JP7626017B2 - Information processing device, information processing system, and information processing method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, and an information processing method.

Patent document 1 discloses a control device equipped with a control unit that allocates the payment of the fare for a vehicle that transports multiple users together to each user.

JP 2021-86557 A

There is a need for technology that appropriately gives users an opportunity to reconsider whether or not to cancel their on-demand bus reservation.

In light of these circumstances, the objective of this disclosure is to provide technology that appropriately gives users an opportunity to reconsider whether or not to cancel their on-demand bus reservation.

An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
The Communications Department and
The system includes a control unit that, when it determines based on information of a user who made a reservation that there is a high possibility that the reservation for an on-demand bus will be canceled, sends an inquiry as to whether or not to cancel the reservation to the user's terminal device via the communication unit.

An information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
The terminal device;
The information processing device.

An information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
When it is determined based on information of a user who made a reservation that there is a high possibility that the reservation for an on-demand bus will be canceled, an inquiry as to whether or not to cancel the reservation is sent to a terminal device of the user.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a technology can be provided that appropriately gives a user an opportunity to reconsider whether or not to cancel an on-demand bus reservation.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the information processing system shown in FIG. 1 . 3 is a flowchart showing a process of the terminal device shown in FIG. 2 . 3 is a flowchart showing a process of the information processing device shown in FIG. 2 .

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the drawings.

(System Configuration)
As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system 1 includes a plurality of vehicles 10, at least one terminal device 20, and at least one information processing device 30. The information processing system 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes a plurality of vehicles 10. However, it is sufficient that the information processing system 1 includes at least one vehicle 10.

The vehicle 10, the terminal device 20, and the information processing device 30 can communicate with each other via a network 2. The network 2 may be any network including a mobile communication network, the Internet, etc.

The vehicle 10 is operated as an on-demand bus. An on-demand bus is a bus that operates according to a user's request. A user reserves the on-demand bus in advance and uses it.

The vehicle 10 travels, for example, along a preset basic route. The user boards the vehicle 10, for example, at a pre-specified dispatch location for the vehicle 10. The dispatch location for the vehicle 10 may or may not be on the basic route. If the dispatch location for the vehicle 10 is not on the basic route, the vehicle 10 deviates from the basic route and heads for the dispatch location as the dispatch time approaches.

The vehicle 10 may be any automobile. The vehicle 10 may be, for example, a gasoline-powered automobile, an electric automobile (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), a hybrid automobile (HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a plug-in hybrid automobile (PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or a fuel cell automobile (FCEV: Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle). The vehicle 10 may be driven by a driver. A part of the operation of the vehicle 10 may be automated at any level. The level of automation may be, for example, any of levels 1 to 5 in the level classification of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The vehicle 10 may be a vehicle dedicated to MaaS (Mobility as a Service).

The terminal device 20 is used by a user. The user operates the terminal device 20 to make a reservation to use an on-demand bus.

The terminal device 20 may be any device that can be connected to the network 2. The terminal device 20 may be, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, or a personal computer (PC).

The information processing device 30 manages reservations for on-demand bus use. When the information processing device 30 determines that the user's reservation is likely to be canceled, it sends an inquiry about whether or not to cancel the on-demand bus reservation to the terminal device 20 via the network 2.

The information processing device 30 may be operated by an entity that provides an on-demand bus service. The information processing device 30 is, for example, a dedicated computer configured to function as a server, a general-purpose personal computer, or a cloud computing system.

(Vehicle configuration)
As shown in FIG. 2 , the vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 11 , a positioning unit 12 , an output unit 13 , a storage unit 14 , and a control unit 15 .

The communication unit 11 is configured to include at least one communication module that can be connected to the network 2. The communication module is, for example, a communication module that supports mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). However, the communication module is not limited to this. The communication module may support any communication standard.

The positioning unit 12 is capable of acquiring position information of the vehicle 10. The positioning unit 12 is configured to include at least one receiving module that corresponds to a satellite positioning system. The receiving module is, for example, a receiving module that corresponds to GPS (Global Positioning System). However, the receiving module is not limited to this. The receiving module may be a receiving module that corresponds to any satellite positioning system.

The output unit 13 is capable of outputting data. The output unit 13 is configured to include at least one output interface capable of outputting data. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. However, the output interface is not limited to this.

The storage unit 14 is configured to include at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). The RAM is, for example, an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) or a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically erasable programmable read only memory). The storage unit 14 may function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 14 stores data used in the operation of the vehicle 10 and data obtained by the operation of the vehicle 10.

The control unit 15 is configured to include at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 15 executes processes related to the operation of the vehicle 10 while controlling each part of the vehicle 10.

The functions of vehicle 10 are realized by executing the vehicle program according to this embodiment in a processor equivalent to control unit 15. That is, the functions of vehicle 10 are realized by software. The vehicle program causes a computer to execute the operations of vehicle 10, thereby causing the computer to function as vehicle 10. That is, the computer functions as vehicle 10 by executing the operations of vehicle 10 in accordance with the vehicle program.

