Information providing apparatus, information providing system, and information providing method

Abstract

The invention relates to an information providing device, an information providing system and an information providing method, which can reduce anxiety felt by a purchaser waiting for vehicle handover. The information providing apparatus includes a storage unit and a control unit. The storage unit associates and stores information of a vehicle stored in a vehicle store before handover to a purchaser with identification information allocated to the vehicle. Upon receiving an information request including the identification information from the purchaser terminal, the control unit generates or acquires schedule information including one or more steps scheduled before handover of the vehicle to which the identification information has been allocated to the purchaser, generates display information for display to the purchaser, and transmits the information to the purchaser terminal. The information for display includes information about the progress of one or more steps and information indicating the one or more steps.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information providing device, an information providing system, and an information providing method. Background Art

[0002] A system has been proposed that provides a user with the progress of a vehicle up to the time of delivery (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The system of Patent Document 1 obtains information related to the progress of a specific vehicle corresponding to the identification information from information related to the progress of a plurality of vehicles before delivery stored in a progress management DB, and provides the obtained information to a user terminal that has sent the identification information.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-297954

[0004] The prior art provides information on the progress of a plurality of stages up to the delivery of a purchased vehicle to a purchaser. The plurality of stages include captured images and position information of the vehicle during assembly and transportation. However, in this system, after the vehicle arrives at the dealership for handover to the purchaser, the progress of the processes up to the handover to the purchaser cannot be provided to the purchaser. Therefore, even though the purchased vehicle has arrived at the dealership, the purchaser sometimes feels dissatisfied and / or anxious about the time taken until the handover. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present disclosure, which has been made in view of the above circumstances, is to reduce the anxiety felt by purchasers waiting for vehicle handover.

[0006] An information providing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized by including: a storage unit that stores information on a vehicle before handover to a purchaser held by an automobile dealership in association with identification information assigned to the vehicle; and a control unit that, when an information request including the identification information is received from a purchaser terminal, generates or obtains schedule information of one or more processes scheduled before the handover of the vehicle assigned with the identification information to the purchaser, generates display information for display to the purchaser, and transmits the display information to the purchaser terminal, the display information including information on the progress of the one or more processes and information explaining the one or more processes.

[0007] An information providing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized by including: an information providing device including a storage unit and a control unit, where the storage unit stores information of a vehicle before being handed over to a purchaser and held by an automobile dealership in association with identification information assigned to the vehicle, and when the control unit receives an information request including the identification information from a purchaser terminal, it generates or acquires schedule information of one or more processes scheduled before the handover of the vehicle assigned with the identification information to the purchaser, generates display information for displaying to the purchaser, and sends it to the purchaser terminal, and the display information includes information on the progress status of the one or more processes and information explaining the one or more processes; a vehicle identification device configured at a work site where the above-mentioned process is performed and capable of identifying the vehicle; and a camera configured at the work site and photographing the vehicle when the above-mentioned process is being performed, and when the vehicle identification device identifies the vehicle, the control unit stores the image obtained from the camera in the storage unit in association with the identification information of the vehicle.

[0008] An information providing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a method executed by the control unit of an information providing device, and is characterized by including: storing information of a vehicle before being handed over to a purchaser and held by an automobile dealership in association with identification information assigned to the vehicle in a storage unit; when receiving an information request including the identification information from a purchaser terminal, generating or acquiring schedule information of one or more processes scheduled before the handover of the vehicle assigned with the identification information to the purchaser; and generating display information for displaying to the purchaser and sending it to the purchaser terminal, where the display information includes information on the progress status of the one or more processes and information explaining the one or more processes.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the anxiety felt by purchasers waiting for vehicle handover. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information providing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 is showing Figure 1 a schematic configuration of the information providing device.

[0012] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of vehicles and devices in an automobile dealership.

[0013] Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the identification of a vehicle performed by the vehicle identification device.

[0014] Figure 5 is a diagram showing Figure 1 a schematic configuration of the dealership terminal and the purchaser terminal.

[0015] Figure 6 is a diagram explaining the schedule information of the vehicle before handover.

[0016] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the transition between the images displayed on the purchaser terminal.

[0017] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the progress image displayed on the purchaser terminal.

[0018] Figure 9 is a flowchart of the process in which the information providing device provides display information to the purchaser terminal.

[0019] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the process executed by the information providing device when performing operations on the vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings used in the following description are schematic drawings. The dimensions, ratios, etc. in the drawings do not necessarily match the actual situation.

[0021] (Overall Configuration)

[0022] The information providing system 1 of the present disclosure is a system for providing progress information before vehicle handover to the purchaser of the vehicle at the automobile dealership 20. As an example, as Figure 1 shown, the information providing system 1 includes an information providing device 10, a dealership terminal 21 disposed at the automobile dealership 20, a camera 22 and a vehicle identification device 23, and a purchaser terminal 30. In Figure 1 , each of the components is described as one, but there may be multiple components respectively. In addition, there may be multiple automobile dealerships 20.

