the destination later than the scheduled arrival date and time.
Note that when setting the above-described scheduled traveling route, the controller may set the scheduled traveling route based on congestion prediction information and/or traffic regulation information in a time zone in which the driver user moves from the place of departure to the destination. For example, the controller may also set a route that will bypass a road predicted to be congested in a time zone in which the driver user moves from the place of departure to the destination or a road subject to traffic regulation in the same time zone as the scheduled traveling route. When the scheduled traveling route is set using such a method, it is possible to more reliably prevent the driver user from arriving at the destination later than the scheduled arrival date and time.
Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, shapes, and other relative arrangements or the like of components described in the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present disclosure to those embodiments unless specified otherwise.
An example will be described in the present embodiment where the present disclosure is implemented in a mode in which a plurality of users intended for traveling share the same vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “ride-sharing”). Note that automobiles and trains or the like can be used as vehicles that can be shared among a plurality of users for a traveling purpose. A case will be described in the present embodiment where an automobile is used as an example of such vehicles.
First, an overview of ride-sharing will be described based on
Here, if the users A to C travel separately in their respective vehicles, three vehicles are necessary. In contrast, if the users A to C share the same vehicle, the users A to C can travel to their respective destinations in one vehicle. In the example shown in
Such ride-sharing can reduce the number of vehicles traveling on a road, and can thereby relax traffic jam. Furthermore, since a plurality of users who share the same vehicle share transportation expenses (fuel expenses or the like) necessary for traveling in the vehicle, it is possible to cut down on a transportation cost per user compared to a case where each user travels in an individual vehicle.
Note that the ride sharing mode illustrated in
In contrast, in the present embodiment, the server apparatus for performing information processing on operation and management of a ride sharing service sets a route through which the driver user can arrive at the destination by the scheduled arrival date and time as the scheduled traveling route and combines fellow passenger users who are allowed to get in the vehicle without deviating from the scheduled traveling route with the driver user, thus preventing the driver user from arriving at the destination later than the scheduled arrival date and time.
Note that although only one vehicle 10 is illustrated in the example shown in
A predetermined application for using a ride-sharing service is installed in the user terminal 200. The user of the user terminal 200 causes the own user terminal 200 to execute the above predetermined application, and can thereby register information relating to conditions or the like when sharing a vehicle (hereinafter may also be referred to as “request information”) in the server apparatus 300. For example, the driver user causes the first user terminal 200A to execute the above-described predetermined application, and can thereby register information relating to the own scheduled traveling section of the vehicle 10 and the traveling date and time or the like (traveling schedule) in the server apparatus 300 as request information. The fellow passenger user causes the second user terminal 200B to execute the above-described predetermined application, and can thereby register information relating to the own desired movement section and movement date and time or the like (movement schedule) in the server apparatus 300 as request information.
The server apparatus 300 receives the request information from the driver user and the request information from the fellow passenger user, respectively. The server apparatus 300 determines a provisional combination of a driver user and a fellow passenger user based on the request information from the driver user and the request information from the fellow passenger user. For example, the server apparatus 300 sets a route along which the vehicle 10 driven by the driver user travels from the place of departure to the destination of the driver user (scheduled traveling route) and provisionally combines fellow passenger users whose getting-in spots and getting-off spots are located on the set scheduled traveling route with the driver user. The server apparatus 300 transmits information indicating ride sharing conditions to the user terminals 200 of the driver user and the fellow passenger user in the above provisional combination. When the server apparatus 300 receives information accepting the ride sharing conditions from the respective user terminals 200 of the driver user and the fellow passenger user, the server apparatus 300 confirms the above provisional combination as an official combination. Hereinafter, a process for the server apparatus 300 to confirm a combination of a driver user and a fellow passenger user using the above procedure will be referred to as a “matching process.” Note that the server apparatus 300 having such a function corresponds to the “information processing apparatus” according to the present disclosure.
The server apparatus 300 has a configuration of a general computer. That is, the server apparatus 300 includes a processor 301, a main storage unit 302, an auxiliary storage unit 303 and a communication unit 304. These components are mutually connected via a bus. The main storage unit 302 and the auxiliary storage unit 303 are computer-readable storage media. The hardware configuration of the computer is not limited to the configuration example shown in
The server apparatus 300 implements functions matching to a predetermined object by the processor 301 loading a work region of the main storage unit 302 with a program stored in the storage medium and executing the program, and controlling the respective function components through execution of the program.
The processor 301 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The processor 301 controls the server apparatus 300 and performs operations of various kinds of information processing. The main storage unit 302 includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The auxiliary storage unit 303 is, for example, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM) or a hard disk drive (HDD). Furthermore, the auxiliary storage unit 303 can include a removable medium, that is, a removable storage medium. The removable medium is a disk storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a CD (Compact Disc) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).
The auxiliary storage unit 303 stores various programs, various kinds of data and various tables in a storage medium in a freely readable/writable state. The auxiliary storage unit 303 stores an operating system (OS), various programs and various tables or the like. Note that a part or a whole of these pieces of information may also be stored in the main storage unit 302. Information stored in the main storage unit 302 may be stored in the auxiliary storage unit 303.
