Information processing device, information processing method and vehicle-mounted unit

Abstract

This disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an in-vehicle unit. In the information processing apparatus according to this disclosure, a control unit acquires information about contract users of telematics services that can be used through the in-vehicle unit. The control unit sends a command to the in-vehicle unit to present the contract user's information to the occupants of the vehicle at the time when an operation related to the use of the telematics service is performed on the in-vehicle unit or at the time the vehicle is started.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method and a vehicle-mounted unit. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, technology for providing telematics services to telematics communication units mounted on vehicles has become widespread (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-011663 (JP 2020-011663A)). Summary of the invention

[0003] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology capable of suppressing deterioration of convenience of a user who uses a telematics service.

[0004] The present disclosure can be regarded as an information processing method. In this case, the information processing method may include, for example, a control unit that performs: acquiring information about a contract user who has a contract to use a telematics service through an on-board unit installed in a vehicle; and sending a command to the on-board unit for presenting the information about the contract user to an occupant of the vehicle at a predetermined time.

[0005] The present disclosure may also be viewed as an information processing method executed by a computer. For example, in this case, the information processing method executed by a computer may include: a step of acquiring information about a contract user who has a contract to use a telematics service through an on-board unit installed in a vehicle; and a step of sending a command to the on-board unit to present the information about the contract user to an occupant of the vehicle at a predetermined time.

[0006] The present disclosure may also be viewed as an on-board unit installed in a vehicle. In this case, the on-board unit may include, for example, a control unit that performs: acquiring information about a contract user who has a contract for a telematics service that can be used through the on-board unit from a predetermined server device; and presenting information about the contract user to an occupant of the vehicle at a predetermined time.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technology capable of suppressing deterioration of convenience of a user who uses a telematics service. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements, and in which:

[0009] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a telematics system;

[0010] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an in-vehicle unit and a server device included in a telematics system;

[0011] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a server device according to an embodiment;

[0012] Figure 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a contract information table stored in a contract management database;

[0013] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by the server device according to the present embodiment;

[0014] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by the in-vehicle unit at a predetermined time;

[0015] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a server device according to a modification;

[0016] Figure 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a contract information table stored in a contract management database according to a modification; and

[0017] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by a server device according to a modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The information processing device according to the present disclosure is applied to a system that provides telematics services (hereinafter referred to as "telematics system"). Telematics services include services such as information search, update of map data of a car navigation system, destination setting of a car navigation system, emergency call, provision of vehicle maintenance information, voice call with an operator, or remote operation of a vehicle. The telematics system provides telematics services to vehicle occupants through an on-board unit installed in a vehicle and an information processing device installed outside the vehicle by enabling two-way communication between the on-board unit installed in the vehicle and the information processing device installed outside the vehicle. In such a telematics system, the on-board unit is associated with a user (contract user) who has a telematics service contract. Therefore, when the right to use the vehicle is transferred from a first user to a second user (for example, when the vehicle is sold by the first user to the second user) and the first user forgets to cancel the telematics service contract, the convenience of the first user and the second user may be impaired. For example, the first user may be charged a contract fee unnecessarily, or the second user may not be able to use the desired telematics service. In addition, the vehicle may be remotely operated against the will of the second user.

[0019] On the other hand, the information processing device according to the present disclosure obtains information about the contract users of the telematics service provided by the vehicle-mounted unit (hereinafter referred to as "contract user information"). The information processing device sends a command to the vehicle-mounted unit for presenting the acquired contract user information to the occupants of the vehicle at a predetermined time. Through this configuration, in the vehicle-mounted unit that has received the above-mentioned command, the contract user information of the contract user associated with the vehicle-mounted unit is presented to the occupants of the vehicle at a predetermined time. The occupants who have received the contract user information are able to confirm whether the user who has the right to use the vehicle and the contract user match each other. For example, when the right to use the vehicle is transferred from a first user to a second user and the first user forgets to cancel the contract for the telematics service, the second user can be informed that the first user forgot to cancel. Therefore, the second user can take measures to cancel the contract for the telematics service of the first user. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the convenience of the first user and the second user from being impaired.

