JP2025005843A - Vehicle allocation management device and vehicle allocation management method - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable efficient vehicle allocation by sharing by users who make a similar vehicle allocation request.SOLUTION: A vehicle allocation management device which manages allocation of a vehicle based on a vehicle allocation request includes: a vehicle allocation plan database for managing a vehicle allocation plan of a plurality of vehicles; a vehicle allocation request reception section for receiving a vehicle allocation request of a user including a boarding place from a terminal device; and a vehicle allocation plan determination section for generating and determining a vehicle allocation plan with respect to a specified vehicle with reference to the vehicle allocation plan database based on the vehicle allocation request. The vehicle allocation plan determination section includes: a boarding demand prediction section for predicting boarding demand by a vehicle allocation request of another user similar to the vehicle allocation request at the boarding place indicated by the vehicle allocation request of the former user; a vehicle allocation plan generation section for generating the vehicle allocation plan so as to allow the users who make a similar vehicle allocation request to share the specified vehicle based on the boarding demand; and a vehicle allocation instruction section for transmitting the vehicle allocation plan to the specified vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle dispatch management device and a vehicle dispatch management method for managing vehicle dispatch.

Mobility services are services that provide smooth transportation (transportation) of passengers and/or luggage by vehicle. Mobility services require efficient vehicle allocation to increase the utilization rate of each vehicle while improving user convenience.

For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a method and system for dispatching shared vehicles that allows requests for dispatching shared taxis in real time.

JP 2019-20973 A

However, the technology shown in Patent Document 1 extracts existing operations each time it receives vehicle application information from a user, and selects from the extracted operations an operation in which the route of the new application information can be inserted within the margin of time. Therefore, depending on the timing of receipt of the application information, it is not possible to establish a so-called "carpooling" system in which multiple users ride in the same vehicle, resulting in a problem of reduced vehicle dispatch efficiency.

The present invention aims to provide a vehicle dispatch management device and a vehicle dispatch management method that increase the proportion of ride-sharing between users who have made similar vehicle dispatch requests, enabling efficient vehicle dispatch.

The present invention according to one aspect is a vehicle dispatch management device that manages vehicle dispatch based on a dispatch request. The vehicle dispatch management device includes a vehicle dispatch plan database that manages a dispatch plan for a plurality of the vehicles, a vehicle dispatch request reception unit that receives a user's dispatch request including at least a boarding location from a terminal device, and a vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit that creates and confirms a vehicle dispatch plan for a specific vehicle by referring to the vehicle dispatch plan database based on the received vehicle dispatch request. The vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit includes a ride demand prediction unit that predicts ride demand due to a vehicle dispatch request of another user similar to the vehicle dispatch request at the boarding location indicated by the user's vehicle dispatch request, a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit that creates the vehicle dispatch plan based on the predicted ride demand so that the users who have made similar vehicle dispatch requests will share the specific vehicle, and a vehicle dispatch instruction unit that transmits the confirmed vehicle dispatch plan to the specific vehicle.

In accordance with another aspect, the present invention is a vehicle dispatch management method using a vehicle dispatch management device that manages vehicle dispatch in response to a vehicle dispatch request. The method includes receiving a user's vehicle dispatch request including at least a boarding location from a terminal device, referring to a vehicle dispatch plan database that manages dispatch plans for a plurality of vehicles based on the received vehicle dispatch request, creating a vehicle dispatch plan for a specific vehicle, confirming the created vehicle dispatch plan, and transmitting the confirmed vehicle dispatch plan to the specific vehicle. Creating the vehicle dispatch plan includes predicting ride demand due to vehicle dispatch requests of other users similar to the vehicle dispatch request at the boarding location indicated by the user's vehicle dispatch request, and creating the vehicle dispatch plan based on the predicted ride demand so that the users who have made similar vehicle dispatch requests will share the specific vehicle.

The present invention increases the proportion of users who have made similar vehicle requests sharing one another, enabling more efficient vehicle dispatch.

Other technical features, objects, and effects or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting, and other effects may also be present.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle dispatch in response to dispatch requests from a plurality of users. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle dispatch control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a sequence chart for explaining an outline of a vehicle dispatch service in the vehicle dispatch management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a vehicle dispatch management process performed by the vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a vehicle dispatch management process performed by the vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7A is a flowchart showing the details of the vehicle allocation plan creation/update process shown in FIG. FIG. 7B is a flowchart showing the details of the vehicle allocation plan creation/update process shown in FIG.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example, and there is no intention to exclude the application of various modifications and techniques not specified below. The present invention can be implemented with various modifications (for example, combining the various embodiments) without departing from the spirit of the invention. In addition, in the description of the drawings below, the same or similar parts are represented by the same or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, ratios, etc. The drawings may also include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

First Embodiment
1 is a diagram for explaining an example of the overall configuration of a vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management system 1 includes a vehicle dispatch management device 10, a terminal device 20, and a vehicle V, which are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network N. In addition, the vehicle dispatch management system 1 can be connected via the communication network N to a road traffic information management system 30 that provides various types of traffic information in real time.

The vehicle dispatch management system 1 of the present disclosure provides, for example, an on-demand vehicle dispatch service using multiple vehicles V targeting a certain area. An "on-demand vehicle dispatch service" is a service form in which a specific vehicle is assigned (dispatched) to a user in immediate response to a vehicle dispatch request from the user. In other words, in an on-demand vehicle dispatch service, there is no vehicle dispatch reservation date and time specified by the user. Furthermore, "immediate response" is a concept that includes not only dispatching a vehicle immediately in response to a vehicle dispatch request from a user, but also a certain degree of time that is normally acceptable to the user. Note that the vehicle V may be a so-called manned vehicle driven by a driver, or an unmanned vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

The vehicle dispatch management device 10 is a computing device that comprehensively manages a vehicle dispatch service using multiple vehicles V in a target area. The vehicle dispatch management device 10, for example, implements a vehicle dispatch management server program and executes the vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor, thereby realizing the vehicle dispatch service of the present disclosure.