The communication unit 304 transmits/receives information between an external apparatus and the server apparatus 300. The communication unit 304 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The LAN interface board or wireless communication circuit is connected to a network N1.
A series of processes executed by the server apparatus 300 configured as described above may be executed by hardware or may also executed by software.
Next, the user terminal 200 is a small computer that can be carried by the user such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a personal information terminal, a wearable computer (smart watch or the like). Note that the user terminal 200 may also be a personal computer (PC) connected to the server apparatus 300 via the network N1 such as the Internet which is a public communication network.
The user terminal 200 includes a processor 201, a main storage unit 202, an auxiliary storage unit 203, a display unit 204, an input unit 205, a position acquisition unit 206 and a communication unit 207. Since the processor 201, the main storage unit 202 and the auxiliary storage unit 203 are similar to the processor 301, the main storage unit 302 and the auxiliary storage unit 303 of the server apparatus 300, description thereof is omitted. The display unit 204 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an EL (Electroluminescence) panel. The input unit 205 includes, for example, a touch panel that allows symbols such as characters to be inputted, push buttons, a microphone that allows voice to be inputted or a camera that allows a moving image or still image to be picked up. The position acquisition unit 206 is a device that acquires a current position of the user terminal 200 and is typically configured by including a GPS receiver or the like. The communication unit 207 is a communication circuit for accessing the network N1 using, for example, a mobile communication service (telephone communication network such as a mobile phone or wireless communication of WiFi or the like) and carrying out data communication with the server apparatus 300 or the like.
Here, a functional configuration of the server apparatus 300 will be described based on
The traveling schedule management database D310, the movement schedule management database D320, the reservation management database D330 and a member information management database D340 are constructed by a program of a database management system (DBMS) executed by the processor 301 of the server apparatus 300 managing data stored in the auxiliary storage unit 303. These traveling schedule management database D310, movement schedule management database D320, reservation management database D330 and member information management database D340 are, for example, relational databases.
Note that any one or part of processing thereof of the respective functional components of the server apparatus 300 may be executed by another computer connected to the network N1. For example, each process included in the matching processing unit F310 and each process included in the privacy processing unit F320 may be executed by different computers.
The traveling schedule management database D310 stores a traveling schedule of each vehicle 10, where identification information of a driver user of the vehicle 10 is associated with a traveling schedule of the vehicle 10. Here, a configuration example of traveling schedule information stored in the traveling schedule management database D310 will be described based on
The traveling schedule information table shown in
The movement schedule management database D320 stores a movement schedule of a fellow passenger user who wants ride sharing of an arbitrary vehicle 10, where identification information of the fellow passenger user is associated with the movement schedule. Here, one configuration example of the movement schedule information stored in the movement schedule management database D320 will be described based on
The movement schedule information table shown in
The reservation management database D330 stores reservation information for a ride-sharing service, where information relating to the driver user is associated with information relating to a fellow passenger user scheduled to share the vehicle 10 driven by the driver user. Here, one configuration example of reservation information stored in the reservation management database D330 will be described based on
The reservation information table shown in
The reservation information table in
The member information management database D340 stores information on users registered as members in the ride-sharing service (member information). Here, one configuration example of member information stored in the member information management database D340 will be described based on
The member information table shown in
Next, the matching processing unit F310 performs a matching process based on request information from a driver user or a fellow passenger user. More specifically, when the server apparatus 300 receives request information transmitted from the user terminal 200 of the driver user, the matching processing unit F310 generates a traveling schedule information table as shown in aforementioned
The route setting unit F320 extracts all routes connecting places of departure and destinations included in request information when the server apparatus 300 receives the request information from each driver user, the routes through which the vehicle 10 can pass. Next, the route setting unit F320 sets a route predicted to allow the driver user to arrive at the above-described destination by the scheduled arrival date and time included in the above-described request information among the extracted routes as the aforementioned scheduled traveling route. In that case, the route setting unit F320 may also set the scheduled traveling route by taking into account congestion prediction information and traffic regulation information or the like in the time zone in which the driver user moves from the place of departure to the destination.
Here, an example of the method of setting the scheduled traveling route will be described based on
Note that there may also be a case where not solely the route R1 but also the route R2 includes a section where congestion is predicted in the time zone in which the driver user moves from the place of departure S to the destination E. In such a case, one of the route R1 and the route R2 which is predicted to allow the driver user to arrive at the destination earlier may be set as the scheduled traveling route. In that case, it is possible to reduce, as much as possible, the delay when the driver user arrives at the destination.
When there are a plurality of routes predicted to allow the driver user to arrive at the destination by the scheduled arrival date and time, the route predicted to allow the driver to arrive at the destination earliest may also be set as the scheduled traveling route. As another method, a plurality of routes predicted to allow the driver user to arrive at the destination by the scheduled arrival date and time may be registered in the scheduled traveling route field in the above-described traveling schedule information table. The matching processing unit F310 may also set a route going through a getting-in spot and a destination of a fellow passenger user among the plurality of routes registered in the scheduled traveling route field as the official scheduled traveling route.
