Method for recommending a product

Abstract

An object of the present application is to improve a technology related to a product recommendation. A product recommendation method executed by an information processing apparatus, the method including the steps of: storing, in a database, customer information of a customer in a vehicle sales store, vehicle information of a first vehicle purchased by the customer in the past, vehicle information of a second vehicle purchased by the customer after the first vehicle, and negotiation information at the time of purchase of the second vehicle; training a learning model using the customer information, the vehicle information of the first vehicle, the vehicle information of the second vehicle, and the negotiation information at the time of purchase of the second vehicle as learning data; inputting the customer information of the customer and the vehicle information of the vehicle purchased by the customer in the past to the trained learning model to acquire vehicle information of a recommended vehicle recommended to the customer and negotiation information of the recommended vehicle; and notifying the customer of the vehicle information of the recommended vehicle and the negotiation information of the recommended vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for recommending products. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, there was a known technology related to product recommendation. For example, there is a known method that uses machine learning models and predicts and recommends products that customers are highly likely to purchase based on customer data (age, gender, or family composition, etc.). Summary of the Invention

[0003] When recommending relatively high-priced items such as vehicles to customers, the likelihood of a customer purchasing the recommended vehicle increases if, in addition to displaying the product details, suggestions to encourage purchase (e.g., the benefits of buying the vehicle). However, existing technology cannot provide such a suggestion.

[0004] The present invention, which was made in view of this situation, aims to improve the technology related to product recommendation.

[0005] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a method executed by an information processing device, comprising the following steps: storing customer information of a customer in a vehicle dealership, vehicle information of a first vehicle previously purchased by the customer, vehicle information of a second vehicle purchased by the customer after purchasing the first vehicle, and negotiation information at the time of purchasing the second vehicle in a database; using the information stored in the database as learning data to train a learning model; using the trained learning model, and based on the customer information and the vehicle information of the vehicles previously purchased by the customer, to obtain vehicle information of a recommended vehicle to be recommended to the customer and negotiation information of the recommended vehicle; and notifying the customer of the vehicle information of the recommended vehicle and the negotiation information of the recommended vehicle.

[0006] Invention Effects

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the technology related to product recommendation is improved. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the general structure of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 It is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an information processing device. Detailed Implementation

[0010] (Summary of this implementation method)

[0011] refer to Figure 1The following is a summary description of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. System 1 includes an information processing device 10 and a terminal device 20. The information processing device 10 and the terminal device 20 are communicatively connected via a network 30 such as the Internet or a mobile communication network.

[0012] The information processing device 10 includes one or more computers, such as a server device, capable of communicating with each other. The information processing device 10 stores learning models.

[0013] Terminal device 20 includes one or more computers such as a personal computer (PC), smartphone, or tablet. Terminal device 20 is used by sales personnel or customers of the vehicle dealership.

[0014] First, a general overview of this embodiment will be given, with detailed explanations to follow. The method described in this embodiment is executed by the information processing device 10. The method includes the following steps: storing customer information of customers at the vehicle dealership, vehicle information of a first vehicle previously purchased by the customer, vehicle information of a second vehicle purchased by the customer after the first vehicle purchase, and negotiation information at the time of purchasing the second vehicle in a database. The method includes the following steps: using the information stored in the database as learning data to train a learning model. The method includes the following steps: using the trained learning model, and based on the customer information and vehicle information of vehicles previously purchased by the customer, to obtain vehicle information of a recommended vehicle and negotiation information for that recommended vehicle. The method includes the following steps: notifying the customer of the vehicle information and negotiation information for the recommended vehicle.

[0015] The information processing apparatus 10 of this invention uses sales data stored in the sales store as learning data to train a learning model. By using this learning model, in addition to recommending vehicle information to customers, it can also generate negotiation information (recommendation schemes) and perform effective recommendations to customers.

[0016] (Structure of information processing device 10)

[0017] like Figure 1 As shown, the information processing device 10 includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, and a storage unit 13.