The vehicle dispatch management device 10 includes various databases 12 that accumulate and manage data necessary to realize such a vehicle dispatch service. As described below, the databases 12 include, for example, a user information database 12a, a map information database 12b, a vehicle information database 12c, a vehicle dispatch plan database 12d, and an operation history information database 12e (see FIG. 3). In this example, the databases 12 are configured as part of the vehicle dispatch management device 10, but are not limited to this, and all or part of the databases may be configured separately from the vehicle dispatch management device 10.

In summary, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 receives a dispatch request from a user who wishes to dispatch a vehicle V for travel from a certain point (boarding point) to a destination (drop-off point), and creates a dispatch plan for a candidate vehicle V (candidate vehicle v) extracted from a plurality of vehicles V based on the dispatch request. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 also presents the created dispatch plan to the user, confirms the dispatch plan in response to the user's consent, and issues a dispatch instruction to the vehicle V according to the confirmed dispatch plan. This allows the user to board the vehicle V that has been dispatched to the boarding point according to the dispatch plan. In this disclosure, as described later, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a dispatch plan for the vehicle V so that users who have made a dispatch request during the same time period can share a ride, based on the predicted demand (ride demand) for the vehicle V at the boarding point indicated by the dispatch request.

The dispatch request is, for example, a request for dispatch of a vehicle from a user who is a passenger, but is not limited to this and may also be a request for dispatch of a vehicle from a user who is a shipper (a baggage transport business operator or a general user) for transporting luggage. The dispatch request includes items related to, for example, the user name, boarding location, disembarking location, and number of people.

The dispatch plan includes a driving route that specifies the route from the location where vehicle V is waiting (the starting waiting location), passing through several points (boarding and disembarking points) along the way where the user gets on and off, to the final waiting location (not necessarily the same as the initial waiting location), as well as the expected arrival and departure times at each point. If vehicle V is waiting, the dispatch plan is created anew based on a new dispatch request, and if vehicle V is in operation, it can be updated based on a new dispatch request. In this case, the dispatch plan can be created or updated so that another user will later board a vehicle V that has already been dispatched to a user.

The vehicle V is a vehicle registered in the vehicle information database 12c and is provided for use by a user. The vehicle V may be of any type (e.g., sedan, minivan, SUV, etc.). The vehicle V may be an electric vehicle (EV) powered by an on-board battery. The vehicle V may also be a self-driving vehicle capable of completely autonomous driving, and the so-called level of self-driving does not matter. The vehicle V is equipped with a control device CTL that controls the vehicle V itself or its on-board equipment (e.g., a navigation device) according to instructions from the vehicle dispatch management device 10 (see FIG. 3). The control device CTL acquires geographical position information (hereinafter referred to as "position information") of the vehicle V via, for example, a GPS system, transmits the information to the vehicle dispatch management device 10, and receives dispatch instructions from the vehicle dispatch management device 10 to comprehensively control the operation of various equipment and/or devices of the vehicle V. For example, in the case of a manned vehicle, the control device CTL includes a navigation function that presents a driving route according to a dispatch plan to the driver, and in the case of an unmanned vehicle, it includes an autonomous driving control function that determines a detailed actual driving route based on the driving route of the vehicle V and follows the actual driving route.

The terminal device 20 is, for example, a computing device for a user who wishes to ride to operate a user interface to make a vehicle dispatch request. The terminal device 20 is, for example, a smartphone, a pad computer, a notebook personal computer, a desktop computer, etc., but is not limited to these. The terminal device 20 implements, for example, a vehicle dispatch management client program (so-called vehicle dispatch application). The terminal device 20 executes the vehicle dispatch application under the control of the processor, thereby enabling the user to use the vehicle dispatch service of the vehicle dispatch management device 10. For example, the user can log in to a website of the vehicle dispatch service provided by the vehicle dispatch management device 10 from the vehicle dispatch application on the terminal device 20, make a vehicle dispatch request from a vehicle dispatch request screen (not shown), and accept the vehicle dispatch plan created and proposed by the vehicle dispatch management device 10 in response to the request, thereby making a reservation for a ride in the vehicle V. In addition, the terminal device 20 can transmit, for example, location information acquired by a GPS function to the vehicle dispatch management device 10 while the vehicle dispatch application is being executed. This allows the vehicle dispatch management device 10 to grasp the user's behavior.

The road traffic information management system 30 is an information and communication system that provides road traffic information in real time. For example, the road traffic information management system 30 collects road traffic data from vehicle sensors and cameras installed on the roads, and also collects driving data from a control device CTL mounted on the vehicle V, and manages road traffic information that is integrated, processed, and edited from these. The edited road traffic information may include, for example, information on road closures and detour routes, road congestion information, and the time required between points via a specific route. The road traffic information management system 30 provides the road traffic information to the vehicle dispatch management device 10 and the vehicle V as appropriate.