An operation flow of the ride sharing system according to the present embodiment will be described.
In
When the communication unit 304 of the server apparatus 300 receives the request information from the first user terminal 200A, the route setting unit F320 sets a scheduled traveling route based on the request information (S13). The process of setting the scheduled traveling route is performed based on a processing flow as illustrated in
In
Returning to
Upon receiving the input of the movement schedule to the input unit 205 by the fellow passenger user (S15), the second user terminal 200B transmits the movement schedule from the communication unit 207 to the server apparatus 300 as request information (S16).
When the communication unit 304 of the server apparatus 300 receives the request information from the second user terminal 200B, the matching processing unit F310 generates a movement schedule information table as shown in aforementioned
Note that the method for each user to have the above request information registered in the server apparatus 300 is not limited to the method using the user terminals 200A, 200B. For example, the above request information may also be registered in the server apparatus 300 using an arbitrary terminal connectable to the network N1 (smartphone, mobile phone, tablet terminal, personal information terminal, wearable computer or the like) or a personal computer (PC). Furthermore, in the example shown in
The matching processing unit F310 of the server apparatus 300 compares the traveling schedule information table stored in the traveling schedule management database D310 with the movement schedule information table stored in the movement schedule management database D320 and extracts a traveling schedule that matches the movement schedule of each fellow passenger user. More specifically, as described above, the matching processing unit F310 extracts the traveling schedule information table in which the scheduled traveling route going through the getting-in spot and the getting-off spot of each fellow passenger user is registered in the scheduled traveling route field. Next, the matching processing unit F310 provisionally combines the driver user associated with the extracted traveling schedule information table with the fellow passenger user (S18).
The matching processing unit F310 transmits information indicating ride sharing conditions (getting-in spots of the fellow passenger users, scheduled getting-in dates and times of the fellow passenger users, getting-off spots of the fellow passenger users, scheduled getting-off dates and times of the fellow passenger users, type of vehicle 10 or the like) to the respective user terminals 200A and 200B of the driver user and the fellow passenger users included in the provisional combination determined in S18 from the communication unit 304 (S19).
When the first user terminal 200A and the second user terminal 200B receive information indicating the ride sharing condition, the respective user terminals 200A and 200B display information indicating the ride sharing condition in the above-described provisional combination on the display unit 204. In that case, the respective user terminals 200A and 200B perform a process of urging each user to select whether or not to accept the information indicating the ride sharing condition (e.g., a process of causing the input unit 205 to display a button to select whether or not to accept the ride sharing condition on a touch panel or the like). When each user selects to accept the information indicating the ride sharing condition, each user terminal 200A or 200B transmits information indicating acceptance of the ride sharing condition in the above-described provisional combination (acceptance information) from the communication unit 207 to the server apparatus 300 (S20, S21). Note that in the example shown in
When the communication unit 304 of the server apparatus 300 receives the acceptance information which is information indicating acceptance of the ride sharing condition in the above-described provisional combination, the matching processing unit F310 confirms the above-described provisional combination as an official combination (S22). The matching processing unit F310 generates the reservation information tables as shown in aforementioned
Note that when neither the first user terminal 200A nor the second user terminal 200B can receive the above-described acceptance information, the matching processing unit F310 of the server apparatus 300 is assumed to reset a new provisional combination made up of a user combination different from the above-described provisional combination.
According to the aforementioned flow, since a route that allows the driver user to arrive at the destination by the scheduled arrival date and time is set as the scheduled traveling route and fellow passenger users whose getting-in spots and getting-off spots are located on the scheduled traveling route are combined with the driver user, it is possible to reduce, as much as possible, the likelihood that the driver user will be unable to arrive at the destination by the scheduled arrival date and time caused by the vehicle driven by the driver user having to go through the getting-in spots and the getting-off spots of the fellow passenger users. As a result, it is possible to reduce, as much as possible, the likelihood that the driver user may arrive at the destination later than the scheduled arrival date and time.
Note that the above embodiments are merely examples and the present disclosure can be changed and implemented as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of range of the present disclosure.
The processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented unless there are technical inconsistencies. A process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed among a plurality of devices. Alternatively processes described as being executed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change a hardware configuration used to implement each function.
Furthermore, the present disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a computer program including the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer and by one or more processors included in the computer reading and executing the program. Such a computer program may be supplied to the computer through a non-transitory computer readable storage medium which is connectable to a system bus of the computer or may be supplied to the computer via a network. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium is a storage medium which allows information such as data or a program to be stored through electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical or chemical action and read from the computer or the like, and examples of such a medium include any type of disk such as magnetic disk (floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk drive (HDD) or the like), optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, blue-ray disk or the like), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic card, flash memory, optical card and SSD (Solid State Drive).
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-146775 | Aug 2018 | JP | national |