In this disclosure, a "program" can be recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a magnetic recording device, an optical disk, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a ROM. A program is distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) on which the program is recorded. The program may be stored in a server's storage. A program stored in a server's storage may be distributed by transferring it to another computer. The program may be provided as a program product.

In this disclosure, a "computer" temporarily stores, for example, a program recorded on a portable recording medium or a program transferred from a server in a main storage device. Furthermore, the computer reads the program stored in the main storage device with a processor and executes processing according to the read program with the processor. The computer may read the program directly from a portable recording medium and execute processing according to the program. The computer may execute processing according to the received program each time a program is transferred from the server to the computer. The computer may execute processing by a so-called ASP (Application Service Provider) type service that does not transfer a program from the server to the computer and realizes functions only by execution instructions and result acquisition. Programs include information used for processing by an electronic computer that is equivalent to a program. For example, data that is not a direct command to a computer but has properties that define computer processing falls under "something equivalent to a program."

Some or all of the functions of the vehicle 10 may be realized by a dedicated circuit equivalent to the control unit 15. In other words, some or all of the functions of the vehicle 10 may be realized by hardware.

The control unit 15 receives an operation schedule from the information processing device 30 via the network 2 using the communication unit 11. The operation schedule includes, for example, at least any of the planned route, location information of the planned dispatch location, planned dispatch time, location information of the planned disembarkation location, and planned disembarkation time, which will be described later. However, the operation schedule is not limited to these. The operation schedule may include any information used for operating the vehicle 10. The control unit 15 stores the received operation schedule in the memory unit 14. When the control unit 15 receives a new operation schedule, it may update the operation schedule in the memory unit 14 with the new operation schedule.

The control unit 15 controls the vehicle 10 to travel in accordance with the operation schedule stored in the memory unit 14. As an example, when the vehicle 10 is driven by a driver, the control unit 15 presents the operation schedule to the driver by having the output unit 13 output the operation schedule. By presenting the operation schedule to the driver, the control unit 15 prompts the driver to drive the vehicle 10 in accordance with the operation schedule. As another example, when the operation of the vehicle 10 is automated, the control unit 15 instructs the automated driving system of the vehicle 10 to drive the vehicle 10 in accordance with the operation schedule.

The control unit 15 acquires position information of the vehicle 10 by the positioning unit 12, for example, while the vehicle 10 is traveling. The control unit 15 transmits the acquired position information of the vehicle 10 to the information processing device 30 via the network 2 by the communication unit 11. The control unit 15 may acquire position information of the vehicle 10 at any time interval and transmit the acquired position information of the vehicle 10 to the information processing device 30. This time interval may be set appropriately based on the speed of the vehicle 10, etc.

(Configuration of terminal device)
As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 20 includes a communication unit 21, a positioning unit 22, an input unit 23, an output unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a control unit 26.

The communication unit 21 is configured to include at least one communication module that can be connected to the network 2. The communication module is, for example, a communication module that supports a mobile communication standard such as LTE, 4G, or 5G. However, the communication module is not limited to this. The communication module may support any communication standard.

The positioning unit 22 is capable of acquiring position information of the terminal device 20. The positioning unit 22 is configured to include at least one receiving module that corresponds to a satellite positioning system. The receiving module is, for example, a receiving module that corresponds to GPS. However, the receiving module is not limited to this. The receiving module may be a receiving module that corresponds to any satellite positioning system.

The input unit 23 is capable of receiving input from a user. The input unit 23 is configured to include at least one input interface capable of receiving input from a user. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen that is integrated with a display, or a microphone. However, the input interface is not limited to these.

The output unit 24 is capable of outputting data. The output unit 24 is configured to include at least one output interface capable of outputting data. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. However, the output interface is not limited to this.

The storage unit 25 is configured to include at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. The RAM is, for example, an SRAM or a DRAM. The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM. The storage unit 25 may function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 25 stores data used in the operation of the terminal device 20 and data obtained by the operation of the terminal device 20.

The control unit 26 is configured to include at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA or ASIC. The control unit 26 executes processes related to the operation of the terminal device 20 while controlling each part of the terminal device 20.

The functions of the terminal device 20 are realized by executing a terminal program according to this embodiment on a processor equivalent to the control unit 26. That is, the functions of the terminal device 20 are realized by software. The terminal program causes a computer to execute the operations of the terminal device 20, thereby causing the computer to function as the terminal device 20. That is, the computer functions as the terminal device 20 by executing the operations of the terminal device 20 in accordance with the terminal program.

Some or all of the functions of the terminal device 20 may be realized by a dedicated circuit equivalent to the control unit 26. In other words, some or all of the functions of the terminal device 20 may be realized by hardware.