[0020] Note that the contract user information may be a part of the contract user's email address. With this configuration, when the user who has the right to use the vehicle is different from the contract user, it is possible to suppress the user who has the right to use the vehicle from acquiring the contract user's personal information. The information on the contract user is not limited to the above, and may be, for example, a part of the contract user's phone number, the contract user's nickname, etc.

[0021] The predetermined time in the present disclosure may be the time when an operation related to the use of the telematics service is performed on the vehicle-mounted unit. Here, the operation related to the use of the telematics service is, for example, an operation for displaying a menu screen related to the telematics service in the vehicle-mounted unit, and is an operation performed by a vehicle occupant. With this configuration, it is possible to make the occupant aware of information about the contract user every time an operation related to the use of the telematics service is performed on the vehicle-mounted unit.

[0022] The scheduled time according to the present disclosure may be the time when the vehicle is started. Here, the time when the vehicle is started is, for example, the time when the auxiliary power is switched from off to on, the time when the ignition switch (or power switch) is switched from off to on, and so on. Through this configuration, it is possible for the occupants to know the information about the contract user every time the vehicle is started. The scheduled time may include the time when operations related to the use of telematics services are performed on the on-board unit and the time when the vehicle is started. That is, each time an operation related to the use of telematics services is performed on the on-board unit and each time the vehicle is started, the on-board unit can present information about the contract user to the occupants.

[0023] The predetermined time according to the present disclosure may be the time when an operation related to the use of the telematics service is first performed on the on-board unit after the right to use the vehicle is estimated to have been transferred. With this configuration, only when the right to use the vehicle is estimated to have been transferred, information about the contract user is presented to the occupant when an operation related to the use of the telematics service is first performed on the on-board unit. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occupant from feeling annoyed.

[0024] The predetermined time according to the present disclosure may be the time when the vehicle is started for the first time after the right to use the vehicle is estimated to have been transferred. With this configuration, only when the right to use the vehicle is estimated to have been transferred, the information about the contract user is presented to the occupant at the time when the vehicle is started for the first time. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occupant from feeling annoyed.

[0025] Here, when estimating whether the right to use the vehicle has been transferred, the control unit can perform the estimation through the following three procedures.

[0026] (Procedure 1) The control unit periodically estimates the storage location of the vehicle based on the position information of the vehicle obtained by the on-vehicle unit.

[0027] (Procedure 2) The control unit determines whether the estimated storage location of the vehicle has changed from the previously estimated storage location.

[0028] (Procedure 3) When the control unit determines that the estimated storage place of the vehicle is changed from the previously estimated storage place, the control unit estimates that the right to use the vehicle has been transferred.

[0029] Furthermore, when the in-vehicle unit includes a car navigation system for providing route guidance, the control unit may estimate whether the right to use the vehicle has been transferred through the following three procedures.

[0030] (Procedure 4) The control unit periodically acquires information on the storage location of the vehicle (user's home location, parking lot location, etc.) registered in the car navigation system.

[0031] (Procedure 5) The control unit determines whether the information on the acquired storage location indicates a location different from the previously acquired storage location.

[0032] (Procedure 6) When the control unit determines that the information on the acquired storage place indicates a location different from the previously acquired storage place, the control unit estimates that the right to use the vehicle has been transferred.

[0033] Note that the present disclosure can also be regarded as an information processing method in which a computer performs each of the above-mentioned processes, or as an information processing program for causing a computer to perform each of the above-mentioned processes. In this case, the computer corresponds to the above-mentioned information processing device. Such a computer is, for example, a server device controlled by a provider of telematics services.

[0034] In addition, the present disclosure can also be regarded as an on-board unit installed in a vehicle. In this case, the control unit of the on-board unit can obtain the contract user information from the server device and present the obtained contract user information to the occupants of the vehicle at a predetermined time. Through this configuration, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

[0035] Example

[0036] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configuration described in this embodiment is illustrative, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration described in the embodiment.

[0037] System Overview

[0038] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a telematics system to which the present disclosure is applied. The telematics system according to the present embodiment includes an on-board unit 100 mounted on a vehicle 10 and a server device 200 mounted outside the vehicle 10. The on-board unit 100 and the server device 200 perform bidirectional communication via a network. Figure 1 Only one vehicle 10 is shown in FIG. 1 , but a plurality of vehicles 10 may be included in the telematics system.