In the present disclosure, in response to a user's dispatch request at a certain time, the dispatch management device 10 predicts the demand (ride demand) for a vehicle V at the boarding location indicated by the dispatch request, and according to the predicted ride demand, determines whether or not a ride sharing of the vehicle V with other users who have made a dispatch request similar to the dispatch request close to the time (in the same time zone) and are not similar to the dispatch request is successful, and creates a dispatch plan according to the result of the determination. The ride demand is based on the probability that a dispatch request of another user that is the same or similar (hereinafter simply referred to as "similar") to the dispatch request of the user occurs. A dispatch request similar to the dispatch request is, for example, a dispatch request at least for the same or nearby boarding location. When the demand for rides is predicted to be high based on a predetermined threshold value, the dispatch management device 10 creates a dispatch plan so that a user who has made a dispatch request similar to the dispatch request of the previous user can board the vehicle V dispatched to the previous user, while a user who has made a dissimilar dispatch request can board a different vehicle V. In other words, in a situation where demand for rides is predicted to be high, even if a different vehicle V is dispatched to a user who has made a ride request indicating a boarding location different from that of the previous user, the vehicle V dispatched to the previous user is likely to be boarded by a user who will make a ride request indicating the same or a nearby boarding location, so an improvement in occupancy rate can be expected, and as a result, the efficiency of vehicle dispatch can be improved. Note that in a situation where demand for rides is predicted to be low (demand for rides is less than a predetermined threshold), it is also possible to allow users with dissimilar ride requests to share rides, and prioritize improving the overall utilization rate of vehicles V in the target area.

The ride demand prediction may be based on, for example, the current number of users near the boarding location. Alternatively, the prediction may be based on the actual value of ride demand in the past during the same time period and at the same or nearby boarding location. Alternatively, the prediction may be based on environmental factors around the boarding location (e.g., traffic conditions, weather, events, etc.). In addition, when predicting ride demand, the attributes of the user (e.g., age, gender, home and work addresses, hobbies, etc.) may be taken into consideration. Furthermore, the reliability of the predicted ride demand may be calculated based on the user's usage history and past behavioral patterns, and the success or failure of the ride sharing may be determined according to the calculated reliability. This can improve the accuracy of the ride demand prediction.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2(a), assume that user A traveling by train makes a dispatch request specifying boarding location X near a stop at 8:40. Next, user B makes a dispatch request specifying boarding location Y near boarding location Y at 8:43, and further assume that user C traveling by the same train makes a dispatch request specifying boarding location X at 8:45.

In the above example, in a conventional on-demand dispatch service, the dispatch requests of users A and B are close in time, so regardless of whether there is high demand for rides at boarding location X, users A and B will share vehicle V1, and if there is no more boarding space in vehicle V1, user C will be assigned another vehicle V2 at boarding location X. In this way, two vehicles, V1 and V2, are required at boarding location X, and vehicle V1 also needs to be moved to boarding location Y, reducing dispatch efficiency.

On the other hand, in the example of the dispatch request as described above, in the dispatch service by the dispatch management device 10 of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 1B, based on the behavior of users A and C (current location and direction of travel), it is determined that there is high demand for rides at boarding location X at the time when user A makes the dispatch request, and as a result, a ride-sharing in vehicle V1 between users A and C, whose dispatch requests are similar to each other, is prioritized, even though it is later in time than user B's dispatch request. As a result, one vehicle V1 is sufficient at boarding location X, and the occupancy rate increases, resulting in improved dispatch efficiency. User B is assigned vehicle V2 to be dispatched to boarding location Y.

In this manner, in the vehicle dispatch management system 1 disclosed herein, in response to a user's vehicle dispatch request at a certain time, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 predicts the demand for rides from other users at the boarding location indicated by the vehicle dispatch request, and in a situation where the demand for rides is predicted to be high, prioritizes carpooling in a vehicle V between users with similar vehicle dispatch requests, thereby improving occupancy rates and vehicle dispatch efficiency.

3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 can be configured as a functional configuration model including functional components such as a front-end processing unit 110, a vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit 120, and a vehicle communication interface unit 130. The vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit 120 includes, for example, a vehicle dispatch request reception unit 121, a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 122, a boarding demand prediction unit 123, a vehicle dispatch plan proposal unit 124, and a vehicle dispatch instruction unit 125. In addition, as described above, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 includes various databases 12. Such a functional model is realized by the vehicle dispatch management device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor, thereby cooperating with various hardware resources. The functional configuration model shown here is an example, and all or part of the functions of a certain functional component may be realized by other functional components. For ease of explanation, the figure also shows the user's terminal device 20 and the control device CTL in the vehicle V.

The user information database 12a stores information about users who use the ride-hailing service (hereinafter referred to as "user information"). The user information includes, for example, a user ID and password, personal attributes (gender, age, need for assistance, etc.), and information about service usage. The user information is registered in the user information database 12a under the control of the ride-hailing management device 10 by the user inputting certain information, for example, when the ride-hailing app is first launched.

The map information database 12b stores map information for the target area of the vehicle dispatch service. The map information includes map data on addresses, place names, roads, facilities, etc. The map information may also include information necessary for searching for a driving route, such as road information, feature information, and environmental information.

The vehicle information database 12c stores information (vehicle information) about the vehicle V available for use by the user. The vehicle information includes, for example, information about the vehicle ID, vehicle attributes (vehicle registration number, vehicle model, maximum number of passengers/maximum load capacity, number of transportation spaces, whether the vehicle is driven by a driver or not, etc.), vehicle performance, other specifications, current vehicle dispatch plan, current location, and current status (service status, remaining battery capacity (driving range), number of passengers, and usage status of transportation spaces, etc.). The vehicle information obtained from the vehicle V via the vehicle communication interface unit 130 can be updated at any time.

The vehicle dispatch plan database 12d stores a vehicle dispatch plan for each vehicle V created by the vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit 120 based on a dispatch request. As described above, the vehicle dispatch plan includes a driving route from a starting waiting location via several departure and arrival points to a terminal waiting location, an expected arrival time at each intermediate point, etc.

The operation history information database 12e stores information (operation history information) related to the past operation history of each vehicle V, for example. The operation history information includes various specification information such as the operation time (operation start time and end time), driving route, and driving distance for each vehicle V.