The control unit 26 accepts the input of an application for reserving an on-demand bus through the input unit 23. This application is input through the input unit 23 by a user who wishes to reserve and use an on-demand bus in advance. For example, the user inputs this application through the input unit 23 several days to several hours before the date and time when the user wishes to use the on-demand bus. Along with the input of this application, the control unit 26 may accept the input of the desired conditions desired by the user for using the on-demand bus through the input unit 23. The desired conditions may include at least one of the desired date, desired dispatch location, desired dispatch time, desired disembarking location, desired disembarking time, and desired number of passengers. The desired date is the date on which the user wishes to use the on-demand bus. The desired dispatch location is the location where the on-demand bus desired by the user will be dispatched. The desired dispatch time is the time when the on-demand bus desired by the user will be dispatched. The desired disembarking location is the location where the user disembarks from the on-demand bus desired by the user. The desired disembarking time is the time when the user disembarks from the on-demand bus desired by the user. The desired number of passengers is the number of people boarding the on-demand bus desired by the user. When the control unit 26 receives these inputs through the input unit 23, it generates application information indicating an application for reserving the use of the on-demand bus. The application information includes, for example, the user's identification information and information on desired conditions. The control unit 26 transmits the generated application information to the information processing device 30 via the network 2 through the communication unit 21.

After transmitting the application information, the control unit 26 may receive a reservation completion notification and reservation information from the information processing device 30 via the network 2 through the communication unit 21. The reservation completion notification is a notification indicating that a reservation for using an on-demand bus has been completed. The reservation information includes, for example, at least any of the following information: a scheduled date, a scheduled dispatch location, a scheduled dispatch time, a scheduled disembarkation location, a scheduled disembarkation time, a scheduled disembarkation time, a scheduled number of passengers, and a scheduled route. The scheduled date is the day on which the user is scheduled to use the on-demand bus. The scheduled dispatch location is the location where the on-demand bus is scheduled to be dispatched. The scheduled dispatch time is the time when the on-demand bus is scheduled to be dispatched. The scheduled disembarkation location is the location where the user is scheduled to disembark from the on-demand bus. The scheduled disembarkation time is the time when the user is scheduled to disembark from the on-demand bus. The scheduled number of passengers is the number of people scheduled to board the on-demand bus. The scheduled route is the route along which the on-demand bus is scheduled to travel from the scheduled dispatch location to the scheduled disembarkation location. The control unit 26 causes the output unit 24 to output the reservation completion notification and the reservation information. By outputting a reservation completion notification from the output unit 24, the user can know that the reservation for use of the on-demand bus has been completed.

<Location information transmission process>
For example, after receiving reservation information, the control unit 26 may acquire location information of the terminal device 20 by the positioning unit 22. The control unit 26 may transmit the acquired location information of the terminal device 20 as user location information to the information processing device 30 via the network 2 by the communication unit 21. The control unit 26 may acquire location information of the terminal device 20 at any time interval, and transmit the acquired location information of the terminal device 20 to the information processing device 30 as user location information. This time interval may be set as appropriate based on the average walking speed of the user, etc.

<Inquiry reception processing>
The control unit 26 may receive an inquiry from the information processing device 30 via the network 2, through the communication unit 21, as to whether or not to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus. When the control unit 26 receives this inquiry, it causes the output unit 24 to output an inquiry as to whether or not to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus. When this inquiry is output from the output unit 24, the user may reconsider whether or not to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus. If the user decides to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus, the user inputs an input for canceling the reservation for using the on-demand bus from the input unit 23. If the user decides not to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus, the user inputs an input for not canceling the reservation for using the on-demand bus from the input unit 23.

When the user decides to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus, the control unit 26 can receive an input to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus via the input unit 23. When the control unit 26 receives this input, the control unit 26 transmits a response to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus via the communication unit 21 to the information processing device 30 via the network 2 as a response to the received inquiry about whether to cancel.

When the user decides not to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus, the control unit 26 can receive an input for not canceling the reservation for using the on-demand bus via the input unit 23. When the control unit 26 receives this input, it transmits a response for not canceling the reservation for using the on-demand bus via the communication unit 21 to the information processing device 30 via the network 2 as a response to the received inquiry about whether to cancel.

(Configuration of information processing device)
As shown in FIG. 2 , the information processing device 30 includes a communication unit 31 , a storage unit 32 , and a control unit 33 .

The communication unit 31 is configured to include at least one communication module that can be connected to the network 2. The communication module is, for example, a communication module that supports standards such as a wired LAN (Local Area Network) or a wireless LAN. However, the communication module is not limited to this. The communication module may support any communication standard. The communication unit 31 is connected to the network 2 via a wired LAN or a wireless LAN by the communication module.

The storage unit 32 is configured to include at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. The RAM is, for example, an SRAM or a DRAM. The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM. The storage unit 32 may function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 32 stores data used in the operation of the information processing device 30 and data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 30.

The control unit 33 is configured to include at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA or ASIC. The control unit 33 executes processes related to the operation of the information processing device 30 while controlling each part of the information processing device 30.