[0023] Each component may be configured to be able to communicate with each other via the network 40. The network 40 is, for example, a wide area communication network including the Internet. The dealership terminal 21, the camera 22, and the vehicle identification device 23 within the automobile dealership 20 can be connected to the network 40 via a LAN (Local Area Network) laid within the automobile dealership 20.

[0024] (Configuration of the Information Providing Device)

[0025] The information providing device 10 is, for example, a computer such as a server PC (Personal Computer). The information providing device 10 stores and manages the processes that should be executed until the handover of the vehicle before the handover. The information providing device 10 generates information to be displayed on the dealership terminal 21 and the purchaser terminal 30 according to information requests from the dealership terminal 21 and the purchaser terminal 30. The information providing device 10 may be configured in a cloud system or on the website of an automobile manufacturer related to the automobile dealership 20. The information providing device 10 may be configured such that the functions are shared by a central server configured at one place and local servers configured at each dealership. Additionally, the information providing device 10 may be respectively configured within each automobile dealership 20. When there are multiple information providing devices 10 in the information providing system 1, each information providing device 10 may be able to view and operate on information with each other.

[0026] As Figure 2 shown, the information providing device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13. The information providing device 10 may further include an input unit for inputting information from the outside and an output unit for outputting information to the outside.

[0027] The communication unit 11 includes at least one external communication interface connected to the network 40. The external communication interface may be an interface for either wired communication or wireless communication. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus). In the case of wireless communication, the external communication interface is, for example, an interface corresponding to mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th generation), or 5G (5th generation). The communication unit 11 receives the data used in the operation of the information providing device 10 and, in addition, sends the data obtained through the operation of the information providing device 10 to the outside (for example, the dealership terminal 21, the purchaser terminal 30).

[0028] The storage unit 12 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of them. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM (random access memory) or ROM (read-only memory). The RAM is, for example, SRAM (static random access memory) or DRAM (dynamic random access memory). The ROM is, for example, EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory). The storage unit 12 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. Programs, data used in the operation of the information providing device 10, and data obtained through the operation of the information providing device 10 are stored in the storage unit 12. The information stored in the storage unit 12 can be updated, for example, by information obtained via the communication unit 11 from the network 40. The storage unit 12 can store the information of the vehicle before being handed over to the purchaser, which is kept by the automobile dealership 20, in association with the identification information assigned to the vehicle.

[0029] The control unit 13 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of them. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (central processing unit) or a GPU (graphics processing unit), or a dedicated processor customized for specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). The control unit 13 controls each part of the information providing device 10 to perform processing related to the operation of the information providing device 10.

[0030] The control unit 13 further includes functional modules such as a schedule management unit 14, a process record unit 15, a push notification unit 16, and a display information generation unit 17. Each functional module can be either a hardware module or a software module. The processing executed by each functional module can also be referred to as the processing executed by the control unit 13.

[0031] The schedule management unit 14 manages the execution schedule and progress of the processes that should be executed for each vehicle before being handed over to the purchaser. The processes managed by the schedule management unit 14 include the registration of the vehicle with a public institution, the installation of each optional component, inspection and maintenance, etc.

[0032] The process recording unit 15 acquires and manages recording information that records the execution of processes when each process before vehicle handover is executed. The recording information is, for example, moving images and still images captured when a process is executed.

[0033] When a purchaser desires, when a process is executed for a vehicle, the push notification unit 16 sends a notification to the purchaser terminal 30 owned by the purchaser. The push notification unit 16 can cooperate with the vehicle identification device 23 to automatically determine that a process has been executed. The push notification unit 16 can, according to the purchaser's desire, send images of the process being executed to the purchaser terminal 30 in real time.

[0034] When an information request including the identification information of the vehicle is received from the purchaser terminal 30, the display information generation unit 17 generates display information for the purchaser of the vehicle assigned the identification information and sends it to the purchaser terminal 30. The display information includes one or more processes scheduled before handover and their progress information. Thereby, the purchaser can confirm the processes and their progress until handover on the purchaser terminal 30.

[0035] Hereinafter, the processing executed by each functional module of the schedule management unit 14, the process recording unit 15, the push notification unit 16, and the display information generation unit 17 will be described as the processing executed by the control unit 13.

[0036] (Automobile dealership)

[0037] In the present application, the automobile dealership 20 provides information about new vehicles to purchasers, conducts negotiations, signs sales contracts, places orders with automobile manufacturers, receives completed vehicles, and hands them over to purchasers. In a typical case, as Figure 3 shown, the automobile dealership 20 has a store building 25, a parking lot 26, and a work area 27 on a lot facing the road. The store building 25 is a place where the automobile dealership 20 conducts negotiations with visitors and also serves as the office space of the automobile dealership 20. The parking lot 26 is a space for parking vehicles 50 including vehicles of visitors and vehicles before handover to purchasers. The work area 27 is a place where processes such as installation, inspection, and maintenance of optional components are executed for the vehicle 50 before handover. The work area 27 is also referred to as a "repair shop".

[0038] Sales store terminals 21 are arranged in the store building 25 and the work area 27. The sales store terminal 21 can be a PC, a tablet terminal, etc. In addition, one or more cameras 22 and vehicle identification devices 23 can be arranged in the work area 27. The camera 22 is arranged at an appropriate position within the work area 27 so as to be able to photograph the vehicle 50 receiving the execution of a process in the work area 27.