The front-end processing unit 110 performs various processes with the user's terminal device 20. As an example, the front-end processing unit 110 refers to the user information database 12a in response to a login request from the vehicle dispatch application on the user's terminal device 20 and performs login authentication processing. The front-end processing unit 110 also communicates with the terminal device 20 to respond to a vehicle dispatch request from the vehicle dispatch application on the user's terminal device 20. More specifically, the front-end processing unit 110 receives a vehicle dispatch request, passes it to the vehicle dispatch request reception unit 121, and in response thereto, transmits a vehicle dispatch plan created by the vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit 120 to the terminal device 20, and displays the vehicle dispatch plan (candidate vehicle v) on the user interface of the terminal device 20. The front-end processing unit 110 receives a notification of acceptance or rejection by the user transmitted from the terminal device 20 in response thereto, and passes it to the vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit 120.

Based on the dispatch request handed over from the front-end processing unit 110, the dispatch plan formulation unit 120 extracts, creates and/or updates dispatch plans for candidate vehicles V from among the vehicles V that can operate in the target area. In addition, the dispatch plan formulation unit 120 selects an appropriate dispatch plan from the created dispatch plans and proposes the dispatch plan to the user via the front-end processing unit 110. When the proposed dispatch plan is approved by the user, the dispatch plan formulation unit 120 finalizes the approved dispatch plan, stores the finalized dispatch plan in the dispatch plan database 12d, and issues dispatch instructions to the vehicles V of the dispatch plan.

The vehicle communication interface unit 130 exchanges various information with the vehicle V via the communication network N. For example, the vehicle communication interface unit 130 transmits a vehicle information transmission request to the vehicle V and receives the vehicle information transmitted by the vehicle V in response to the request. The vehicle information includes, for example, the position information of the vehicle V. The vehicle communication interface unit 130 also transmits driving instructions to the vehicle V according to the confirmed vehicle dispatch plan. The control device CTL of the vehicle V that has received the driving instructions uses a navigation function to display a driving route according to the vehicle dispatch plan, for example, on a user interface (not shown). Alternatively, the control device CTL of the vehicle V that has received the driving instructions controls the vehicle V so that it drives autonomously along the driving route.

Next, the details of each functional component of the vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit 120 will be described. As described above, the vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit 120 in this example includes a vehicle dispatch request reception unit 121, a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 122, a passenger demand prediction unit 123, a vehicle dispatch plan proposal unit 124, and a vehicle dispatch instruction unit 125.

The dispatch request reception unit 121 acquires and accepts dispatch requests from users via the front-end processing unit 110. The time when the dispatch request reception unit 121 accepts a dispatch request becomes the start time of counting various limit allowable times for the user (e.g., limit allowable waiting time for boarding, limit allowable waiting time for departure, limit allowable time for arrival at the destination, etc.). The limit allowable time is one of the conditions for whether or not a ride-sharing between users is established. For example, if the waiting time of the first user exceeds the limit allowable waiting time for departure due to the ride-sharing of the second user, the ride-sharing is not established. The dispatch request reception unit 121 passes the accepted dispatch request to the dispatch plan creation unit 122.

Based on the delivered dispatch request, the dispatch plan creation unit 122 extracts candidate vehicles V from among the vehicles V that can operate in the target area, and creates or updates the dispatch plan. For example, the dispatch plan creation unit 122 requests the ride demand prediction unit 123 to predict ride demand, and in response to this, creates a dispatch plan for vehicles V based on the ride demand predicted by the ride demand prediction unit 123 so that a user who will make a dispatch request later will board a vehicle V in which a previous user is riding as much as possible. For example, when the ride demand predicted by the ride demand prediction unit 123 is high, the dispatch plan creation unit 122 determines whether or not a ride sharing with a vehicle V that has been dispatched to a user whose boarding location and boarding time of the user who made the dispatch request are close to each other will be successful, and creates a dispatch plan according to the result of the determination. The dispatch plan creation unit 122 selects an appropriate dispatch plan from the created dispatch plans.

The ride demand prediction unit 123 predicts the ride demand for the vehicle V at the boarding location indicated by the dispatch request. The ride demand is based on, for example, the probability that a ride request from another user similar to the user's ride request will occur within a predetermined period and the number of passengers. For example, the ride demand prediction unit 123 predicts the ride demand using a predetermined statistical model based on the number of users currently in the vicinity of the boarding location. Alternatively, the ride demand prediction unit 123 may predict the ride demand based on the actual value of the ride demand in the same time period and the same or nearby boarding location in the past based on the time when the dispatch request was received. The ride demand prediction unit 123 may also predict the ride demand based on environmental factors (e.g., geographical location, traffic conditions, weather, event holding, etc.) around the boarding location. The ride demand prediction unit 123 may also predict the ride demand taking into account the attributes of the user (e.g., age, sex, home and work addresses, and hobbies, etc.). The ride demand prediction unit 123 may also predict the ride demand taking into account the user's behavior. For example, the passenger demand prediction unit 123 may track the movement of the user based on the time-series position information of the terminal device 20 acquired via the front-end processing unit 110, predict the boarding location and the arrival time at the boarding location from the direction and speed of the movement, and predict the passenger demand. This can improve the accuracy of the prediction of the passenger demand.

The vehicle dispatch plan proposal unit 124 proposes the created vehicle dispatch plan to the user. When the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 122 receives approval from the user for the proposed vehicle dispatch plan, it finalizes the approved vehicle dispatch plan, stores the finalized vehicle dispatch plan in the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d, and notifies the vehicle dispatch instruction unit 125 to issue a dispatch instruction to the vehicle V of the vehicle dispatch plan.