[0039] The in-vehicle unit 100 receives an operation related to the telematics service, and sends a request corresponding to the received operation to the server device 200. In addition, the in-vehicle unit 100 receives information returned from the server device 200 in response to the above request, and presents the received information to the occupant of the vehicle 10. Here, for example, when the occupant of the vehicle 10 performs an operation of designating a destination, the in-vehicle unit 100 sends a route search request to the server device 200, which includes information about the current position and destination of the vehicle 10. When a route search result is returned from the server device 200 in response thereto, the in-vehicle unit 100 receives the above route search result and performs setting of the destination in the car navigation system, setting of a route from the current position to the destination, etc. based on the received route search result. At this time, when data for updating the map information is included in the signal returned from the server device 200 to the in-vehicle unit 100, the in-vehicle unit 100 also updates the map information registered in the car navigation system. Note that the operations related to the telematics service are not limited to the above examples, and may include an operation for requesting a search for information on weather, stores, tourist attractions, etc., an operation for requesting a voice call with a carrier, an operation for connecting to the Internet, etc. However, the on-board unit 100 is associated with a user (contract user) who has a telematics service contract, and only accepts operations related to the telematics service signed by the contract user. In addition, the on-board unit 100 according to the present embodiment also has a function of presenting information about the contract user to the occupant of the vehicle 10 according to a command from the server device 200.

[0040] The server device 200 is managed by a telematics service provider (TSP). The server device 200 has the function of receiving various requests related to the above-mentioned telematics service from the vehicle-mounted unit 100 and providing the vehicle-mounted unit 100 with information corresponding to the received request. In addition, the server device 200 according to the present embodiment has the function of obtaining information about the contract user associated with the vehicle-mounted unit 100 (contract user information). This "contract user information" is information by which it is possible to identify whether the user who has the right to use the vehicle 10 matches the contract user, and information that a third party cannot identify the individual of the contract user. For example, part of the contract user's email address, part of the contract user's phone number, the contract user's nickname, etc. can be used as these contract user information. The server device 200 can obtain the contract user information at a predetermined period (for example, every few days, every few weeks, or every few months), or the server device 200 can be triggered by the start of the vehicle 10 and obtain the contract user information. In addition, the server device 200 has a function of generating a command (hereinafter referred to as a "presentation command") for causing the vehicle-mounted unit 100 to present the acquired contract user information to the occupants of the vehicle 10 at a predetermined time and transmitting the generated presentation command to the vehicle-mounted unit 100. For example, the "predetermined time" is the time when an operation related to the use of the telematics service is performed on the vehicle-mounted unit 100, or the time when the vehicle 10 is started. The term "starting the vehicle 10" as used herein means that the auxiliary power source is switched from off to on, or the ignition switch (or power switch, etc.) is switched from off to on.

[0041] System hardware configuration

[0042] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the in-vehicle unit 100 and the server device 200 included in the telematics system.

[0043] On-board unit

[0044] The vehicle-mounted unit 100 is a small computer installed in the vehicle 10. Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle-mounted unit 100 includes a processor 101, a main storage unit 102, an auxiliary storage unit 103, an input-output unit 104, a position acquisition unit 105, and a communication unit 106. These units are connected to each other via a bus. The main storage unit 102 and the auxiliary storage unit 103 are computer-readable recording media. The hardware configuration of the vehicle-mounted unit 100 is not limited to Figure 2 Any components may be omitted, replaced or added as appropriate.

[0045] The onboard unit 100 implements functions that meet predetermined purposes by executing programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103 through the processor 101. Note that part or all of the functions of the onboard unit 100 may be implemented by hardware circuits, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0046] The processor 101 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP). The processor 101 controls the onboard unit 100 by performing various information processing calculations.

[0047] The main storage unit 102 includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), etc. The auxiliary storage unit 103 includes, for example, an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.