[0039] The vehicle identification device 23 is a device that identifies the vehicle 50. As Figure 4 shown, the vehicle identification device 23 can read the identification information from the identification information carrier 24 installed on the vehicle 50. For example, the identification information carrier 24 is designed as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, and the vehicle identification device 23 can use an RFID reader. Additionally, for example, the identification information carrier 24 is designed as a two-dimensional code, and the vehicle identification device 23 can use a camera. The vehicle 50 before handover is installed with the identification information carrier 24, and when it enters the work site 27, it can be automatically determined that it has entered the work site 27.

[0040] (Configuration of the dealership terminal / purchaser terminal)

[0041] The dealership terminal 21 and the purchaser terminal 30 are computers such as a PC, a smart phone, or a tablet terminal. As the dealership terminal 21 and the purchaser terminal 30, general-purpose devices can be used. As Figure 5 shown, the dealership terminal 21 and the purchaser terminal 30 can each include a communication unit 211, 31, a storage unit 212, 32, a control unit 213, 33, an input unit 214, 34, an output unit 215, 35, and a camera 216, 36.

[0042] Similar to the communication unit 11 of the information providing device 10, the communication units 211, 31 include at least one external communication interface connected to the network 40.

[0043] Similar to the storage unit 12 of the information providing device 10, the storage units 212, 32 include at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of them. The storage units 212, 32 can store applications that obtain information from the information providing device 10 and are used for display. The dealership terminal 21 and the purchaser terminal 30 can install the same application or different applications. For the applications of the purchaser terminal 30, the operations that the applications of the dealership terminal 21 can perform and a part of the information that can be displayed can be restricted.

[0044] Similar to the control unit 13 of the information providing device 10, the control units 213, 33 include at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of them. The control units 213, 33 can start the applications stored in the storage units 212, 32 to make the purchaser terminal 30 and the dealership terminal 21 act as terminals of the information providing system 1.

[0045] The input units 214 and 34 accept inputs to the dealership terminal 21 or the purchaser terminal 30. The input units 214 and 34 may include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and a microphone that accepts voice-based inputs.

[0046] The output units 215 and 35 output the information processed by the dealership terminal 21 and the purchaser terminal 30 to the user. The output units 215 and 35 include the display units 217 and 37. The output units 215 and 35 may further include a speaker.

[0047] The display units 217 and 37 are devices that display images obtained by displaying the results processed by the control units 213 and 33. The display units 217 and 37 may be selected from various displays such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, an inorganic EL display, and a plasma display panel (PDP), for example. The display units 217 and 37 are capable of displaying the progress information provided by the information providing device 10 and associated still images and moving images.

[0048] The cameras 216 and 36 capture images including still images and moving images. The cameras 216 and 36 are not essential components of the dealership terminal 21 and the purchaser terminal 30. However, by including the camera 216, the dealership terminal 21 can be used to capture an image of the vehicle 50 after an operator at the car dealership has performed an operation. For example, when a license plate number is newly installed on the vehicle 50, the operator can use the camera 216 to take a photo of it.

[0049] (Schedule information)

[0050] The control unit 13 of the information providing device 10 can obtain or generate schedule information 60 for the vehicle 50 before it is handed over to the purchaser identified by the identification information. For example, as Figure 6 shown, the schedule information 60 includes the names of the processes performed at the car dealership 20 before the vehicle is handed over to the purchaser. In Figure 6 the example, "new car registration procedures", "license plate number installation", "dash cam installation", and "fog lamp order" correspond to the process names.

[0051] When generating the schedule information 60, the control unit 13 extracts the processes that are required as standard before vehicle handover, such as vehicle registration procedures and license plate number installation. Also, the schedule management unit 14 extracts from the vehicle order information 61 stored inside the information providing device 10 or other devices the processes required before the delivery of the vehicle 50. The vehicle order information 61 includes information on optional components that should be installed on the vehicle 50 and services that should be added according to the contract with the purchaser.

[0052] The schedule information 60 may also include information on the scheduled operation date and time for each process, the operation completion date and time related to the completed operation, the responsible operator, and the required items. The required items include, for example, information on whether the optional components can be purchased in the case of installing optional parts. The control unit 13 may determine the scheduled operation date and time in a manner that enables reliable allocation of operators and ensuring of required items. Therefore, the control unit 13 is configured to be able to view and operate the operation schedule information 62 that manages the scheduled operations of operators and the item procurement information 63 that manages the procurement status of items, which are stored inside the information providing device 10 or other devices.

[0053] In addition, the schedule information 60 may store link information to the function description information 64 associated with each process. The function description information may be stored in the storage unit 12 of the information providing device 10. The function description information 64 includes, for example, function description images provided as animations. For example, for the process name "dash cam installation", a dynamic image summarizing the functions and convenience of the dash cam may be associated. The link information may be, for example, a pointer to a file in the storage unit 12 storing the function description information. The control unit 13 is configured to, when receiving an information request for the function description of each process from the purchaser terminal 30, send the function description information, which is a function description image, to the purchaser terminal 30.