The dispatch instruction unit 125, in accordance with the notification from the dispatch plan proposal unit 124, refers to the dispatch plan database 12d, identifies the corresponding dispatch plan, and transmits driving instructions to the vehicle V according to the identified dispatch plan. The control device CTL of the vehicle V that receives the driving instructions uses a navigation function to display, for example, a driving route according to the dispatch plan and a predicted arrival time at each point on a user interface (not shown) of the vehicle V. Alternatively, the control device CTL determines a detailed actual driving route according to the driving route in the dispatch plan, and controls the vehicle V so that it drives autonomously along the actual driving route.

Next, an overview of the vehicle dispatch service provided by the vehicle dispatch management system of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 4 is a sequence chart for explaining an overview of the vehicle dispatch service provided by the vehicle dispatch management system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, a user who wishes to use a ride-hailing service executes a ride-hailing app implemented in the terminal device 20 and inputs the necessary information for a ride-hailing request to a ride-hailing request screen displayed on the user interface, and the terminal device 20 then transmits the ride-hailing request to the ride-hailing management device 10 (S401). For example, a user who wishes to board (reserve a ride) operates the ride-hailing app to input the boarding and disembarking locations and the number of passengers, etc. The boarding location can be specified, for example, from a geographical map displayed on the user interface by the ride-hailing app. Alternatively, the boarding location may be the current location obtained by the GPS function installed in the user's smartphone.

When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 receives a dispatch request from the terminal device 20 (S402), it requests vehicles V in the target area to transmit vehicle information including location information, etc. (S403). In response to this, each vehicle V transmits vehicle information including its own location information acquired from the GPS system to the vehicle dispatch management device 10 under the control of the control device CTL (S404). Note that the transmission of vehicle information by the vehicles V may be performed periodically. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 acquires the vehicle information including location information, etc. transmitted from the vehicles V, and updates the vehicle information database 12c.

Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 extracts vehicles V that are in the vicinity of the boarding location of the user from among the vehicles V whose vehicle information has been acquired, and creates and/or updates a dispatch plan for the extracted vehicles V according to the predicted ride demand (S405). That is, based on the dispatch request, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 extracts vehicles V that satisfy the ride-sharing conditions if there is an existing dispatch plan. Furthermore, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 predicts ride demand based on the occurrence probability of dispatch requests from other users that are similar to the user's dispatch request, and creates a dispatch plan according to the predicted ride demand so that users who have made similar dispatch requests can share the same vehicle V. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 transmits a proposal notification of the dispatch plan to the user's terminal device 20 to propose to the user that he or she board the vehicle V indicated in the dispatch plan.

When the terminal device 20 receives the notification of the proposed vehicle allocation plan, it displays it on the user interface as a vehicle proposal screen, and prompts the user to accept or reject the ride in the proposed vehicle V (S406). When the user inputs acceptance or rejection on the vehicle proposal screen, the terminal device 20 responds by sending an acceptance or rejection notification to the vehicle allocation management device 10 (S407), and the vehicle allocation management device 10 receives the acceptance or rejection notification sent from the terminal device 20 (S408). Upon receiving the user's acceptance of the proposed vehicle V, the vehicle allocation management device 10 finalizes the vehicle allocation plan, sends a confirmation notification of the vehicle allocation reservation to the terminal device 20, and sends a vehicle allocation instruction according to the vehicle allocation plan to the vehicle V (S409).

When the terminal device 20 receives the notification of confirmation of the vehicle dispatch reservation, it displays this on the user interface to inform the user that the vehicle dispatch reservation has been confirmed (S410). On the other hand, when the vehicle V receives the dispatch instruction, it executes the vehicle dispatch service according to the dispatch plan (S411). That is, the vehicle V that has received the dispatch instruction presents the driver with the driving route according to the dispatch plan and the estimated arrival time at each point on the user interface inside the vehicle. Also, if the vehicle V is an unmanned vehicle V, the unmanned vehicle V plans a specific driving route according to the dispatch plan and starts autonomous driving to head to the boarding and disembarking point to pick up the user who made the dispatch request.

Then, when the operation of the vehicle V according to the dispatch plan based on the dispatch request is completed, the dispatch management device 10 stores the operation history information of the vehicle V in the operation history information database 12e (S412).

Figure 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a vehicle dispatch management process by a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This process is realized by the vehicle dispatch management device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor, in cooperation with various hardware resources.

As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 waits until a new vehicle dispatch request is received from a user (S501). When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 receives a vehicle dispatch request from a user (Yes in S501), it requests each vehicle V to transmit vehicle information and acquires vehicle information including location information transmitted from each vehicle V (S502). The vehicle dispatch management device 10 stores the received vehicle information in the vehicle information database 12c.

Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates and/or updates a dispatch plan for the vehicle V based on the dispatch request (S503). The vehicle dispatch management device 10 can select an optimal dispatch plan from among several dispatch plans that have been created/updated. Details of the process of creating/updating a dispatch plan will be described later.

Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 proposes the contents of the selected vehicle dispatch plan to the user (S504). That is, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 transmits an approval request based on the created vehicle dispatch plan to the terminal device 20, and in response to this, the terminal device 20 displays the contents of the vehicle dispatch plan on the user interface and prompts the user to decide whether or not to approve the vehicle dispatch plan.

Then, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether or not an acceptance notice has been received from the user in response to the acceptance request (S505). When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 receives an acceptance notice from the user in response to the proposed vehicle dispatch plan (Yes in S505), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 confirms the current vehicle dispatch plan (S506). In addition, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 stores the confirmed vehicle dispatch plan in the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 transmits a confirmation notice of the vehicle dispatch reservation to the terminal device 20, and transmits a dispatch instruction based on the vehicle dispatch plan to the vehicle V (S507).