[0048] The auxiliary storage unit 103 may also include a removable medium, i.e., a portable storage medium. The removable medium is, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) memory, a compact disc (CD), or a digital versatile disc (DVD). The auxiliary storage unit 103 stores various programs, various data, and various tables in a recording medium so as to be readable and writable. In addition to the operating system (OS), the programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103 also include programs related to telematics services. For example, the programs related to telematics services include programs for implementing the functions of a car navigation system in the vehicle-mounted unit 100, programs for browsing the Internet, and the like. In this example, as a program related to telematics services, a program for implementing the function of presenting contract user information to the occupants of the vehicle 10 according to a presentation command from the server device 200 is also stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103. Part or all of the information stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103 may be stored in the main storage unit 102.

[0049] The input-output unit 104 receives an input operation performed by a user and presents information to the user. The input-output unit 104 is configured by, for example, a touch panel and its control circuit, a liquid crystal display and its control circuit, a microphone and its control circuit, a speaker and its control circuit, etc. The touch panel and the liquid crystal display can be configured by one touch panel display. In this example, the input-output unit 104 outputs the contract user information from the touch panel display at a predetermined time based on a presentation command from the server device 200.

[0050] The position acquisition unit 105 is a device that acquires the current position of the in-vehicle unit 100 (the current position of the vehicle 10). For example, the position acquisition unit 105 may include a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

[0051] The communication unit 106 is a wireless communication interface for connecting the vehicle-mounted unit 100 to the network N1. For example, the communication unit 106 connects to the network N1 using a mobile communication service such as the fifth generation (5G) or long term evolution (LTE) or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and communicates with the server device 200 through the network N1.

[0052] The network N1 according to the present embodiment is a wide area network (WAN) which is a global public communication network such as the Internet, or any other communication network. The network N1 may include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone network and a wireless communication network such as a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) network.

[0053] Server Device

[0054] The server device 200 is a computer installed outside the vehicle 10. In this example, the server device 200 is installed in a TSP office or the like. Figure 2 As shown, the server device 200 includes a processor 201, a main storage unit 202, an auxiliary storage unit 203, and a communication unit 204. These units are connected to each other via a bus. The hardware configuration of the server device 200 is not limited to Figure 2 Any components may be omitted, replaced or added as appropriate.

[0055] The processor 201, the main storage unit 202, and the auxiliary storage unit 203 of the server device 200 are respectively the same as the processor 101, the main storage unit 102, and the auxiliary storage unit 103 of the vehicle-mounted unit 100. However, the programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 203 include a program for realizing a function of causing the vehicle-mounted unit 100 to present the contract user information to the occupant of the vehicle 10 at a predetermined time.

[0056] The communication unit 204 is a communication interface for connecting the server device 200 to the network N1. The communication unit 204 is, for example, a local area network (LAN) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The communication unit 204 is connected to the network N1 through a local area network or a wireless communication network, and communicates with the vehicle-mounted unit 100 through the network N1.

[0057] Functional configuration of the server device

[0058] Next, we will refer to Figure 3 The functional configuration of the server device 200 is described below. Figure 3As shown, the server device 200 according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit F210, a command unit F220, and a contract management database D210 as its functional components. The acquisition unit F210 and the command unit F220 are implemented by the processor 201 of the server device 200 because the processor 201 executes the program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 203. In addition, one or a part of the acquisition unit F210 and the command unit F220 can be implemented by a hardware circuit. When the processor 201 of the server device 200 executes a database management system (DBMS) program, the contract management database D210 is constructed in the auxiliary storage unit 203. The contract management database D210 is, for example, a relational database.

[0059] Note that any one functional component of the server device 200 or a part of its processing may be executed by another computer connected to the network N1. For example, each process included in the acquisition unit F210 and each process included in the command unit F220 may be executed by a separate computer.

[0060] The contract management database D210 stores information about the contract user, and the contract user and the on-vehicle unit 100 are associated with each other in the contract management database D210. Figure 4 An example of the configuration of information stored in the contract management database D210 is described. Figure 4 2 is a diagram showing the table structure of information stored in the contract management database D210. Figure 4 In the example shown, the contract management database D210 stores a plurality of tables. These tables are set for each vehicle-mounted unit. The configuration of the table stored in the contract management database D210 (hereinafter referred to as the "contract information table") is not limited to Figure 4 The examples are shown, and fields may be added, changed, or deleted as appropriate.