[0054] Also, the schedule information 60 may store link information to the recorded information 65 such as recorded images captured by the camera 22 when each process is executed. The control unit 13 acquires and manages the recorded information 65. The link information may be, for example, a pointer to an animation file in the storage unit 12 storing the recorded information 65. The control unit 13 is configured to, when receiving an information request for the recorded information such as recorded images for a completed process from the purchaser terminal 30, send the recorded information 65 to the purchaser terminal 30. For example, when the purchaser requests the recorded information 65 of "dash cam installation" from the purchaser terminal 30, the control unit 13 can send the dynamic image captured when "dash cam installation" was performed on the purchaser's vehicle 50 to the purchaser terminal 30.

[0055] When the control unit 13 of the information providing device 10 receives a request from the purchaser terminal 30 to display the progress information of the process of the vehicle 50 purchased by the purchaser, it generates display information based on a part of the information included in the schedule information 60 and sends it to the purchaser terminal 30. For example, the control unit 13 can, according to the designation from the dealership terminal 21, make the processes managed by a part of the automobile dealerships 20 into non-viewable processes that are not included in the display information sent to the purchaser terminal 30. For example, the processes managed by the automobile dealership 20 may include the process of waiting for parts to arrive and the process of the waiting allocation status of working hours. These processes can be made into non-viewable processes and not displayed to the purchaser.

[0056] In Figure 6 it, for example, when there is no fog lamp that the purchaser has signed as an option at the automobile dealership 20, the process of "fog lamp order" can be included as a process executed at the automobile dealership 20. However, there are cases where the automobile dealership 20 does not want to notify the purchaser of the state of waiting for the delivery of the ordered fog lamp. In view of this, the processes related to the ordering of items or the allocation of personnel, etc. in such an automobile dealership 20 can be non-viewable processes.

[0057] On the other hand, the control unit 13 can make the information of the non-viewable processes viewable from the dealership terminal 21 provided at the automobile dealership 20. The information of these non-viewable processes can enable information sharing between different automobile dealerships 20. In this way, working hours and / or insufficient items can be accommodated between multiple automobile dealerships 20. Thereby, the execution of the processes can be promoted, and the time taken for the vehicle handover to the purchaser can be shortened.

[0058] (Display example of purchaser terminal)

[0059] Refer to Figure 7 to describe the content displayed on the purchaser terminal 30 when using the information providing system 1. Among them, the same display can also be performed for the dealership terminal 21. First, if the purchaser of the vehicle 50 starts the application of the information providing system 1 on the purchaser terminal 30, a login screen 70 that requests the input of the purchaser ID and password is displayed on the display unit 37. If the purchaser ID and password are input, a progress image 71 that shows the processes until the handover of the vehicle 50 is displayed on the display unit 37.

[0060] For example, as Figure 8 shown, in the progress image 71, the names of each process until the handover (delivery) of the vehicle 50 are displayed within a frame (image element) indicating the direction of time series. In Figure 8In the example, seven processes are shown: "New vehicle registration procedures", "License plate number installation", "Dash cam installation", "Fog light installation", "Body painting", "Inspection / confirmation", and "Vehicle delivery". In addition, the unfinished processes to be executed in the future and the completed processes are distinguished and displayed by changing the color of the frame or the like so as to be easily understandable. In Figure 8 the example, the processes up to "Dash cam installation" are completed, and the processes after "Fog light installation" are unfinished. An image of the vehicle 50 purchased by the purchaser can be displayed above the boundary between the frame indicating the completed process and the frame indicating the unfinished process. Thereby, the purchaser can intuitively grasp what stage the handover of the vehicle 50 is at.

[0061] In addition, for each completed process, if the frame displaying the process name is pressed, as Figure 7 shown, the recorded image 73 of the moving image or still image taken during the execution of the process is displayed on the display unit 37. Thereby, the purchaser can confirm through the image that the process for the handover is progressing. In addition, thereby, the purchaser's expectation for the vehicle handover can be increased.

[0062] Under each process, the date or date and time when the execution of the process is scheduled is displayed for the unfinished process, and the date or date and time when the process is completed is displayed for the completed process. Further below each process, the type of the person in charge of the process can be displayed. The type of the person in charge is distinguished, for example, as a salesperson or a technician.

[0063] And, below the frame representing each process, a button for starting the function explanation of the process can be arranged. By pressing this button, as Figure 7 shown, the function explanation image 72 in the form of a moving image or a still image related to each process is displayed. By displaying the function explanation image 72, the information providing system 1 can give the purchaser a sense of approval for the generation of the waiting time spent on the execution of the process.

[0064] And, Figure 8 the progress image 71 can be provided with a push notification button, which is a button for selecting whether to actively notify the purchaser of the execution of the process from the information providing system 1. When the purchaser turns on the push notification button, if the execution of the process for the purchaser's vehicle 50 starts at the automobile sales store 20, as Figure 7 shown, the process start notification 74 notifying the start of the execution of the process can be displayed. The process start notification 74 can be displayed on the purchaser terminal 30 by means of a pop-up window or the like. In addition, the process start notification 74 can be set to be displayed even when the purchaser does not open the progress image 71.