The functions of the information processing device 30 are realized by executing the processing program according to this embodiment in a processor corresponding to the control unit 33. That is, the functions of the information processing device 30 are realized by software. The processing program causes a computer to execute the operations of the information processing device 30, thereby causing the computer to function as the information processing device 30. That is, the computer functions as the information processing device 30 by executing the operations of the information processing device 30 in accordance with the processing program.

Some or all of the functions of the information processing device 30 may be realized by a dedicated circuit equivalent to the control unit 33. In other words, some or all of the functions of the information processing device 30 may be realized by hardware.

The control unit 33 receives application information from the terminal device 20 via the network 2 through the communication unit 31. Upon receiving the application information, the control unit 33 executes a reservation process for an on-demand bus.

<Reservation processing>
The control unit 33 extracts a vehicle 10 that satisfies the user's desired conditions included in the received application information from among the multiple vehicles 10. If there is no vehicle 10 that satisfies the user's desired conditions, the control unit 33 may transmit proposal information that proposes to the user to change the desired conditions to the terminal device 20 via the network 2 through the communication unit 31. In this case, in the terminal device 20, the control unit 26 receives the proposal information from the information processing device 30 via the network 2 through the communication unit 21. The control unit 26 causes the output unit 24 to output the proposal information. When the user sees the proposal information output from the output unit 24, the user inputs the input of the changed desired conditions from the input unit 23. The control unit 26 transmits the information of the changed desired conditions to the information processing device 30 via the network 2 through the communication unit 21. In the information processing device 30, the control unit 33 receives the information of the changed desired conditions from the terminal device 20 via the network 2 through the communication unit 31. The control unit 33 extracts a vehicle 10 that satisfies the changed desired conditions from among the multiple vehicles 10.

When the control unit 33 extracts a vehicle 10 that satisfies the user's desired conditions, it changes the operation schedule of the extracted vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 satisfies the user's desired conditions. The control unit 33 transmits the changed operation schedule to the extracted vehicle 10 via the network 2 by the communication unit 31. The control unit 33 also generates reservation information. The control unit 33 transmits a reservation completion notification and the reservation information to the terminal device 20 via the network 2 by the communication unit 31.

<Inquiry sending process>
For example, after the reservation process is executed, the control unit 33 determines whether or not there is a high possibility that the reservation for the on-demand bus will be canceled based on the information of the user who made the reservation for the on-demand bus. The user information may be any information of the user as long as it is information that can determine whether or not there is a high possibility that the reservation for the on-demand bus will be canceled by the user. When the control unit 33 determines that there is a high possibility that the reservation for the on-demand bus will be canceled, it transmits an inquiry about whether or not to cancel the reservation for the on-demand bus to the terminal device 20 via the network 2 through the communication unit 31.

Below, we will explain an example of a determination process for determining whether or not an on-demand bus reservation is likely to be canceled.

[Example 1]
The user information may include information about the user's schedule. The control unit 33 may receive the user's schedule from the terminal device 20 or an external device via the network 2 through the communication unit 31. The external device is, for example, a cloud server that manages the user's schedule.

The control unit 33 may, for example, analyze information on the user's schedule and determine whether the user's schedule includes the user's travel time to the location where the on-demand bus is scheduled to be dispatched. If the control unit 33 determines that the user's schedule does not include the user's travel time to the location where the on-demand bus is scheduled to be dispatched, it may determine that there is a high possibility that the reservation for using the on-demand bus will be canceled. For example, the scheduled dispatch time of the on-demand bus is 12:00, and the information on the user's schedule includes information on a meeting that is scheduled to end at 12:00. In this case, the control unit 33 determines that the user's schedule does not include the user's travel time to the location where the on-demand bus is scheduled to be dispatched.

If the user's schedule does not include travel time to the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus, the user will likely not be able to arrive at the scheduled dispatch location by the scheduled dispatch time, and as a result, the user will likely not be able to board the on-demand bus. In other words, there is a high possibility that the reservation for the on-demand bus will be canceled. In such a case, by sending an inquiry about whether or not to cancel the reservation for the on-demand bus to the terminal device 20, the user can be appropriately given an opportunity to reconsider whether or not to cancel.

[Example 2]
The control unit 33 may, for example, analyze the information of the user's schedule described above and determine whether or not an event after the user gets off the on-demand bus is registered in the user's schedule. If the control unit 33 determines that an event after the user gets off the on-demand bus is not registered in the user's schedule, it may determine that there is a high possibility that the reservation for use of the on-demand bus will be canceled. The event may be any scheduled event. The event may be, for example, a lesson, a visit to the hospital, or a dinner party.

A user may travel to an event location by using an on-demand bus. In this case, there is a high possibility that an event will be registered in the user's schedule after the user gets off the on-demand bus. In other words, if there is no event registered in the user's schedule after the user gets off the on-demand bus, the user does not need to go to the event location, and therefore the reservation for the on-demand bus is likely to be canceled. In such a case, by sending an inquiry about whether or not to cancel the reservation for the on-demand bus to the terminal device 20, the user can be appropriately given an opportunity to reconsider whether or not to cancel.