[0061] like Figure 4As shown, each of the contract information tables stored in the contract management database D210 has fields for unit identification (ID) and contract user information. Information (unit ID) for identifying each on-board unit 100 is registered in the unit ID field. Contract user information of contract users associated with each on-board unit 100 is registered in the contract user information field. As described above, the contract user information is information by which it can be identified whether the user who has the right to use the vehicle 10 matches the contract user, and information that a third party cannot identify the individual of the contract user. For example, such contract user information includes a part of the contract user's email address (a character string in which a part of the email address is hidden), a part of the contract user's phone number (a character string in which a part of the phone number is hidden), a nickname of the contract user, and the like. In this example, a part of the contract user's email address is used as the contract user information. Note that the contract user whose contract user information is registered in the contract user information field is not necessarily the same as the user who has the right to use the vehicle 10, and the on-board unit 100 associated with the contract user is installed on the vehicle 10. For example, when the right to use the vehicle 10 is transferred from the contract user to another user and the contract user does not cancel the contract for the telematics service, information of a user different from the user having the right to use the vehicle 10 is still registered in the contract user information field.

[0062] When the contract user signs a contract with the TSP to use the telematics service, the above-mentioned contract information table is registered in the contract management database D210, and when the contract user cancels the contract with the TSP, the contract information table is deleted from the contract management database D210.

[0063] Here, return to Figure 3, the acquisition unit F210 acquires the contract user information. Specifically, the acquisition unit F210 reads the contract user information stored in each contract information table for each unit ID by accessing the contract management database D210. This process is repeatedly performed at a predetermined period (for example, every few days, every few weeks, or every few months). Note that when the telematics system is configured so that a predetermined signal (for example, information indicating that the vehicle 10 is started and a signal including the unit ID of the vehicle unit 100) is sent from the vehicle-mounted unit 100 to the server device 200 due to being triggered by the start of the vehicle 10, the acquisition unit F210 can acquire the contract user information of the contract user associated with the vehicle-mounted unit 100 when the server device 200 receives the predetermined signal. In that case, the acquisition unit F210 specifies the contract information table corresponding to the unit ID by accessing the contract management database D210 with the unit ID included in the predetermined signal as an argument. Next, the acquisition unit F210 can read the information registered in the contract user information field of the specified contract information table. The contract user information acquired by the above method is transmitted from the acquisition unit F210 to the command unit F220 together with the unit ID.

[0064] The command unit F220 generates a presentation command using the acquisition unit F210 as triggered by the acquisition of the contract user information. As described above, the presentation command is a command for displaying the contract user information on the vehicle-mounted unit 100 at a predetermined time. The predetermined time is the time when an operation related to the use of the telematics service is performed on the vehicle-mounted unit 100. For example, the operation related to the use of the telematics service is an operation of displaying a menu screen related to the telematics service in the vehicle-mounted unit 100, and is an operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle 10. The predetermined time may be the time when the vehicle 10 on which the vehicle-mounted unit 100 is installed is started. In addition, the predetermined time may be the time when an operation related to the use of the telematics service is performed on the vehicle-mounted unit 100, or the time when the vehicle 10 on which the vehicle-mounted unit 100 is installed is started. The presentation command generated by the command unit F220 is sent to the vehicle-mounted unit 100 corresponding to the unit ID through the communication unit 204.

[0065] Processing Flow

[0066] Will refer to Figure 5 The flow of processing executed by the server device 200 according to the present embodiment is described. Figure 5 1 is a flowchart showing a processing routine that is repeatedly executed in the server device 200 at a predetermined cycle (for example, every few days, every few weeks, or every few months).

[0067] exist Figure 5In the process, the acquisition unit F210 of the server device 200 acquires the contract user information of the contract user associated with each vehicle-mounted unit 100 (step S101). That is, by accessing the contract management database D210, the acquisition unit F210 reads the contract user information associated with each vehicle-mounted unit 100 for each unit ID. The contract user information of each unit ID acquired by the acquisition unit F210 is transferred from the acquisition unit F210 to the command unit F220.