[0065] For the start of the execution of the process, the information providing device 10 can automatically determine by receiving the information when the vehicle 50 purchased by the purchaser is detected by the vehicle identification device 23 and entering the work site 27 and comparing it with the schedule information. Additionally, the start of the execution of the process can also be input by the operator of the sales store terminal 21 at the automobile sales store 20.

[0066] The process start notification 74 includes a message such as "The installation of the fog lamp starts. Do you want to view the animation?" And the process start notification 74 can display buttons for selecting "Yes" or "No". If the purchaser selects to view the animation, the real-time image 75 taken by the camera 22 at the work site 27 is sent to the purchaser terminal 30 and displayed on the display unit 37.

[0067] In addition, Figure 8 the progress image 71 can display buttons indicating whether the purchaser wishes to attend the inspection / confirmation process carried out before the handover of the vehicle. In the case where the purchaser wishes to attend the inspection / confirmation process, when the execution date and time of the inspection / confirmation process are determined, a notice guiding the attendance can be sent from the information providing device 10 to the purchaser terminal 30.

[0068] (Information display process for the purchaser terminal)

[0069] Next, with reference to Figure 9 the process of providing information for display on the purchaser terminal 30 by the control unit 13 of the information providing device 10 will be described.

[0070] First, the control unit 13 stores the information of multiple vehicles 50 in association with the identification information of each vehicle 50 (S101). The information of multiple vehicles 50 includes vehicle order information 61. The vehicle order information 61 includes information on the optional equipment of the vehicle 50. The identification information of the vehicle 50 corresponds to the purchaser of the vehicle 50 respectively.

[0071] The control unit 13 generates or obtains schedule information until the handover of the vehicle 50 (S102). The schedule information can be generated within the information providing device 10 or obtained from schedule information generated by other devices. Before the handover of the vehicle 50, the schedule information is managed by the control unit 13. The generation and acquisition of the schedule information in S102 can be executed when an information request is received from the purchaser terminal in S103.

[0072] If the control unit 13 receives an information request (S103) including the identification information of the purchaser's vehicle 50 from the purchaser terminal 30, it acquires the schedule information generated in S102, generates display information for display on the display unit 37 of the purchaser terminal 30, and sends it to the purchaser terminal 30 (S104). However, when the schedule information includes non-viewable processes, the control unit 13 does not send the information of the non-viewable processes to the purchaser terminal 30. The control unit 13, for example, sends information for displaying Figure 8 the progress image 71 illustrated to the purchaser terminal 30. Thereby, the purchaser terminal 30 becomes a state of displaying the progress image 71.

[0073] In the state where the progress image 71 is displayed (S105: No), if the purchaser operates the display function description image 72 or the recording image 73 from the progress image 71, the purchaser terminal 30 sends a transmission request for the display function description image 72 or the recording image 73 to the information providing device 10. If the control unit 13 receives a transmission request for the display function description image 72 or the recording image 73 (S106: Yes), it sends the display function description image 72 or the recording image 73 stored in the storage unit 12 to the purchaser terminal 30 (S107). These images can be displayed in a streaming manner on the display unit 37 of the purchaser terminal 30.

[0074] When no transmission request for the display function description image 72 or the recording image 73 is received (S106: No), the control unit 13 continues to display the progress image 71. The control unit 13 can update the image displayed on the purchaser terminal 30 when the execution state of the process changes or update it regularly. When the transmission (S107) of the image requested by the purchaser terminal 30 ends, the control unit 13 generates / sends display information for displaying the progress image 71 (S104), and causes the purchaser terminal 30 to display the progress image 71 again.

[0075] When, during the display of the progress image 71 on the purchaser terminal 30, if the purchaser presses an end button indicating end or the like on the progress image 71 to indicate the end of display, the end display instruction is sent to the information providing device 10. If the control unit 13 receives the end display instruction (S105: Yes), it ends the display for the purchaser terminal 30 (S108). In addition, the control unit 33 of the purchaser terminal 30 ends the processing of the application.

[0076] (Processing when the process is executed)

[0077] The control unit 13 of the information providing device 10 manages the execution state of the processes before the handover of the vehicle 50. Figure 10It is a flowchart for explaining the processing executed by the control unit 13 when performing a process on the vehicle 50. The process to be executed is a process such as the installation of optional parts implemented at the work site 27.

[0078] First, when the vehicle 50 enters the work site 27, the vehicle identification device 23 identifies the vehicle 50 and notifies the information providing device 10. Thereby, the control unit 13 identifies the vehicle 50 for which the process is to be implemented (S201).

[0079] Next, the control unit 13 confirms the schedule information of the vehicle 50 and determines the process to be executed (S202).

[0080] If the control unit 13 has determined the process to be executed, it displays a confirmation screen on the dealership terminal 21 (S103). The confirmation screen includes the name of the process to be executed in the future. In addition, the confirmation screen does not allow the selection of whether to notify the purchaser of the execution of the process. In this way, it is possible to prevent processes that do not need to be seen by the purchaser from being displayed to users at the automobile dealership 20. In the following description, it is assumed that the execution of the process is notified to the purchaser. S203 is not essential, and the control unit 13 may also always send a notification to the purchaser when executing the process.

