Patent Application
20180060991
This Paris Convention Patent Application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 and claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2016-162720, filed on Aug. 23, 2016, the content of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference for all purposes.
The present invention relates to a placement system for mobile objects, and more specifically for designating a vehicle dispatch site from a user terminal.
Conventionally, when an individual wants to call a taxi, he generally uses a telephone (land line or mobile phone) to talk to the nearest branch of the taxi company and convey his location so that a car can be sent.
There has also been disclosed a system in which a customer terminal such as a smart phone, a taxi dispatch center, and a taxi terminal are connected via a communication network, a map that combines location information about the customer terminal and the taxi terminal is sent to the customer terminal, and a taxi is selected on the customer terminal so that information about the location of the customer (terminal) is conveyed to the selected taxi (Patent Document 1). There has also been disclosed a system in which a dispatch location can be designated by a customer by designating some location on a map (Non-Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application 2004-110758
Non-Patent Document 1: Uber (www.uber.com/ja/ride/)
With such a conventional dispatch system, however, there is the risk that the location designated on the map by a customer will be a location where vehicles are prohibited from entering, or where there is no parking, which would prevent a vehicle from being dispatched to the designated location.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a placement system for mobile objects with which a customer can easily designate a vehicle dispatch location according to a variety of conditions.
One aspect of the present invention is a placement system for mobile objects comprising a user terminal used by a user and a host computer connected so as to be able to exchange information with the user terminal, said system further comprising storage means for storing dispatch information related to factors that influence the dispatch of mobile objects in association with locations on a map;
map display means for displaying the map on the user terminal; location information acquisition means for receiving the input of a location on the map from the user terminal; dispatch candidate location determination means for referring to the location information and determining dispatch candidate locations that are candidates for dispatching a mobile object on the basis of their location on the map inputted by the location information acquisition means; and dispatch candidate location display means for displaying the dispatch candidate locations on the map displayed on the user terminal.
Another aspect of the present invention is a user terminal comprising map display means for displaying a map; location information acquisition means for receiving the input of a location on the map; dispatch candidate location determination means for referring to dispatch information that influences the dispatch of mobile objects in association with locations on the map, and determining dispatch candidate locations that are candidates for dispatching a mobile object on the basis of their location on the map inputted by the location information acquisition means; and dispatch candidate location display means for displaying the dispatch candidate locations on the map.
Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle dispatch program that causes a computer, which can access a storage means for storing dispatch information that influences the dispatch of vehicles in association with locations on a map (e.g., non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions for performing dispatch of vehicles, including a processor and a storage configured to store dispatch information that influences the dispatch of vehicles in association with locations on a map), to function as map display means for displaying a map; location information acquisition means for receiving the input of a location on the map; dispatch candidate location determination means for referring to dispatch information that influences the dispatch of vehicles in association with locations on the map, and determining dispatch candidate locations that are candidates for dispatching a vehicle on the basis of their location on the map inputted by the location information acquisition means; and dispatch candidate location display means for displaying the dispatch candidate locations on the map.
Here, it is preferable if there are provided dispatch location information acquisition means for receiving from the user terminal a designation of a vehicle dispatch location from the map on which the dispatch candidate locations are displayed; and vehicle dispatch means for dispatching a vehicle to the dispatch location.
Also, it is preferable if the dispatch information includes at least one of the following: road conditions, environment information, traffic information, weather information, and information about the vehicles themselves. It is also preferable if the dispatch information includes information obtained from the dispatch locations designated in the past. It is also preferable if the dispatch information is changed according to the time of day.
It is also preferable if the dispatch location information acquisition means receives a designation of the travel direction of a vehicle at the dispatch location, and the vehicle dispatch means sends information about the travel direction to the vehicle.
Effects of the Invention
The present invention provides a placement system for mobile objects with which a customer can have a vehicle dispatched to a suitable location according to a variety of conditions.
As shown in
The placement system for mobile objects 100 receives from the user terminal 104 the designation of the location to which a vehicle is to be moved (dispatch location) and performs processing to transmit the dispatch location that will be the destination of the mobile object 108 from the host computer 102.
