TRAVEL EXPENSE ADJUSTING APPARATUS AND TRAVEL EXPENSE ADJUSTING METHOD

• US 20110137768A1
• Filed: 08/22/2008
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Navitime Japan Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Navitime Japan Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hiroshi, Onishi, Keisuke, Murai, Kazuyoshi, Kikuchi, Shin
• Application Number:
  US13/057,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137768A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems

Abstract

According to the present invention, a route covered by travel expenses and satisfying a route search condition input by a member of a group who wishes an adjustment of travel expenses is created, and greenhouse gas emissions emitted at a time of using the created route are calculated. The greenhouse gas emissions are offset by subtracting the calculated greenhouse gas emissions from an amount of emission credits stored in a storage unit, and it is determined whether the greenhouse gas emissions have been offset. When it is determined that the greenhouse gas emissions have not been offset, a display unit is caused to display a travel-expense-application rejection notification indicating that an application for an adjustment of travel expenses applied by the member is rejected.

Claims

1. A travel expense adjusting apparatus comprising:

a control unit and a storage unit and connected communicably via a network to a first information processing terminal including;

an input unit and a display unit, wherein

the first information processing terminal is held by a member of a group who wishes an adjustment of travel expenses, and

the storage unit includes;

a route-search-information storage unit that stores route search information including timetable data, road network data, and usage fee data of transportation facilities;

an emission calculation-standard storage unit that stores a calculation standard of emissions of greenhouse gases per certain distance for each of the transportation facilities; and

an emission-credit amount storage unit that stores an amount of emission credits of the greenhouse gases for the group, and

the control unit includes;

a route creating unit that receives, from the first information processing terminal, travel-expense application information including a route search condition input by the member via the input unit of the first information processing terminal, and creates at least one route satisfying the received route search condition and covered by the travel expenses by using the route search information stored in the route-search-information storage unit;

a travel-expense calculating unit that calculates the travel expenses caused at a time of using the route created by the route creating unit by using the route search information stored in the route-search-information storage unit;

an emission calculating unit that calculates the emissions emitted at a time of using at least one route created by the route creating unit for each corresponding route by using the calculation standard stored in the emission calculation-standard storage unit;

an emission offsetting unit that offsets the emissions by subtracting the emissions calculated by the emission calculating unit from the amount of emission credits stored in the emission-credit amount storage unit;

an emission-offset determining unit that determines whether the emissions have been offset by the emission offsetting unit; and

a travel-expense-application rejection-notification displaying unit that transmits, when the emission-offset determining unit determines that the emissions have not been offset, a travel-expense-application rejection notification indicating that an application for an adjustment of the travel expenses applied by the member is rejected to the first information processing terminal, and causes the display unit of the first information processing terminal to display the travel-expense-application rejection notification.

2. The travel expense adjusting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the travel expense adjusting apparatus is further communicably connected via a network to a second information processing terminal including:

an input unit and a display unit, wherein

the second information processing terminal is held by a settling personnel who approves an adjustment of the travel expenses applied by the member, and

the control unit further includes;

a route-search-result displaying unit that transmits, when the emission-offset determining unit determines that the emissions have been offset, a route search result including the route in which the emissions have been offset and the travel expenses calculated by the travel-expense calculating unit corresponding to the route to the second information processing terminal, and causes the display unit of the second information processing terminal to display the route search result; and

a travel-expense-application approval-notification displaying unit that receives approval information indicating approval of an adjustment of the travel expenses with respect to the travel-expense application information, input by the settling personnel via the input unit of the second information processing terminal, transmits a travel-expense-application approval notification including the received approval information and the route search result to the first information processing terminal, and causes the display unit of the first information processing terminal to display the travel-expense-application approval notification.

3. The travel expense adjusting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the storage unit further includes a history-information storage unit that stores history information in which at least a part of the route search result, the travel-expense-application approval notification, and the travel-expense-application rejection notification is associated with each other for each of the members,

the travel-expense-application rejection-notification displaying unit stores the travel-expense-application rejection notification in the history-information storage unit for each of the members,

the route-search-result displaying unit stores at least a part of the route search result in the history-information storage unit for each of the members, and

the travel-expense-application approval-notification displaying unit stores at least a part of the travel-expense-application approval notification in the history-information storage unit for each of the members.

4. A travel expense adjusting method executed by a travel expense adjusting apparatus including:

a control unit and a storage unit and connected communicably via a network to a first information processing terminal including;

an input unit and a display unit, wherein

the first information processing terminal is held by a member of a group who wishes an adjustment of travel expenses, and

the storage unit includes;

a route-search-information storage unit that stores route search information including timetable data, road network data, and usage fee data of transportation facilities;

an emission calculation-standard storage unit that stores a calculation standard of emissions of greenhouse gases per certain distance for each of the transportation facilities; and

an emission-credit amount storage unit that stores an amount of emission credits of the greenhouse gases for the group, and

the method comprising;

a route creating step of receiving, from the first information processing terminal, travel-expense application information including a route search condition input by the member via the input unit of the first information processing terminal, and creating at least one route satisfying the received route search condition and covered by the travel expenses by using the route search information stored in the route-search-information storage unit;

a travel-expense calculating step of calculating the travel expenses caused at a time of using the route created at the route creating step by using the route search information stored in the route-search-information storage unit;

an emission calculating step of calculating the emissions emitted at a time of using at least one route created at the route creating step for each corresponding route by using the calculation standard stored in the emission calculation-standard storage unit;

an emission offsetting step of offsetting the emissions by subtracting the emissions calculated at the emission calculating step from the amount of emission credits stored in the emission-credit amount storage unit;

an emission-offset determining step of determining whether the emissions have been offset at the emission offsetting step; and

a travel-expense-application rejection-notification displaying step of transmitting, when it is determined that the emissions have not been offset at the emission-offset determining step, a travel-expense-application rejection notification indicating that an application for an adjustment of the travel expenses applied by the member is rejected to the first information processing terminal, and causing the display unit of the first information processing terminal to display the travel-expense-application rejection notification, wherein

the steps are executed by the control unit.

5. The travel expense adjusting method according to claim 4, wherein

the travel expense adjusting apparatus is further communicably connected via a network to a second information processing terminal including:

an input unit and a display unit, wherein

the second information processing terminal is held by a settling personnel who approves an adjustment of the travel expenses applied by the member, and

the method further comprising;

a route-search-result displaying step of transmitting, when it is determined that the emissions have been offset at the emission-offset determining step, a route search result including the route in which the emissions have been offset and the travel expenses calculated at the travel-expense calculating step corresponding to the route to the second information processing terminal, and causing the display unit of the second information processing terminal to display the route search result; and

a travel-expense-application approval-notification displaying step of receiving approval information indicating approval of an adjustment of the travel expenses with respect to the travel-expense application information, input by the settling personnel via the input unit of the second information processing terminal, transmitting a travel-expense-application approval notification including the received approval information and the route search result to the first information processing terminal, and causing the display unit of the first information processing terminal to display the travel-expense-application approval notification.

6. The travel expense adjusting method according to claim 5, wherein

the storage unit further includes a history-information storage unit that stores history information in which at least a part of the route search result, the travel-expense-application approval notification, and the travel-expense-application rejection notification is associated with each other for each of the members,

at the travel-expense-application rejection-notification displaying step, the travel-expense-application rejection notification is stored in the history-information storage unit for each of the members,

at the route-search-result displaying step, at least a part of the route search result is stored in the history-information storage unit for each of the members, and

at the travel-expense-application approval-notification displaying step, at least a part of the travel-expense-application approval notification is stored in the history-information storage unit for each of the members.