Here, the user may use an on-demand bus to return home. Furthermore, the user may not register the return home as an event in the schedule. In this case, even if the user plans to use an on-demand bus, the user's return home will not be registered in the user's schedule as an event after disembarking.

The control unit 33 may therefore determine whether an event is registered in the user's schedule for after the user disembarks from the on-demand bus when the scheduled disembarkation time of the on-demand bus is a first hour before the user's scheduled time of returning home. The user's scheduled time of returning home may be the time at which the user is scheduled to arrive at home. The control unit 33 may, for example, analyze the information on the user's schedule described above and estimate the user's scheduled time of returning home. The first time may be set in advance based on, for example, the average time of an event such as a lesson.

[Example 3]
The user information may include information on the user's cancellation history of on-demand bus reservations. The control unit 33 may acquire information on the user's cancellation history from information on the user's past reservations for on-demand bus use. The control unit 33 may acquire the user's cancellation rate from information on the user's cancellation history. The user's cancellation rate may be the ratio of the number of cancellations to the number of on-demand bus reservations made by the user. The control unit 33 may acquire the cancellation rate by calculating, for example, the ratio of the number of cancellations to the number of on-demand bus reservations made by the user within any predetermined period of time.

When a user makes a reservation to use an on-demand bus for the first time, it may not be possible to obtain information on the user's cancellation history. In this case, the control unit 26 may use information on the cancellation history of multiple other users as information on the user's cancellation history. The control unit 26 may calculate an average value of the cancellation rates of multiple other users from the information on the cancellation history of the multiple other users, and use the calculated average value as the user's cancellation rate.

If the acquired cancellation rate is equal to or greater than a threshold, the control unit 26 may determine that there is a high possibility that a reservation for use of an on-demand bus will be canceled. The threshold may be preset based on, for example, the average cancellation rate of multiple users, or may be as described below.

When a user's cancellation rate is equal to or higher than a threshold, the user's reservation is more likely to be canceled than, for example, other users. In this way, when the user's cancellation rate is equal to or higher than a threshold, it is determined that the on-demand bus reservation is more likely to be canceled, and an inquiry as to whether or not to cancel is sent from the information processing device 30 to the terminal device 20. With this configuration, it is possible to appropriately give the user an opportunity to reconsider whether or not to cancel the on-demand bus reservation.

The threshold value may be lower during the second time before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route to head to the scheduled dispatch location than after the second time has elapsed. In this case, the control unit 26 may set the threshold value lower during the second time before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route than after the second time has elapsed. The second time may be set in advance, for example, based on the average speed of the vehicle 10. The control unit 33 may estimate the second time before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route based on the operation schedule of the vehicle 10. The control unit 33 may also receive location information of the vehicle 10 from the vehicle 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 31. The control unit 33 may determine whether the on-demand bus has deviated from the basic route based on the received location information of the vehicle 10 and the basic route.

When an on-demand bus travels along a basic route, the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus may not be on the basic route. In this case, when the scheduled dispatch time approaches, the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route and heads toward the scheduled dispatch location. If a reservation is canceled after the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route, the on-demand bus is required to return to the basic route. When the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route and then returns to the basic route, additional fuel costs, etc. are incurred, resulting in additional costs for operating the on-demand bus.

By lowering the threshold during the second time period before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route, an inquiry as to whether or not to cancel the reservation for the on-demand bus is more likely to be sent to the terminal device 20 during the second time period. With this configuration, it is possible to provide the user with an opportunity to reconsider whether or not to cancel the reservation for the on-demand bus before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route. Furthermore, if the user wishes to cancel the reservation for the on-demand bus, the reservation for the on-demand bus can be canceled before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route. By canceling the reservation before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of additional costs caused by the on-demand bus returning to the basic route after the reservation is canceled.

As another example, the threshold value may be lower when the planned route along which the on-demand bus travels has been previously canceled by the user than when the planned route has never been previously canceled by the user. In this case, the control unit 33 may set the threshold value lower when the planned route along which the on-demand bus travels has been previously canceled by the user than when the planned route has never been previously canceled by the user.

If the planned route of an on-demand bus has been canceled by the user before, the reservation for using the on-demand bus is more likely to be canceled than if the planned route has not been canceled by the user before. By lowering the threshold value when the planned route has been canceled by the user before, an inquiry about whether or not to cancel is more likely to be sent to the terminal device 20 than if the planned route has not been canceled by the user before. With this configuration, it is possible to give the user a more appropriate opportunity to reconsider whether or not to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus.

<Timing of Determination Process>
The control unit 33 may execute the above-mentioned determination process at any timing. An example of the timing for executing the determination process will be described below.