As shown in
As shown in
The mobile object 108 has a means for moving the area included in the map (discussed below). The mobile object 108 can be, for example, a vehicle that drives on a road. More specifically, the mobile object 108 can be a taxi or a cargo delivery vehicle, for example.
The vehicle dispatch processing in this embodiment will now be described through reference to the flowchart of
In step S10, an instruction to start vehicle dispatch processing is sent from the user terminal 104. The user uses the input unit 24 of the user terminal 104 to issue an instruction to start the processing in the placement system for mobile objects 100. For example, an instruction to start vehicle dispatch processing by accessing the URL of the web site that provides the placement system for mobile objects 100 is received. When the processor 20 of the user terminal 104 receives an instruction to start vehicle dispatch processing, user terminal location information indicating the current location of the user terminal 104 is sent to the host computer 102 along with the start instruction via the communication unit 28. The user terminal location information can be acquired by a location recognition technique featuring a wireless base station accessed by the user terminal 104, or a GPS function provided to the user terminal 104. For example, the current location of the user terminal 104 may be the latitude and longitude of the user terminal 104. If the mobile object 108 is a flying object capable of moving through the air, the current location of the user terminal 104 may include altitude in addition to latitude and longitude. Vehicle dispatch processing is commenced when the processor 10 of the host computer 102 receives the vehicle dispatch processing start instruction and the user terminal location information via the communication unit 18.
In step S12, a map is transmitted from the host computer 102 to the user terminal 104. The processing in this step causes the host computer 102 to function as a map transmission means, and the user terminal 104 to function as a map reception means. As shown in
The processor 10 chooses dispatch information related to factors that that influence the dispatch of vehicles in association with locations on a map. In this embodiment, since the vehicle is a road-going vehicle, the dispatch information is road conditions related to the vehicle. Specific examples include dispatch information indicating locations where vehicles are prohibited from entering (no-entry locations) and information indicating locations vehicles are prohibited from stopping (no-parking locations). However, the dispatch information is not limited to this, and other examples will be given below.
Dispatch information is stored in the storage unit 12 in association with the map. For example, the dispatch information is registered in association with coordinates on the map or with areas on the map. The coordinates on the map can be latitude and longitude if the vehicle is one that moves over the ground. If the vehicle is one that can move through the air, such as an aircraft, altitude may be included in addition to latitude and longitude. Also, an area on the map can be a road area, a zoned area, a flight area, or the like.
In this embodiment, since the vehicle is a road-going vehicle, an example will be given in which the dispatch information is registered in association with a road area on the map. If the dispatch information is a location where vehicles are prohibited from entering (no-entry location), as shown in
The processor 10 refers to the dispatch information stored in the storage unit 12 and chooses the dispatch information 34 and 36 within the range of the map 32 chosen on the basis of the current location X of the user terminal 104. The processor 10 sends the chosen map 32 and the dispatch information 34 and 36 through the communication unit 18 to the user terminal 104. The user terminal 104 receives the map 32 and the dispatch information 34 and 36 via the communication unit 28.
In step S14, a map is displayed on the user terminal 104. The processing in this step causes the user terminal 104 to function as a map display means. As shown in
In step S16, processing is performed for receiving the input of a location on the map from the user terminal 104. The processing in this step causes the user terminal 104 to function as a location information acquisition means. The user uses the input unit 24 of the user terminal 104 to input the location serving as a reference for the dispatch of a vehicle on the map displayed on the output unit 26 in step S14. For example, if the input unit 24 is a touch panel, the reference location is inputted by touching the map displayed on the output unit 26 with a finger. Also, if the input unit 24 is a pointing device such as a mouse, for example, the reference location is inputted by moving the cursor on the map displayed on the output unit 26 and clicking. The processor 20 receives the input of the reference location.
In this embodiment, the processing involved receiving the designation of a reference location from the user, but the present invention is not limited to or by this. For example, the current location X of the user terminal 104 may be used as the reference location.