[0081] Among them, the above S201 and S202 are premised on the information providing device 10 automatically determining that the process is to be executed. However, the information on the execution of the process may also be input by an operator at the automobile dealership 20 operating the same or a different dealership terminal 21 as the one used in step S103.

[0082] The control unit 13 notifies the purchaser terminal 30 that the execution of the process has started (S204). When the purchaser terminal 30 receives the notification from the control unit 13, it displays a process start notification 74 and prompts the purchaser to select whether to display the execution status of the process in real time.

[0083] If the control unit 13 receives the selection result for real-time display from the purchaser terminal 30 (S205: Yes), it starts the real-time transmission of the image captured by the camera 22 (S206). Thereby, a real-time image 75 is displayed on the display unit 37 of the purchaser terminal 30. In this way, it is possible to provide the latest information of the vehicle 50 as an image such as a moving image to the purchaser who is looking forward to the delivery of the vehicle 50.

[0084] In addition, whether the control unit 13 receives the selection result for real-time display from the purchaser terminal 30 (S205: Yes) or does not receive it (S205: No), it stores the image of the process captured by the camera 22 as a recorded image 73 in the storage unit 12 (S207). In this way, the purchaser can view the recorded image 73 from the purchaser terminal 30 after the completion of the process.

[0085] If the process ends, the control unit 13 updates the schedule information 60. Specifically, the control unit 13 registers the operation completion date and time of the completed process and the link to the recorded image 73.

[0086] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the information providing apparatus 10 has the progress information of the process including the recorded image 73 and the information explaining the process including the function explanation image 72 as the information to be displayed to the purchaser. Thereby, the information providing system 1 can give the purchaser a sense of approval for the waiting time spent before the delivery of the vehicle 50, and can reduce the anxiety felt by the purchaser waiting for the delivery of the vehicle 50.

[0087] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and many modifications or changes can be made. For example, the functions included in each mechanism, each step, etc. can be reconfigured in a logically consistent manner, and a plurality of mechanisms or steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided. The embodiment related to the present disclosure can also be implemented as a method or a program executed by a processor included in the information providing apparatus 10. It should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure also includes these. The program can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Examples of the non-transitory computer-readable medium include a hard disk, RAM, ROM, flash memory, CD-ROM, optical storage device, magnetic storage device, etc., but are not limited to them.

[0088] A part of the embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated below. However, it should be noted that the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to them.

[0089] [Supplementary Note 1]

[0090] An information providing apparatus, comprising:

[0091] a storage unit that stores the information of the vehicle before delivery to the purchaser held by the automobile dealership in association with the identification information assigned to the vehicle; and

[0092] a control unit that, when receiving an information request including the identification information from the purchaser terminal, generates or obtains schedule information including one or more processes scheduled before the delivery of the vehicle assigned with the identification information to the purchaser, generates display information for display to the purchaser, and transmits it to the purchaser terminal,

[0093] the display information includes information on the progress status of the one or more processes and information explaining the one or more processes.

[0094] [Supplementary Note 2]

[0095] An information providing device according to Note 1, wherein

[0096] when the process included in the above one or more processes is executed, the control unit acquires record information recording the execution of the process, associates it with the process, and stores it in the storage unit, and when an information request for the record information is received from the purchaser terminal, sends the record information to the purchaser terminal.

[0097] [Note 3]

[0098] An information providing device according to Note 2, wherein

[0099] the above record information includes at least one of a moving image and a still image taken when the above process is executed.

[0100] [Note 4]

[0101] An information providing device according to Note 3, wherein

[0102] at least one of the above moving image and the above still image includes an image of a vehicle associated with the above identification information.

[0103] [Note 5]

[0104] An information providing device according to Note 4, wherein

[0105] the control unit is configured to be able to acquire identification information of a vehicle from a vehicle identification device disposed at a work site where the above process is executed, and is configured to be able to acquire an image from a camera disposed at the above work site, and cause the storage unit to store the image acquired from the camera as at least one of the above moving image and the above still image of the vehicle identified according to the above identification information.

[0106] [Note 6]

[0107] An information providing device according to any one of Notes 1 to 5, wherein

[0108] the control unit sets a part of the processes included in the above one or more processes as non-viewable processes that are not included in the above display information sent to the purchaser terminal.

[0109] [Note 7]

[0110] An information providing device according to Note 6, wherein

[0111] the above non-viewable processes not included in the above display information include at least one of a process of waiting for the arrival of parts and a process of waiting for the allocation status of man-hours.

[0112] [Appendix 8]

[0113] An information providing device according to the information described in Appendix 6 or 7, wherein,

[0114] The control unit enables the information of the non-viewable process to be viewed from a sales store terminal provided in the automobile sales store, and the information of the non-viewable process is configured to be shared among different automobile sales stores.