[Example 1]
When an on-demand bus travels along a basic route, the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus may not be on the basic route. In this case, the control unit 33 may determine whether or not the reservation for the on-demand bus is likely to be canceled before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route to head toward the scheduled dispatch location. With this configuration, if the reservation for the on-demand bus is likely to be canceled, an inquiry as to whether or not to cancel can be sent to the terminal device 20 before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route. Furthermore, if a user wishes to cancel the reservation for the on-demand bus, the reservation for the on-demand bus can be canceled before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of additional costs caused by the on-demand bus returning to the basic route after the reservation for the on-demand bus is canceled.

[Example 2]
The control unit 33 may determine whether or not there is a high possibility that the reservation for the on-demand bus will be canceled a third hour before the scheduled dispatch time of the on-demand bus. The third hour may be set in advance based on the user's information, for example, or may be as described below.

The third time may be longer the further away the user's location is from the location of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus. In this case, the control unit 33 may set the third time longer the further away the user's location is from the location of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus. The control unit 33 may receive the user's location information from the terminal device 20 via the network 2 by the communication unit 31. For example, the further away the user's location is from the location of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus, the longer it takes for the user to reach the scheduled dispatch location. Therefore, the further away the user's location is from the location of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus, the more likely it is that the user will not be able to reach the scheduled dispatch location by the scheduled dispatch time, and as a result, the user will not be able to board the on-demand bus. In other words, the further away the user's location is from the location of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus, the more likely it will be canceled. The further away the user's location is from the location of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus, the longer the third time becomes, and the earlier the timing of sending an inquiry about whether to cancel to the terminal device 20. With this configuration, the higher the possibility of cancellation, the earlier the timing of sending an inquiry to the terminal device 20 about whether or not to cancel.

The third time may be longer the higher the number of reservations for the on-demand bus. In this case, the control unit 33 may set the third time to be longer the higher the number of reservations for the on-demand bus. The number of reservations for the on-demand bus may be the number of reservations for the scheduled date on which the on-demand bus is used. The higher the number of reservations for the on-demand bus, the longer the third time, and the earlier the timing of sending an inquiry about whether to cancel to the terminal device 20. With this configuration, when a user wishes to cancel a reservation to use the on-demand bus, the reservation to use the on-demand bus can be canceled at an early timing. By canceling the reservation to use the on-demand bus at an early timing, the possibility that other users will be able to make a reservation to use the on-demand bus increases.

The third time may be longer the higher the user's cancellation rate. In this case, the control unit 33 may set the third time longer the higher the user's cancellation rate. As described above, the control unit 33 may obtain the user's cancellation rate from information on the user's cancellation history of on-demand bus usage reservations. The higher the user's cancellation rate, the longer the third time becomes, and the earlier the timing of sending an inquiry about whether or not to cancel to the terminal device 20 becomes. With this configuration, the higher the possibility of cancellation, the earlier the timing of sending an inquiry about whether or not to cancel to the terminal device 20 can be.

<Response reception process>
After transmitting the inquiry as to whether or not to cancel, the control unit 33 may receive, as a response to the inquiry, for example, a response to cancel the reservation for use of the on-demand bus from the terminal device 20 via the network 2 through the communication unit 31. Upon receiving this response, the control unit 33 executes a cancellation process.

In the cancellation process, the control unit 33 identifies the vehicle 10 that the user was planning to board from among the multiple vehicles 10. The control unit 33 changes the operation schedule of the identified vehicle 10. The control unit 33 transmits the changed operation schedule to the identified vehicle 10 via the network 2 by the communication unit 31.

In the cancellation process, the control unit 33 determines the cancellation fee to be charged to the user. If the control unit 33 receives a cancellation response, it may decide not to charge the user a cancellation fee. With this configuration, it is possible to have the user proactively respond to an inquiry about whether or not to cancel the on-demand bus reservation.

As another example of the cancellation fee, the control unit 33 may decide to charge a cancellation fee lower than the set amount when a cancellation response is received. In other words, the cancellation fee may be lower than the set amount when a cancellation response is received. The set amount is, for example, a cancellation fee charged to the user when a reservation for use is canceled just before the scheduled dispatch time of an on-demand bus. By setting the cancellation fee low, it is possible to have the user proactively respond to an inquiry about whether or not to cancel a reservation for use of an on-demand bus.

As yet another example of the cancellation fee, the control unit 33 may determine a lower cancellation fee the earlier the cancellation response is received. In other words, the earlier the cancellation response is received, the lower the cancellation fee may be. With this configuration, it is possible to promptly allow the user to respond to an inquiry about whether or not to cancel the on-demand bus reservation.

After sending the inquiry as to whether or not to cancel, the control unit 33 may receive, for example, a response to the inquiry from the terminal device 20 via the network 2, by the communication unit 31, indicating that the reservation for the on-demand bus will not be canceled. When the control unit 33 receives this response, it may transmit position information of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 31. In this case, in the terminal device 20, the control unit 26 receives, by the communication unit 21, position information of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus from the information processing device 30 via the network 2. The control unit 26 causes the output unit 24 to output the position information of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus. By outputting the position information of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus from the output unit 24, the user can confirm the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus. This configuration reduces the possibility that the user will not be able to reach the scheduled dispatch location, resulting in the cancellation of the reservation for the on-demand bus.