In step S18, processing for determining dispatch candidate locations that are candidates for dispatching vehicles is performed on the basis of the inputted reference location, by referring to the dispatch information 34 and 36. The processing in this step causes the user terminal 104 to function as a dispatch candidate location determination means. The processor 20 refers to the dispatch information 34 and 36 received in step S12 and determines the dispatch candidate locations for vehicles on the basis of the reference location whose input was received in step S16.
For example, as shown in
The specific range from the reference location Y is not limited to the range of the radius R.
For example, the specific range may be a rectangular area comprising a specific distance in the longitude direction and a specific distance in the latitude direction, with the reference location Y at the center. Also, if the vehicle is one that can move through the air, such as an aircraft, the specific range may be defined to include a range in altitude in addition to the latitude and longitude. Also, a specific range can be set with respect to the reference location Y via input from the user.
In step S20, processing is performed for displaying the dispatch candidate locations on the user terminal 104. The processing in this step causes the user terminal 104 to function as a dispatch candidate location display means. The processor 20 displays the dispatch candidate locations found in step S18 on the output unit 26. At this point, as shown in
In addition to changing the designation of the reference location Y on the map, the user may also choose and display the dispatch candidate locations 38 in real time. Specifically, by repeating the processing from steps S16 to S20, every time the reference location Y is changed, the dispatch candidate locations 38 corresponding to the changed reference location Y may be found and displayed.
In step S22, processing is performed for receiving the designation of the dispatch location of the mobile object 108 from the user terminal 104. The processing in this step causes the user terminal 104 to function as a dispatch location information acquisition means. The processor 20 uses the input unit 24 to receive a designation about where the user wants the mobile object 108 to be dispatched (dispatch location), from the dispatch candidate locations 38 on the map displayed on the output unit 26 in step S20. For example, if the input unit 24 and the output unit 26 are touch panels, the user taps a finger on a dispatch candidate location 38 on the displayed map as shown in
In step S24, information about the dispatch location Z is sent from the host computer 102 to the mobile object 108. The processing in this step causes the host computer 102 to function as a vehicle dispatch means. When the processor 10 of the host computer 102 receives the dispatch location Z sent via the communication unit 18 from the user terminal 104, as shown in
For example, if the mobile object 108 is a taxi, the current locations of taxis registered to the host computer 102 are collected, an empty taxi that is near the dispatch location Z is selected, and the dispatch location Z is sent to that taxi. The current location of the mobile object 108 may be sent to the host computer 102 via a GPS or other such location recognition means installed in the mobile object 108. This allows the driver of the taxi that received the dispatch location Z to move the vehicle to the dispatch location Z.
For example, if the mobile object 108 is a delivery vehicle that delivers cargo to the user who designated the dispatch location Z, the delivery vehicle that is loaded with the user's cargo may be chosen, and the dispatch location Z sent to the chosen delivery vehicle. More specifically, a delivery vehicle loaded with cargo to be delivered to a user is registered in the storage unit 12 in association with a user ID that identifies that user, and the delivery vehicle associated with the received user ID is chosen by referring to that user ID, along with the dispatch location Z received in step S22 by the processor 10.
The processor 10 then sends the dispatch location Z to the chosen delivery vehicle. Consequently, the driver of the delivery vehicle that has received the dispatch location Z is able to move the delivery vehicle to the dispatch location Z. Therefore, the user can receive the cargo at the dispatch location Z.
This embodiment can also be applied to a mobile object 108 that operates autonomously. With an autonomously operated mobile object 108, the mobile object 108 that has received a dispatch location is automatically moved to and stopped at that dispatch location by autonomous operation technology. Also, the mobile object 108 is not limited to a road-going vehicle, and may be any vehicle that moves on the basis of a map (including nautical and aerial charts, etc.). For example, the mobile object 108 may be an aircraft (such as a drone), a ship, or the like.