In response to this, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 receives a rejection notice (cancellation) from the user in response to the proposed vehicle dispatch plan (No in S505), it cancels the current vehicle dispatch plan based on the user's vehicle dispatch request (S505). In this case, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 releases the temporarily held vehicle dispatch plan that was used to recreate the vehicle dispatch plan. If the user desires a different vehicle dispatch service, they will make a new vehicle dispatch request.

Next, the details of the process of creating/updating a vehicle dispatch plan will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the details of the process of creating/updating a vehicle dispatch plan (S503) shown in Figure 5.

That is, as shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to and searches the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d and extracts an existing vehicle dispatch plan (S601). The existing vehicle dispatch plan is a vehicle dispatch plan for a vehicle V that is in operation or in service. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 may narrow down the vehicle dispatch plans based on the current position information of the vehicle V so that a more appropriate vehicle V is selected. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether an existing vehicle dispatch plan has been extracted (S602). If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that an existing vehicle dispatch plan has not been extracted (No in S602), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a new vehicle dispatch plan for the received vehicle dispatch request (S608).

On the other hand, when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that an existing dispatch plan has been extracted (Yes in S602), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 subsequently determines whether or not there is a dispatch plan for vehicle V among the extracted existing dispatch plans that satisfies the ride-sharing conditions when updated in accordance with the user's dispatch request (S603). The ride-sharing conditions include, for example, that there is space (boarding space) to carry the number of passengers indicated in the dispatch request of each user who will be sharing the ride, and that various conditions related to the limit allowable time of each user are satisfied. When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there is no dispatch plan for vehicle V that satisfies the ride-sharing conditions (No in S603), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a new dispatch plan for the received dispatch request (S608) and ends the creation/update process of the dispatch plan.

On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there is a dispatch plan for vehicle V that satisfies the ride-sharing conditions (Yes in S603), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 predicts ride demand based on the probability of occurrence of a dispatch request similar to the dispatch request of a user (preceding user) that was previously accepted in the dispatch plan for vehicle V (S604).

Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 narrows down the extracted existing vehicle dispatch plans according to the predicted passenger demand (S605). That is, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 excludes vehicle dispatch plans for vehicles V in which the probability of occurrence of a dispatch request similar to the preceding user's dispatch request is higher than a predetermined threshold value and in which the remaining boarding space cannot be secured if the predicted number of passengers is accepted. This ensures that, in the event of a similar dispatch request in the immediately following time period, a vehicle V will be secured to accommodate the user who made the similar dispatch request.

Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether or not there is a vehicle dispatch plan (a vehicle dispatch plan that has not been excluded and remains) that can be selected for the received vehicle dispatch request from the narrowed down vehicle dispatch plans (S606). If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there is no vehicle dispatch plan that can be selected for the received vehicle dispatch request from the narrowed down vehicle dispatch plans (No in S606), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a new vehicle dispatch plan for the received vehicle dispatch request (S608) and ends the vehicle dispatch plan creation/update process.

On the other hand, when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there is a vehicle dispatch plan that can be selected for the received vehicle dispatch request from the narrowed down vehicle dispatch plans (Yes in S606), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects the optimal vehicle dispatch plan from the selectable vehicle dispatch plans (S607). For example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects the vehicle dispatch plan with the highest evaluation value according to a predetermined evaluation function. The predetermined evaluation function outputs an evaluation value based on, for example, the distance and/or travel time from the current position of the vehicle V to the boarding location. This establishes a ride-sharing arrangement in which the more optimal subsequent user rides in the vehicle V that was dispatched to the previous user. When the vehicle dispatch management device selects a vehicle dispatch plan, it updates the vehicle dispatch plan so that the vehicle is shared with the user who made the received vehicle dispatch request, and ends the vehicle dispatch plan creation/update process.

As described above, according to this embodiment, in response to a user's dispatch request at a certain time, the dispatch management device 10 predicts the potential demand for rides from other users at the boarding location indicated by the dispatch request, and in a situation where the demand for rides is predicted to be high, prioritizes carpooling in a vehicle V between users with similar dispatch requests, thereby realizing efficient dispatch.

Second Embodiment
This embodiment is a modification of the above embodiment, and describes an example of a more specific process related to creating/updating a vehicle allocation plan.

Figures 7A and 7B are flowcharts showing an example of a process for creating/updating a vehicle dispatch plan by a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. A, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to and searches the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d, and based on a dispatch request received from a user, extracts a dispatch plan for a waiting vehicle V with boarding conditions that meet the dispatch request (S701). A waiting vehicle V with boarding conditions is a vehicle V that has been dispatched to a preceding user and is waiting to share a ride with other users under specified boarding conditions. In addition, boarding conditions include, for example, the proximity of the boarding location and boarding time to the dispatch plan of the vehicle V. As a result of the search, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether or not a corresponding vehicle V has been extracted (S702).

When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the corresponding vehicle V has been extracted (Yes in S702), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 then determines whether the vehicle V satisfies the ride-sharing conditions for the dispatch request (S703). The ride-sharing conditions include, for example, conditions related to various limit allowable times (limit allowable times related to waiting time and arrival time, etc.) based on the dispatch request of each user. In other words, even if the dispatch plan is changed based on a new dispatch request, a vehicle V that has already been dispatched to a user is extracted under the condition that the time allowed for the user is not exceeded. This makes it possible to guarantee a dispatch service for the preceding user. When multiple vehicles V are extracted by the search, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects the vehicle V with the smallest evaluation value for distance and/or time, for example.

When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the dispatch plan for the vehicle V satisfies the ride-sharing conditions (Yes in S703), it updates the dispatch plan so that the user who made the dispatch request will be able to ride-sharing in the vehicle V (S704).