When the control unit 33 receives a response indicating that the reservation will not be cancelled and the user has previously cancelled a reservation for an on-demand bus, the control unit 33 may transmit location information of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 31.

When the control unit 33 receives a response that does not cancel, the control unit 33 may acquire the travel time from the user's location to the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus. For example, the control unit 33 calculates and acquires the travel time based on the latest location information of the user received from the terminal device 20, the location information of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus, and the average speed of the user. The control unit 33 may transmit the acquired travel time information together with the location information of the scheduled dispatch location to the terminal device 20 via the network 2 by the communication unit 31. In this case, in the terminal device 20, the control unit 26 receives the travel time together with the location information of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus from the information processing device 30 via the network 2 by the communication unit 21. The control unit 26 causes the output unit 24 to output the travel time and the location information of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus. By outputting the travel time from the output unit 24, the user can know the travel time to the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus.

(Operation of terminal device)
Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the process of the terminal device 20 shown in Fig. 2. This process corresponds to an example of an information processing method according to the present embodiment. When the control unit 26 receives an input of an application for reservation of use of an on-demand bus via the input unit 23, the control unit 26 starts the process from step S1.

The control unit 26 generates application information based on the input received by the input unit 23 (step S1). The control unit 26 transmits the application information to the information processing device 30 via the network 2 by the communication unit 21 (step S2). The control unit 26 receives a reservation completion notification and reservation information from the information processing device 30 via the network 2 by the communication unit 21 (step S3). The control unit 26 causes the output unit 24 to output the reservation completion notification and reservation information (step S4).

The control unit 26 determines whether an inquiry as to whether to cancel the reservation for use of the on-demand bus has been received by the communication unit 21 from the information processing device 30 via the network 2 (step S5). If the control unit 26 determines that an inquiry as to whether to cancel has been received (step S5: YES), the control unit 26 proceeds to the process of step S6. In the process of step S6, the control unit 26 causes the output unit 24 to output an inquiry as to whether to cancel the reservation for use of the on-demand bus. On the other hand, if the control unit 26 does not determine that an inquiry as to whether to cancel has been received (step S5: NO), the control unit 26 executes the process of step S5 again.

The control unit 26 determines whether or not an input to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus has been received by the input unit 23 (step S7). If the control unit 26 determines that an input to cancel has been received (step S7: YES), the control unit 26 proceeds to the process of step S8. On the other hand, if the control unit 26 does not determine that an input to cancel has been received (step S7: NO), the control unit 26 proceeds to the process of step S9.

In the processing of step S8, the control unit 26 transmits a response to cancel the reservation for use of the on-demand bus to the information processing device 30 via the network 2 through the communication unit 21.

In the process of step S9, the control unit 26 receives an input from the input unit 23 indicating that the reservation for the on-demand bus will not be canceled. The control unit 26 then transmits a response to the information processing device 30 via the network 2, indicating that the reservation for the on-demand bus will not be canceled, via the communication unit 21 (step S10).

In the process of step S11, the control unit 26 receives location information of the planned dispatch location of the on-demand bus from the information processing device 30 via the network 2 using the communication unit 21. The control unit 26 causes the output unit 24 to output the location information of the planned dispatch location of the on-demand bus (step S12).

(Operation of information processing device)
Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the process of the information processing device 30 shown in Fig. 2. This process corresponds to an example of the information processing method according to the present embodiment. For example, when the terminal device 20 transmits application information to the information processing device 30, the control unit 33 starts the process from step S21.

The control unit 33 receives application information from the terminal device 20 via the network 2 through the communication unit 31 (step S21). Upon receiving the application information, the control unit 33 executes a reservation process (step S22).

The control unit 33 determines whether or not there is a high possibility that the reservation for the on-demand bus will be canceled based on the user information (step S23). If the control unit 33 determines that there is a high possibility that the reservation for the on-demand bus will be canceled (step S23: YES), the control unit 33 proceeds to the process of step S24. On the other hand, if the control unit 33 does not determine that there is a high possibility that the reservation for the on-demand bus will be canceled (step S23: NO), the control unit 33 ends the process shown in FIG. 4.

In the process of step S24, the control unit 33 sends an inquiry to the terminal device 20 via the network 2 through the communication unit 31 as to whether or not to cancel the reservation for the on-demand bus.

In the process of step S25, the control unit 33 determines whether or not a response to cancel the reservation for use of the on-demand bus has been received by the communication unit 31 from the terminal device 20 via the network 2. If the control unit 33 determines that a response to cancel the reservation for use of the on-demand bus has been received (step S25: YES), the control unit 33 proceeds to the process of step S26. In the process of step S26, the control unit 33 executes the cancellation process. On the other hand, if the control unit 33 does not determine that a response to cancel the reservation for use of the on-demand bus has been received (step S25: NO), the control unit 33 proceeds to the process of step S27.