As discussed above, with this embodiment, it is possible to designate a dispatch location on the basis of the dispatch information related to the dispatch of a vehicle on a map. This makes it possible to designate the dispatch location of the vehicle, excluding, for example, areas where vehicles are prohibited from entering or areas where vehicles are prohibited from stopping.
The dispatch information is not limited to the above example. For instance, the dispatch information may be road conditions. Road conditions can include locations where the mobile object 108 cannot enter or locations where the mobile object 108 cannot stop, as well as information related to the transit of the mobile object 108 (number of lanes, one-way streets, and other such information).
When the number of lanes, as information related to the transit of the mobile object 108, is utilized as the dispatch information, a road in which the number of lanes within a specific range from the reference location Y is greater than or less than a specific number may be determined as a dispatch candidate location and presented to the user. When information related to a one-way street, as information related to the transit of the mobile object 108, is utilized as the dispatch information, a road in which a vehicle can pass in a specific direction within a specific range from the reference location Y may be determined as a dispatch candidate location and presented to the user. For example, in Japan where vehicles drive on the left side of the road, an area where a vehicle moves close to the reference location Y from the left side may be presented as a dispatch candidate location.
Also, the dispatch information may be information related to the environment registered in association with the location information of the map. For example, information related to the environment can be information related to the characteristics of the locale (a residential area, a commercial area, an industrial area, an area related to education, etc.). For example, processing may be performed so that a residential area within a specific range from the reference location Y is determined to be a dispatch candidate location, while a commercial area or industrial area is determined not to be a dispatch candidate location, or vice versa. Thus, the dispatch location of the mobile object 108 can be easily designated by designating or excluding any areas having a particular characteristic. Also, information related to the environment and other dispatch information may be used in combination. For instance, the processing may be such that a location that can be entered by the mobile object 108 and is not in an area related to education (schools and their surroundings, etc.) may be determined as a dispatch candidate location and presented to the user. This makes it easy to designate the dispatch location of the mobile object 108 while excluding areas related to education. Information related to the environment may be information related to sidewalks. For example, roads in which sidewalks are provided within a specific range from the reference location Y may be determined as dispatch candidate locations and presented to the user. This makes it easy to limit the designation of the dispatch location of the mobile object 108 (such as a taxi) to safe roads that have sidewalks. Also, roads that have no steps in the sidewalks within a specific range from the reference location Y may be determined as dispatch candidate locations and presented to the user. This makes it easy to limit the designation of the dispatch location of the mobile object 108 (such as a delivery vehicle) to roads with no steps in the sidewalks.
Also, the dispatch information may be information related to traffic congestion. For example, information about roads with heavy traffic may be collected through the communication unit 18 and utilized as dispatch information. More specifically, roads that have light traffic within a specific range from the reference location Y may be determined as dispatch candidate locations and presented to the user. Also, information related to traffic congestion and other dispatch information may be used in combination. For example, locations that can be entered by the mobile object 108 and that are roads with light traffic within a specific range from the reference location Y may be determined as dispatch candidate locations and presented to the user.
Also, the dispatch information may be information related to weather. For example, information related to the weather in various locations may be collected through the communication unit 18 and utilized as dispatch information. More specifically, locations that are within a specific range from the reference location Y and where the amount of rainfall is at or below a specific reference value may be determined as dispatch candidate locations and presented to the user. Also, a combination of information related to weather and other dispatch information may be used. For example, as information related to the environment, information related to places where the rain is tolerable may be utilized as dispatch information, and for areas that are within a specific range from the reference location Y and where the rainfall is at or above a specific reference value, places where the rain is tolerable may be determined as dispatch candidate locations and presented to the user.
Also, the dispatch information may be changed according to the size of the mobile object 108. For example, dispatch information may be prepared for vehicles 108 of various sizes, and the dispatch information may be switched according to the size of the mobile object 108 that is to be dispatched. For example, when a location where the mobile object 108 cannot stop is used as dispatch information, no-parking locations where the vehicle cannot stop are registered in the storage unit 12 for each size of the mobile object 108 (motorcycles, compact cars, midsize cars, light trucks, medium trucks, heavy trucks, etc.), and the dispatch candidate locations may be determined by selecting the dispatch information corresponding to the size of the mobile object 108 to be dispatched. As a specific example, the dispatch information may be selected according to the size of the taxi the user wants to have dispatched or the size of the vehicle loaded with the cargo to be delivered to the user, and locations where a vehicle of this size can stop may be determined as the dispatch candidate locations and presented to the user.