[0115] [Appendix 9]

[0116] An information providing device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 8, wherein,

[0117] The storage unit includes information on the functional descriptions related to each of the one or more processes, and when the control unit receives a request for the information on the functional descriptions of the one or more processes from the purchaser terminal, the control unit sends the information on the functional descriptions to the purchaser terminal.

[0118] [Appendix 10]

[0119] An information providing system, comprising:

[0120] An information providing device, comprising a storage unit and a control unit, wherein the storage unit stores the information of the vehicle before being handed over to the purchaser and held by the automobile sales store in association with the identification information assigned to the vehicle, and when the control unit receives an information request including the identification information from the purchaser terminal, the control unit generates or obtains schedule information of one or more processes scheduled before the handover of the vehicle assigned with the identification information to the purchaser, generates display information for displaying to the purchaser, and sends it to the purchaser terminal, and the display information includes information on the progress status of the one or more processes and information for explaining the one or more processes;

[0121] A vehicle identification device, which is disposed in a work place where the above process is performed and can identify the vehicle; and

[0122] A camera, which is disposed in the work place and photographs the vehicle when the above process is performed,

[0123] When the vehicle identification device identifies the vehicle, the control unit stores the image obtained from the camera in the storage unit in association with the identification information of the vehicle.

[0124] [Appendix 11]

[0125] An information providing system according to the information described in Appendix 10, wherein,

[0126] The above vehicle recognition device is an RFID reader that reads the RFID installed on the vehicle, or a camera that reads the two-dimensional code installed on the vehicle.

[0127] [Appendix 12]

[0128] According to the information providing system described in Appendix 10 or 11, wherein

[0129] When the above vehicle is recognized, the above control unit determines which of the above one or more processes to execute based on the schedule information of the recognized vehicle.

[0130] [Appendix 13]

[0131] According to the information providing system described in any one of Appendices 10 to 12, wherein

[0132] The above control unit is configured to be able to send a notification to the purchaser terminal of the recognized vehicle when the above vehicle is recognized.

[0133] [Appendix 14]

[0134] According to the information providing system described in Appendix 13, wherein

[0135] Before sending the above notification, the above control unit sends a signal to the sales store terminal provided in the above automobile sales store to display a selection screen for indicating whether the notification can be sent.

[0136] [Appendix 15]

[0137] According to the information providing system described in any one of Appendices 10 to 14, wherein

[0138] The above control unit is configured to be able to send the image obtained from the above camera to the purchaser terminal in real time.

[0139] [Appendix 16]

[0140] According to the information providing system described in any one of Appendices 10 to 15, wherein

[0141] The above control unit regards a part of the processes included in the above one or more processes as non-viewable processes that are not included in the above display information sent to the purchaser terminal.

[0142] [Appendix 17]

[0143] According to the information providing system described in Appendix 16, wherein

[0144] The above non-viewable processes not included in the above display information include at least one of the process of waiting for the arrival of parts and the process of waiting for the allocation status of working hours.

[0145] [Appendix Note 18]

[0146] An information providing system according to the information described in Appendix Note 16 or 17, wherein

[0147] the above control unit enables the information of the above non-viewable process to be viewed from a sales store terminal provided in the above automobile sales store, and the information of the non-viewable process is configured to be shared among different automobile sales stores.

[0148] [Appendix Note 19]

[0149] An information providing system according to the information described in any one of Appendix Notes 10 to 18, wherein

[0150] the above storage unit includes information on the functional descriptions related to each of the above one or more processes, and when the above control unit receives a request for information on the functional descriptions of the above one or more processes from the above purchaser terminal, it sends the information on the functional descriptions to the above purchaser terminal.

[0151] [Appendix Note 20]

[0152] An information providing method, which is executed by the control unit of an information providing device, and includes:

[0153] associating the information of the vehicle before being handed over to the purchaser and stored in the automobile sales store with the identification information assigned to the above vehicle, and storing it in the storage unit;

[0154] when receiving an information request including the above identification information from the purchaser terminal, generating or obtaining schedule information of one or more processes scheduled before the handover of the above vehicle assigned with the above identification information to the above purchaser; and

[0155] generating display information for displaying to the above purchaser and sending it to the above purchaser terminal,

[0156] the above display information includes information on the progress status of the above one or more processes and information for explaining the above one or more processes.

[0157] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0158] 1… Information providing system; 10… Information providing device; 11… Communication unit; 12… Storage unit; 13… Control unit; 14… Schedule management unit; 15… Process record unit; 16… Push notification unit; 17… Display information generation unit; 20… Automobile dealership; 21… Dealership terminal; 211… Communication unit; 212… Storage unit; 213… Control unit; 214… Input unit; 215… Output unit; 216… Camera; 217… Display unit; 22… Camera; 23… Vehicle identification device; 24… Identification information carrier; 25… Store building; 26… Parking lot; 27… Workplace (repair shop); 30… Purchaser terminal; 31… Communication unit; 32… Storage unit; 33… Control unit; 34… Input unit; 35… Output unit; 36… Camera; 37… Display unit; 40… Network; 50… Vehicle; 60… Schedule information; 61… Vehicle order information; 62… Operation schedule information; 63… Item procurement information; 64… Function description information; 65… Recorded information; 70… Login screen; 71… Progress image; 72… Explanation image; 73… Captured image; 74… Image switching display; 75… Live image.

