Vehicle scheduling apparatus, control method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

A control method performed by a computer, comprising:

• acquiring a task list information that indicates tasks assigned to a target person to whom at least one target vehicle is assigned, the target vehicle executing each task assigned thereto at a task site corresponding to the task;
• determining an execution order of the tasks for each target vehicle by solving a vehicle routing problem using a cost matrix that indicates a minimum cost for each pair of sites in a workspace;
• selecting a task path for each task that is a path with minimum cost to travel to the task site of the task based on the determined execution order of the tasks;
• generating, for each target vehicle, schedule information of the target vehicle that indicates the execution order of the tasks assigned to the target vehicle and the task path for each task;
• detecting an external conflict that is a conflict between the target vehicle and a temporary obstacle whose location varies over time;
• and
• in the case where one or more external conflicts are detected, further performing:
• updating the cost matrix so as to update the minimum cost of the pair of sites between whom the conflict is detected;
• and
• repeatedly performing the determination of the execution order of the tasks, the selection of the task path for each task, the generation of the schedule information, the detection of the conflict, and the update of the cost matrix until no detection between the target vehicle and the temporary obstacle is detected.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which causes a computer to execute:

• acquiring a task list information that indicates tasks assigned to a target person to whom at least one target vehicle is assigned, the target vehicle executing each task assigned thereto at a task site corresponding to the task;
• determining an execution order of the tasks for each target vehicle by solving a vehicle routing problem using a cost matrix that indicates a minimum cost for each pair of sites in a workspace;
• selecting a task path for each task that is a path with minimum cost to travel to the task site of the task based on the determined execution order of the tasks;
• generating, for each target vehicle, schedule information of the target vehicle that indicates the execution order of the tasks assigned to the target vehicle and the task path for each task;
• detecting an external conflict that is a conflict between the target vehicle and a temporary obstacle whose location varies over time;
• and
• in the case where one or more external conflicts are detected, further performing:
• updating the cost matrix so as to update the minimum cost of the pair of sites between whom the conflict is detected;
• and
• repeatedly performing the determination of the execution order of the tasks, the selection of the task path for each task, the generation of the schedule information, the detection of the conflict, and the update of the cost matrix until no detection between the target vehicle and the temporary obstacle is detected.