It is also possible to vary the dispatch information with the time of day. For example, there are situations when locations where the mobile object 108 cannot stop (no-parking locations, no-stopping locations, etc.) change with the time of day, so locations where the mobile object 108 can stop may be registered as dispatch information according to time ranges, dispatch information corresponding to the time at which the reference location Y was designated may be selected, and locations where the mobile object 108 can stop at said time within a specific range from the reference location Y may be determined as the dispatch candidate locations and presented to the user. Also, information about roads that are dark at night or roads with no streetlights may be registered as dispatch information, between sunrise and sunset dispatch candidate locations may be determined regardless of this dispatch information, and between sunset and sunrise dispatch candidate locations may be determined by excluding roads that are dark at night or roads with no streetlights.
Also, dispatch information may be information obtained from a dispatch location Z designated in the past. For example, as shown in
Also, the configuration may be such that the orientation of the mobile object 108 at the time of dispatch can be designated in addition to the dispatch location Z. For example, if the mobile object 108 is a road-going vehicle, it may have to drive along a predetermined side of the road, such as with left-hand traffic or right-hand traffic. In view of this, the it is preferable to be able to designate the direction of the mobile object 108 so that it can be dispatched by taking into account the side on which it is easier to board the mobile object 108, or the side on which it is easier to unload the cargo (the side of the mobile object 108 with a cargo door). In view of this, as shown in
The processing may also determine the dispatch candidate locations from their relationship with the destination of the mobile object 108, in addition to the reference location Y. In such a case, the input unit 24 can be used to designate the destination of the mobile object 108 along with the reference location Y. For example, if the mobile object 108 is a taxi, the user may designate as the destination of the mobile object 108 the location to which the taxi goes when the user gets in. The processor 20 may perform a route search from the reference location Y to the destination on the basis of the relationship between the reference location Y and the destination, and may choose a dispatch candidate location that is along the obtained route and is within a specific range from the reference location Y. Also, locations that will not result in a roundabout route to the destination (for example, a location that will result in the shortest distance to the destination, or a location that will result in the shortest arrival time at the destination) may be determined as dispatch candidate locations on the basis of the relationship between the reference location Y and the destination.
The examples of dispatch information given above may also be used in suitable combinations. When using a combination of a plurality of dispatch information, locations that satisfy all of the specific conditions for the plurality of dispatch information may be determined as dispatch candidate locations. Also, a priority ranking may be established for the plurality of dispatch information, dispatch information may be selected in the order of highest priority, and locations that satisfy the specific conditions for the selected dispatch information may be determined as dispatch candidate locations. In this case, if there is a location that satisfies the specific conditions for the dispatch information with the highest priority, that location is determined as a dispatch candidate location, and if there is no location that satisfies these conditions, it may be determined whether or not there is a location that satisfies the specific conditions for the dispatch information with the next highest priority. This processing can be repeated in the order of priority to determine the dispatch candidate locations on the basis of a plurality of dispatch information, and present the results to the user.
Also, some or all of the processing described in this embodiment as being performed by the host computer 102 may instead be performed by the user terminal 104, and some or all of the processing described as being performed by the user terminal 104 may instead be performed by the host computer 102.
10 processor
12 storage unit
14 input unit
16 output unit
18 communication unit
20 processor
22 storage unit
24 input unit
26 output unit
28 communication unit
30 map database
32 map
34, 36 dispatch information
38 dispatch candidate location
40 specific range
50 icon
100 dispatch system
102 host computer
104 user terminal
106 information communication network
108 mobile object
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-162720 | Aug 2016 | JP | national |