[0068] The command unit F220 generates a presentation command for each vehicle-mounted unit based on the information transmitted from the acquisition unit F210 (step S102). Specifically, the command unit F220 generates a command for displaying the contract user information at a predetermined time for each vehicle-mounted unit.

[0069] The command unit F220 transmits the presentation command generated in step S102 to each vehicle-mounted unit 100 via the communication unit 204 (step S103).

[0070] In each of the vehicle-mounted units 100 that have received the above-mentioned presentation command, the contract user information received from the server device 200 is displayed on the touch panel display of the input-output unit 104 at a predetermined time. At this time, in the case where the predetermined time is the time to perform an operation of displaying a menu screen related to the telematics service, when the operation of displaying a menu screen related to the telematics service is performed, the processor 101 of the vehicle-mounted unit 100 displays on the touch panel display of the input-output unit 104 such as Figure 6 The screen shown. That is, the processor 101 of the vehicle-mounted unit 100 displays a menu screen including a display area for the contract user information on the touch panel display of the input-output unit 104. Note that the menu screen related to the telematics service may be a screen displaying buttons for selecting the type of telematics service that the occupant of the vehicle 10 desires to use (Internet connection, voice call with the operator, information search, destination setting, etc.), or may be a screen displaying buttons for selecting items that the occupant of the vehicle 10 desires to change settings (change of user information, change of contract content, etc.). When an operation of displaying the menu screen related to the telematics service is performed as shown in FIG. Figure 6When the screen shown is displayed on the touch panel display of the input-output unit 104, the occupant of the vehicle 10 can know the contract user information every time an operation related to the use of the telematics service is performed. With this configuration, the occupant of the vehicle 10 can confirm whether the user who has the right to use the vehicle 10 matches the contract user every time an operation related to the use of the telematics service is performed. Note that, in the case where the predetermined time is the time when the vehicle 10 is started, the processor 101 of the on-board unit 100 displays a screen including a display area of ​​the contract user information on the touch panel display of the input-output unit 104 when the vehicle 10 is started. With this configuration, the occupant of the vehicle 10 can confirm whether the user who has the right to use the vehicle 10 matches the contract user every time the vehicle 10 is started.

[0071] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, for example, when the right to use the vehicle 10 is transferred from the first user to the second user and the first user forgets to cancel the contract for the telematics service, the second user can be informed that the first user forgot to cancel. With this configuration, the second user can take measures to cancel the contract for the telematics service of the first user. In addition, the contract user information according to the present embodiment is a part of an email address, a part of a phone number, a nickname, etc. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the second user who is presented with the contract user information from identifying the individual of the first user. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the convenience of the user who uses the telematics service from being impaired.

[0072] First Modification

[0073] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the time when the operation related to the use of the telematics service is performed on the in-vehicle unit 100, or the time when the vehicle 10 is started, is set as the predetermined time. On the other hand, in this modification, an example will be described in which the time when the operation related to the use of the telematics service is first performed on the in-vehicle unit 100, or the time when the vehicle 10 is first started, is set as the predetermined time after the right to use the vehicle 10 is estimated to have been transferred.

[0074] Functional configuration of the server device

[0075] Figure 7 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server device 200 according to the present modification. The server device 200 according to the present modification has an estimation unit F230 as its functional components in addition to the acquisition unit F210, the command unit F220, and the contract management database D210. These functional components are implemented by the processor 201 of the server device 200 because the processor 201 executes the program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 203.

[0076] The estimation unit F230 estimates whether the right to use the vehicle 10 has been transferred. In order to make such an estimation, the estimation unit F230 periodically (for example, every few weeks or every few months) acquires information about the storage place of the vehicle 10. The information about the storage place of the vehicle 10 can be acquired by causing the on-board unit 100 to periodically send information about the storage place (home location, parking lot location, etc.) registered in the car navigation system of the on-board unit 100 to the server device 200. Alternatively, the on-board unit 100 can be caused to periodically (for example, every few minutes or every few hours) send the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit 105 of the on-board unit 100 to the server device 200, and the estimation unit F230 can estimate the storage place based on the history of the current position information received by the server device 200. For example, the estimation unit F230 can estimate the location where the parking time of the vehicle 10 (the time when the current location of the vehicle 10 remains at the same place) is the longest within a certain period of time (for example, a week or a month) as the storage place of the vehicle 10.