In the process of step S27, the control unit 33 receives a response from the terminal device 20 via the network 2, by the communication unit 31, indicating that the reservation for the on-demand bus will not be canceled. The control unit 33 then transmits the location information of the planned dispatch location of the on-demand bus to the terminal device 20 via the network 2 by the communication unit 31 (step S28).

In this way, in the information processing device 30, when the control unit 33 determines that there is a high possibility that the reservation for using the on-demand bus will be canceled, the control unit 33 sends an inquiry about whether to cancel to the terminal device 20 via the network 2 by the communication unit 31. By sending an inquiry about whether to cancel to the terminal device 20 when it is determined that there is a high possibility that the reservation for using the on-demand bus will be canceled, it is possible to appropriately give the user an opportunity to reconsider whether to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a technology that appropriately gives the user an opportunity to reconsider whether to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus.

Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that a person skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided.

For example, an embodiment is also possible in which a general-purpose computer functions as the information processing device 30 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing contents for realizing each function of the information processing device 30 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the program is read and executed by a processor. Thus, the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor, or a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores the program.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information processing system 2 Network 10 Vehicle 11 Communication unit 12 Positioning unit 13 Output unit 14 Storage unit 15 Control unit 20 Terminal device 21 Communication unit 22 Positioning unit 23 Input unit 24 Output unit 25 Storage unit 26 Control unit 30 Information processing device 31 Communication unit 32 Storage unit 33 Control unit

Claims (21)

The Communications Department and
An information processing device comprising: a control unit that, when it is determined based on information on the schedule of a user who made a reservation that there is a high possibility that the reservation for an on-demand bus will be canceled, sends an inquiry as to whether or not to cancel the reservation to the user's terminal device via the communication unit. The Communications Department and
An information processing device comprising: a control unit that, when it is determined based on information on the cancellation history of on-demand bus reservations of a user who made the reservation that there is a high possibility that the reservation for an on-demand bus will be canceled, sends an inquiry as to whether or not to cancel the reservation to the user's terminal device via the communication unit. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines that there is a high possibility that the reservation will be canceled if it determines that the user's schedule does not include the user's travel time to a location where the on- demand bus is scheduled to be dispatched. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines that there is a high possibility that the reservation for use will be canceled if it determines that no event is registered in the user's schedule for after the user gets off the on - demand bus. The information processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit determines whether the event is registered in the user's schedule when the user's planned disembarking time from the on-demand bus is a first hour before the user's planned home time. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit acquires a cancellation rate of the user from the cancellation history information, and if the acquired cancellation rate is equal to or greater than a threshold, determines that the reservation is likely to be canceled. The on-demand bus runs along a preset basic route,
The information processing device according to claim 6 , wherein the threshold value is lower during a second time period before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route to head to a scheduled dispatch location than after the second time period has elapsed. The information processing device according to claim 6 , wherein the threshold value is lower when the planned route along which the on-demand bus travels has been previously canceled by the user than when the planned route has not been previously canceled by the user. The on-demand bus runs along a preset basic route,
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines whether or not there is a high possibility that the reservation will be canceled before the on-demand bus deviates from the basic route to head to a scheduled dispatch location. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines whether or not there is a high possibility that the reservation will be canceled three hours before a scheduled dispatch time of the on-demand bus . The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein the third time period is longer as the distance between the user's location and a location of a scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus increases. The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein the third time period is longer as the number of reservations for the on-demand bus increases. The information processing device according to claim 10, which is dependent on claim 2, wherein the third time period is longer the higher the cancellation rate of the user obtained from the cancellation history information. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the control unit decides not to charge the user a cancellation fee if, after sending the inquiry, the control unit receives a response from the terminal device via the communication unit to cancel the reservation for use of the on-demand bus. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, after sending the inquiry, when the control unit receives a response from the terminal device via the communication unit to cancel the reservation for using the on-demand bus , the control unit decides to charge the user a cancellation fee lower than a set amount. The information processing device according to claim 15, wherein the control unit determines the cancellation fee so that the earlier the cancellation response is received, the lower the cancellation fee. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein, after sending the inquiry, when the control unit receives a response from the terminal device via the communication unit indicating that the reservation for using the on-demand bus will not be canceled, the control unit transmits location information of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus to the terminal device via the communication unit. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein when the control unit receives the response not to cancel and the user has previously canceled a reservation for use of an on-demand bus , the control unit transmits location information of a location where the on-demand bus is scheduled to be dispatched to the terminal device via the communication unit. 19. The information processing device according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the control unit acquires a travel time from the user's location to a scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus , and transmits information on the acquired travel time together with location information of the scheduled dispatch location of the on-demand bus to the terminal device via the communication unit. The terminal device;
An information processing system comprising: the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 19. An information processing method including, when an information processing device determines that there is a high possibility that a reservation for an on-demand bus will be canceled based on information on the schedule of a user who made the reservation, sending an inquiry as to whether or not to cancel the reservation to a terminal device of the user.

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