On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that a corresponding vehicle V has not been extracted (No in S702), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to and searches the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d, and extracts a vehicle V in operation that satisfies the ride-sharing conditions for the received dispatch request (S705).

In addition, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the vehicle V does not satisfy the ride-sharing conditions (No in S703), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to and searches the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d to extract a vehicle V in operation that satisfies the ride-sharing conditions for the received dispatch request (S705). That is, in the processing step of S705, a vehicle V that is not dispatched in response to a similar dispatch request but that satisfies the ride-sharing conditions is extracted. Through this search, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether or not a corresponding vehicle V is present (S706).

When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there is a corresponding vehicle V (Yes in S706), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 subsequently determines whether the vehicle V is a waiting vehicle V with other boarding conditions (S707). In other words, a waiting vehicle V with other boarding conditions here is a vehicle V waiting for a ride under boarding conditions different from the user's ride request. When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the vehicle V is not a waiting vehicle V with other boarding conditions (No in S707), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 updates the dispatch plan so that the user will be able to share the ride with the vehicle V (S704). In other words, a vehicle V that is not bound by boarding conditions for a user who will share the ride is treated as a vehicle V that provides a ride with the user who made the ride request. When multiple vehicles V are extracted by the search, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects, for example, a vehicle V with the smallest evaluation value of distance and/or time.

On the other hand, when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the vehicle V is a waiting vehicle V with other boarding conditions (Yes in S707), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 subsequently determines whether the time until the departure time of the preceding user from the boarding location in the vehicle dispatch plan of the vehicle V is a predetermined time or more (S708). When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the time until the departure time of the preceding user from the boarding location is not a predetermined time or more (No in S708), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 updates the dispatch plan so that the user who made the dispatch request will be a ride-sharer on the vehicle V (S704). In other words, even if the vehicle V is a waiting vehicle with other boarding conditions, if the remaining time until the departure time of the preceding user from the boarding location is short and there is little chance of another user meeting the boarding conditions appearing, the vehicle V is treated as a vehicle V that is prioritized for sharing with the user who made the dispatch request. When multiple vehicles V are extracted by the search, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects, for example, the vehicle V with the smallest evaluation value of distance and/or time.

When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the time until the departure time at the boarding location of the preceding user in the dispatch plan of the vehicle V is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (Yes in S708), it proceeds to the process shown in FIG. B.

If there is no vehicle V in operation that satisfies the ride-sharing conditions (No in S706), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 proceeds to the process shown in FIG. B.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7B, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to and searches the vehicle information database 12c to extract a new vehicle V that can be dispatched (S709), and the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether or not the new vehicle V has been extracted (S710). If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the new vehicle V has been extracted (Yes in S710), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 creates a new dispatch plan for the extracted vehicle V (S711).

Next, the dispatch management device 10 calculates the probability of occurrence of a dispatch request similar to the received dispatch request, and predicts the ride demand based on the calculated occurrence probability (S712). For example, the dispatch management device 10 predicts the ride demand using a predetermined statistical model based on the number of users currently in the vicinity of the boarding location. Alternatively, the dispatch management device 10 may predict the ride demand based on the past performance values of the ride demand in the same time period and at the same or nearby boarding location. In addition, the dispatch management device 10 may predict the ride demand based on environmental factors around the boarding location (e.g., traffic conditions, weather, event holdings, etc.). In addition, the dispatch management device 10 may predict the ride demand taking into account the attributes of the user (e.g., age, sex, home and work addresses, hobbies, etc.).

Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether the predicted ride demand is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (S713). When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the ride demand is not equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (No in S713), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 ends the process of creating/updating the vehicle dispatch plan. In other words, in a situation where the ride demand is not high, the vehicle V that is dispatched based on the received dispatch request does not need to be registered as a ride-sharing waiting vehicle V with boarding conditions.

On the other hand, when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the ride demand is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (Yes in S713), it registers the vehicle dispatch plan in the vehicle dispatch plan database 12d (S714) in order to make the extracted new vehicle V a ride-sharing waiting vehicle V with boarding conditions, and ends the process of creating/updating the vehicle dispatch plan. As a result, when a similar dispatch request is received from a new user, the vehicle will be extracted as a ride-sharing waiting vehicle V with boarding conditions.

If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 is unable to extract a new vehicle V (No in S710), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 then determines whether there is a vehicle V for which the processing step S708 in FIG. 7A was set to "Yes" (S715). In other words, here, it is determined whether the vehicle V selected in the processing step S708 above has been extracted from among other ride-sharing waiting vehicles V with boarding conditions that satisfy the ride-sharing conditions. If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 has extracted the corresponding vehicle V (Yes in S715), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 updates the dispatch plan so that the user who made the dispatch request will be able to share the vehicle V (S716). If the corresponding vehicle V has not been extracted (No in S715), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 cannot dispatch a vehicle V in response to the user's dispatch request, and therefore transmits a response to the terminal device 20 that dispatch is not possible (S717).

As described above, this embodiment can provide the same advantages or effects as the above-mentioned embodiments. In particular, this embodiment predicts ride demand based on similar dispatch requests, and when the predicted ride demand is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, a newly extracted vehicle V is registered as a ride-sharing waiting vehicle with boarding conditions, so that ride-sharing in vehicle V between users with similar dispatch requests is prioritized, making it possible to realize more efficient dispatch.

The above embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments. The present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the invention.