[0077] When the information about the storage location of the vehicle 10 is acquired using the above method, the estimation unit F230 determines whether the information about the currently acquired storage location indicates the same location as the previously acquired storage location. Note that in this modification, the information about the storage location previously acquired by the estimation unit F230 is registered in the contract information table of the contract management database D210. That is, Figure 8 As shown, the contract information table according to the present modification is configured to include a storage location field in addition to the unit ID field and the contract user information field. The storage location field is a field for registering information on the storage location of the vehicle 10 on which each vehicle-mounted unit 100 is installed, and is updated each time the estimation unit F230 acquires the storage location.

[0078] Here, when the information about the currently acquired storage place indicates the same place as the previously acquired storage place, the estimation unit F230 estimates that the right to use the vehicle 10 has not been transferred. On the other hand, when the information about the currently acquired storage place indicates a place different from the previously acquired storage place, the estimation unit F230 estimates that the right to use the vehicle 10 has been transferred. The estimation result of the estimation unit F230 is transmitted from the estimation unit F230 to the acquisition unit F210 together with the unit ID of the vehicle-mounted unit 100 mounted on the vehicle 10 as the estimation target.

[0079] The acquisition unit F210 in the present modification acquires the contract user information only for the on-board unit 100 mounted on the vehicle 10 to which the right to use the vehicle 10 is estimated to have been transferred. In other words, the contract user information is not acquired for the on-board unit 100 mounted on the vehicle 10 to which the right to use the vehicle 10 is estimated not to have been transferred. With this configuration, the contract user information is transmitted from the acquisition unit F210 to the command unit F220 only for the on-board unit 100 mounted on the vehicle 10 to which the right to use the vehicle 10 is estimated to have been transferred.

[0080] The command unit F220 according to the present variant generates a presentation command only for the contract user information received from the acquisition unit F210. That is, the command unit F220 generates a presentation command only for the on-board unit 100 installed on the vehicle 10 to which the right to use the vehicle 10 is estimated to have been transferred. The presentation command according to the present variant is a command for causing the on-board unit 100 to display the contract user information only at the first predetermined time after the right to use the vehicle 10 is estimated to have been transferred. For example, the presentation command is a command for causing the on-board unit 100 to display the contract user information only at the time when an operation related to the use of the telematics service is first performed on the on-board unit 100, or at the time when the vehicle is first started 10, after the right to use the vehicle 10 is estimated to have been transferred.

[0081] Processing Flow

[0082] Here, we will refer to Fig. 9 The flow of processing executed in server device 200 according to the present modification example is described. Fig. 9 2 is a flowchart showing a processing routine that is periodically (for example, every few weeks or every few months) executed in the server device 200. Fig. 9 The same reference numerals are assigned to Figure 6 Same treatment in .

[0083] exist Fig. 9 In the process, the estimation unit F230 of the server device 200 acquires information about the storage location of the vehicle 10 on which each vehicle-mounted unit 100 is installed (step S201). Specifically, the estimation unit F230 acquires information about the storage location registered in the car navigation system of each vehicle-mounted unit 100 by communicating with each vehicle-mounted unit 100. Alternatively, the estimation unit F230 estimates the storage location of the vehicle 10 on which each vehicle-mounted unit 100 is installed based on the history of current position information periodically acquired from each vehicle-mounted unit 100.

[0084] The estimation unit F230 acquires the previously acquired storage location of each vehicle 10 (step S202). Specifically, the estimation unit F230 reads out the information in the storage location field in each contract information table registered in the contract management database D210.