Claims

1. An information providing device, wherein, Comprising: A storage unit that stores, in association with each other, information on a vehicle before being handed over to a purchaser and held by an automobile dealership and identification information assigned to the vehicle; and A control unit that, when receiving an information request including the identification information from a purchaser terminal, generates or obtains schedule information of one or more processes scheduled before the handover of the vehicle assigned with the identification information to the purchaser, generates display information for displaying to the purchaser, and transmits the display information to the purchaser terminal, wherein the display information includes information on the progress status of the one or more processes and information explaining the one or more processes.

2. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a process included in the one or more processes is executed, the control unit obtains record information recording the execution of the process, associates the record information with the process, and stores the record information in the storage unit, and when receiving an information request for the record information from the purchaser terminal, the control unit transmits the record information to the purchaser terminal.

3. The information providing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the record information includes at least one of a moving image and a still image taken when the process is executed.

4. The information providing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the moving image and the still image includes an image of a vehicle associated with the identification information.

5. The information providing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit is configured to be able to obtain identification information of a vehicle from a vehicle identification device disposed at a work site where the process is executed, and is configured to be able to obtain an image from a camera disposed at the work site, and causes the storage unit to store the image obtained from the camera as at least one of the moving image and the still image of the vehicle identified according to the identification information.

6. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit designates a part of the processes included in the one or more processes as non-viewable processes that are not included in the display information transmitted to the purchaser terminal.

7. The information providing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the non-viewable processes that are not included in the display information include at least one of a process of waiting for the arrival of parts and a process of waiting for the allocation status of man-hours.

8. The information providing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit enables the information on the non-viewable processes to be viewed from a dealership terminal provided at the automobile dealership, and the information on the non-viewable processes is configured to be shared among different automobile dealerships.

9. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit includes information on the function description related to each of the one or more processes, and when receiving an information request for the function description of the one or more processes from the purchaser terminal, the control unit transmits the function description information to the purchaser terminal.

10. An information providing system, wherein, Comprising: An information providing device includes a storage unit and a control unit. The storage unit stores, in association with the identification information assigned to the vehicle, the information of the vehicle before being handed over to the purchaser and held by an automobile dealership. When the control unit receives an information request including the identification information from a purchaser terminal, it generates or obtains schedule information of one or more processes scheduled before the handover of the vehicle assigned with the identification information to the purchaser, generates display information for displaying to the purchaser, and sends it to the purchaser terminal. The display information includes information on the progress status of the one or more processes and information explaining the one or more processes; A vehicle identification device is configured at a work site where the process is performed and is capable of identifying the vehicle; and A camera is configured at the work site and photographs the vehicle when the process is being performed, When the vehicle identification device identifies the vehicle, the control unit stores, in association with the identification information of the vehicle, the image obtained from the camera in the storage unit.

11. The information providing system according to claim 10, wherein, The vehicle identification device is an RFID reader that reads an RFID installed on the vehicle, or a camera that reads a two-dimensional code installed on the vehicle.

12. The information providing system according to claim 10, wherein, When the vehicle is identified, the control unit determines which of the one or more processes to execute based on the schedule information of the identified vehicle.

13. The information providing system according to claim 10, wherein, The control unit is configured to be able to send a notification to the purchaser terminal of the purchaser of the identified vehicle when the vehicle is identified.

14. The information providing system according to claim 13, wherein, Before sending the notification, the control unit sends a signal for displaying a selection screen for indicating whether to send to a dealership terminal provided at the automobile dealership.

15. The information providing system according to claim 10, wherein, The control unit is configured to be able to send the image obtained from the camera to the purchaser terminal in real time.

16. The information providing system according to claim 10, wherein, The control unit sets a part of the processes included in the one or more processes as non-viewable processes that are not included in the display information sent to the purchaser terminal.

17. The information providing system according to claim 16, wherein, The non-viewable processes not included in the display information include at least one of a process of waiting for the arrival of parts and a process of waiting for the allocation status of man-hours.

18. The information providing system according to claim 16, wherein, The control unit enables the information of the non-viewable processes to be viewed from a dealership terminal provided at the automobile dealership, and the information of the non-viewable processes is configured to be shared among different automobile dealerships.

19. The information providing system according to claim 10, wherein, The storage unit includes information on the function descriptions related to each of the one or more processes. When the control unit receives a request for information on the function descriptions of the one or more processes from the purchaser terminal, it sends the information on the function descriptions to the purchaser terminal.

20. An information providing method, which is executed by a control unit of an information providing device, wherein, Comprising: Associating the information of the vehicle before being handed over to the purchaser and stored in the storage unit by the automobile dealership with the identification information assigned to the vehicle; When receiving an information request including the identification information from the purchaser terminal, generating or obtaining schedule information of one or more processes scheduled before the handover of the vehicle assigned with the identification information to the purchaser; and Generating display information for display to the purchaser and sending it to the purchaser terminal, The display information includes information on the progress status of the one or more processes and information explaining the one or more processes.

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