For example, in the methods disclosed herein, steps, operations, or functions may be performed in parallel or in a different order, provided that the results are not inconsistent. The steps, operations, and functions described are provided merely as examples, and some of the steps, operations, and functions may be omitted or combined into one, or other steps, operations, or functions may be added, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In addition, although various embodiments are disclosed in this specification, specific features (technical matters) in one embodiment can be added to or replaced with specific features in another embodiment, with appropriate modifications, and such forms are also included in the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Vehicle dispatch management system 10... Vehicle dispatch management device 110... Front-end processing unit 120... Vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit 121... Vehicle dispatch request reception unit 122... Vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 123... Passenger demand prediction unit 124... Vehicle dispatch plan proposal unit 125... Vehicle dispatch instruction unit 130... Vehicle communication interface unit 12... Database 12a... User information database 12b... Map information database 12c... Vehicle information database 12d... Vehicle dispatch plan database 12e... Operation history information database 20... Terminal device N... Communication network V... Vehicle CTL... Control device

Claims (16)

A vehicle dispatch management device that manages vehicle dispatch based on a vehicle dispatch request,
A vehicle dispatch plan database for managing a vehicle dispatch plan for a plurality of the vehicles;
A vehicle dispatch request receiving unit that receives the vehicle dispatch request of the user including at least a boarding location from a terminal device;
a vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit that refers to the vehicle dispatch plan database based on the received vehicle dispatch request, and creates and confirms a vehicle dispatch plan for a specific vehicle;
The vehicle dispatch plan formulation unit,
A ride demand prediction unit that predicts ride demand due to a ride request of another user similar to the ride request of the user at the ride location indicated by the ride request of the user;
a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit that creates the vehicle dispatch plan based on the predicted riding demand so that the users who have made similar vehicle dispatch requests will share the specific vehicle;
and a dispatch instruction unit that transmits the determined dispatch plan to the specific vehicle.
Vehicle dispatch management device. the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit refers to the vehicle dispatch plan database, and determines whether or not there is an existing vehicle dispatch plan, and when it is determined that there is an existing vehicle dispatch plan, extracts the vehicle dispatch plan of the vehicle that satisfies a predetermined sharing condition for the vehicle dispatch request from the existing vehicle dispatch plans;
The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1. the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit narrows down the vehicle dispatch plans by excluding, from the extracted vehicle dispatch plans of vehicles satisfying the shared ride conditions, vehicle dispatch plans of the vehicles for which boarding space cannot be secured for the number of passengers indicated by the boarding demand according to the predicted boarding demand at the boarding location indicated by the vehicle dispatch request of the user targeted by the vehicle dispatch plan;
The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 2. the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit selects the vehicle dispatch plan for the specific vehicle from the narrowed down vehicle dispatch plans in accordance with a predetermined evaluation function related to a distance and/or a travel time from a position of the vehicle in the vehicle dispatch plan to a boarding location indicated by the accepted vehicle dispatch request;
The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 3. When the predicted riding demand is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit registers the vehicle dispatch plan based on the vehicle dispatch request of the user in the vehicle dispatch plan database as a vehicle dispatch plan for a waiting vehicle with a boarding condition.
The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1. The vehicle dispatch plan creation unit selects the vehicle dispatch plan of the specific vehicle that matches the vehicle dispatch request based on a travel route indicated by the vehicle dispatch plan of the boarding condition-based shared waiting vehicle and a drop-off location indicated by the vehicle dispatch request.
The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 5. When the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit does not extract the vehicle dispatch plan of the ride-sharing waiting vehicle with boarding conditions based on the similar vehicle dispatch request, the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit extracts the vehicle dispatch plan of another vehicle that satisfies a predetermined ride-sharing condition.
The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 5. The predetermined ride-sharing conditions include a condition regarding a predetermined limit allowable time based on the dispatch request of each of the users,
The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 7. the vehicle allocation plan creation unit creates a vehicle allocation plan for a new vehicle when the vehicle allocation plan for the other vehicle that satisfies the predetermined sharing condition is not extracted.
The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 7. the vehicle allocation plan creation unit creates a vehicle allocation plan for the user to ride in the other vehicle when the vehicle allocation plan satisfies the predetermined ride-sharing condition and is not a ride-sharing plan for another vehicle waiting for ride-sharing with a boarding condition,
The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 7. creating a vehicle dispatch plan for the other waiting vehicles with boarding conditions such that the user is assigned to the other vehicles when the time until the boarding location departure time indicated in the vehicle dispatch plan is less than a predetermined time;
The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 10. The boarding demand prediction unit predicts the boarding demand by using a predetermined statistical model based on the number of users currently present in the vicinity of the boarding location indicated by the vehicle dispatch request.
The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 1. The boarding demand prediction unit predicts the boarding demand based on a past actual value of the boarding demand in the same time period based on the time when the dispatch request was received and at the boarding location.
The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 1. The boarding demand prediction unit predicts the boarding demand based on environmental factors in the vicinity of the boarding location.
The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 1. The passenger demand prediction unit predicts the passenger demand based on the behavior of the other users based on the location information acquired from the terminal device.
The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 1. A vehicle dispatch management method by a vehicle dispatch management device that manages vehicle dispatch in response to a vehicle dispatch request, comprising:
receiving a vehicle dispatch request from a user including at least a boarding location from a terminal device;
Based on the received dispatch request, a dispatch plan database that manages dispatch plans for the plurality of vehicles is referenced to create a dispatch plan for the specific vehicle;
Confirming the created vehicle dispatch plan;
and transmitting the determined dispatch plan to the specific vehicle.
Creating the vehicle dispatch plan includes:
Predicting ride demand due to vehicle dispatch requests of other users similar to the vehicle dispatch request of the user at the boarding location indicated by the vehicle dispatch request of the user;
creating the vehicle dispatch plan based on the predicted riding demand so that users who have made similar vehicle dispatch requests share the specific vehicle;
Vehicle allocation management methods.

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