[0085] The estimation unit F230 compares the storage location acquired in step S101 with the storage location acquired in step S202 for each on-board unit, so as to determine whether the storage location of the vehicle 10 on which each on-board unit 100 is installed is the same as the previous storage location (step S203). Here, when a vehicle 10 exists whose storage location acquired in step S101 is different from the storage location acquired previously (negative determination in step S203), the estimation unit F230 estimates that the right to use the vehicle 10 has been transferred (step S204). In that case, the processing in steps S101 to S103 is performed. In steps S101 to S103, the contract user information is acquired, a presentation command is generated, and the presentation command is sent only to the on-board unit 100 installed on the vehicle 10 to which the right to use the vehicle 10 is estimated to have been transferred. In addition, for the generation of the presentation command, a command for causing the on-board unit 100 to display the contract user information is generated only at the first predetermined time after the right to use the vehicle 10 is estimated to have been transferred. On the other hand, when the vehicle 10 whose storage location acquired in step S101 is different from the previously acquired storage location does not exist (affirmative determination in step S203), the estimation unit F230 estimates that the right to use any vehicle 10 under the control of the server device 200 has not been transferred (step S205). In that case, the execution of the processing routine is completed without executing the processing in steps S101 to S103.

[0086] According to the present modification, information about the contract user is presented to the occupant at the first predetermined time only when the right to use the vehicle 10 is estimated to have been transferred. With this configuration, the occupant of the vehicle 10 can be made aware of the contract user information while suppressing the occupant from becoming annoyed.

[0087] other

[0088] The embodiments and variations described above are merely examples, and the present disclosure may be appropriately modified for implementation without departing from its scope. Moreover, as long as no technical conflict occurs, the processing and configuration described in the present disclosure can be appropriately combined for implementation. In addition, the processing described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. For example, a portion of the processing performed by the server device 200 may be performed by the vehicle-mounted unit 100. That is, the processor 101 (control unit) of the vehicle-mounted unit 100 may obtain contract user information from the server device 200, and cause the input-output unit 104 to display the acquired contract user information at a predetermined time. At this time, the contract user information may be acquired as triggered by the start of the vehicle 10, or may be acquired when the vehicle 10 is not started (when the ignition or power switch is turned off). Alternatively, the processing described as being performed by different devices may be performed by one device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration for implementing each function can be flexibly changed.

[0089] The present disclosure can also be implemented by providing a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments and variants and enabling one or more processors of the computer to read and execute the program. Such a computer program can be provided to the computer through a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the system bus of the computer, or can be provided to the computer via a network. A non-temporary computer-readable storage medium is a recording medium that can store information such as data and programs through electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical or chemical effects, and can be read from a computer, etc. For example, such a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium is a disk of any type, such as a disk (floppy disk (registered trademark), hard disk drive (HDD), etc.) and an optical disk (read-only storage disk (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray disk, etc.). In addition, a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium can be a medium such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card or a solid-state drive (SSD).

Claims

1. An information processing device, comprising: A control unit that performs: acquiring information about a contract user who has a contract capable of using a telematics service through an on-board unit installed in a vehicle; periodically estimating a storage location of the vehicle based on the location information of the vehicle acquired by the onboard unit; determining whether the estimated storage location of the vehicle has changed from a previously estimated storage location; When the estimated storage location of the vehicle is determined to be changed from the previously estimated storage location, it is estimated that the right to use the vehicle has been transferred; as well as sending a command to the onboard unit for presenting the information about the contract user to an occupant of the vehicle at a predetermined time, wherein The predetermined time is a time when an operation related to use of the telematics service is first performed on the on-board unit after the right to use the vehicle is estimated to have been transferred.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The information about the contract user is a portion of the contract user's email address.

3. An information processing method executed by a computer, the information processing method comprising: a step of acquiring information about a contract user having a contract capable of using a telematics service through an on-board unit installed in a vehicle; The step of periodically estimating the storage location of the vehicle based on the location information of the vehicle acquired by the onboard unit; the step of determining whether the estimated storage location of the vehicle has changed from a previously estimated storage location; a step of estimating that the right to use the vehicle has been transferred when the estimated storage place of the vehicle is determined to be changed from the previously estimated storage place; as well as a step of sending to the onboard unit a command for presenting the information about the contract user to an occupant of the vehicle at a predetermined time, wherein The predetermined time is a time when an operation related to use of the telematics service is first performed on the on-board unit after the right to use the vehicle is estimated to have been transferred.

4. The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein: The information about the contract user is a portion of the contract user's email address.

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