[0018] The control unit 11 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or combinations thereof. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor specifically designed for particular processing, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit may be, for example, a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), but is not limited to these. The dedicated circuit may be, for example, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), but is not limited to these. The control unit 11 controls the various parts of the information processing device 10 while performing processing related to the operation of the information processing device 10.

[0019] The communication unit 12 includes at least one communication interface connected to the network 30. The communication interface may correspond to mobile communication standards such as fourth generation (4G) or fifth generation (5G), or wired local area network (LAN) communication standards or wireless LAN communication standards, but is not limited to these, and may correspond to any communication standard.

[0020] Storage unit 13 includes one or more memory units. Each memory unit included in storage unit 13 can function as a main storage device, auxiliary storage device, or cache memory, for example. Storage unit 13 stores any information used for the operation of information processing device 10. For example, storage unit 13 can store system programs, application programs, and embedded software. Furthermore, storage unit 13 can store any information related to the sale of purchased vehicles. The information stored in storage unit 13 can be updated, for example, based on information obtained from network 30 via communication unit 12.

[0021] (Structure of terminal device 20)

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the terminal device 20 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, an input unit 23, and a display unit 24.

[0023] The control unit 21 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or combinations thereof. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specifically designed for particular processing, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit may be, for example, an FPGA, but is not limited to these. The dedicated circuit may be, for example, an ASIC, but is not limited to these. The control unit 21 controls the various parts of the terminal device 20 while performing processing related to the operation of the terminal device 20.

[0024] The communication unit 22 includes at least one communication interface connected to the network 30. The communication interface may correspond to mobile communication standards such as 4G or 5G, wired LAN communication standards, or wireless LAN communication standards, but is not limited to these and may correspond to any communication standard.

[0025] The input unit 23 includes one or more input interfaces. The input unit 23 accepts input information for the operation of the terminal device 20. The input interface can be, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touchscreen integrated with the display of the display unit 24, or a microphone for accepting voice input. The input unit 23 can be connected to the terminal device 20 as an external input device, replacing the device itself. As a connection method, it can use any method such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0026] Display unit 24 includes one or more display interfaces. The display interface is, for example, a display that shows information as an image. The display is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light-emitting diode (EL) display. Display unit 24 displays information obtained through the operation of terminal device 20. Display unit 24 can be connected to terminal device 20 as an external display device, replacing the device itself. As a connection method, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0027] (Operation flow of information processing device 10)

[0028] refer to Figure 2 The operation of the information processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described below. Hereinafter, communication between the information processing apparatus 10 and the terminal device 20 is carried out via the communication units 12 and 22 and the network 30.

[0029] S1: The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 stores customer information of customers in the vehicle dealership, vehicle information of the first vehicle purchased by the customer in the past, vehicle information of the second vehicle purchased by the customer after purchasing the first vehicle, and negotiation information when purchasing the second vehicle in the database.

[0030] Customer information represents information related to the customer. Examples of customer information include, for instance, the customer's age, gender, hobbies, and family composition. Vehicle information represents information related to the vehicle. Examples of vehicle information include, for instance, the vehicle model, equipment options, performance, year, purchase date, purchase price, inspection date, and mileage. Negotiation information includes information related to one or more promotional factors used to encourage a customer to purchase the vehicle. Examples of promotional factors include, for instance, the vehicle model, equipment options, performance, payment methods, insurance, and the timing of purchase. Negotiation information may also include reasons for recommending at least one of the promotional factors. For example, reasons for recommending the timing of purchase could include the next vehicle inspection date, the customer's life events (birth, starting to live alone, buying a house, moving, a child obtaining a driver's license or taking an exam, etc.), the delivery date, the scheduled shipment, and the dealership's inventory status. Negotiation information further clarifies the criteria for determining whether a customer will purchase the recommended vehicle, resulting in an increased likelihood of the customer purchasing the recommended vehicle. The database is stored in storage unit 13.

[0031] S2: The control unit 11 uses the information stored in the database as learning data to train the learning model.

[0032] For example, the control unit 11 can train the learning model in the following way: when customer information and vehicle information of the first vehicle are input into the learning model, supervised learning is performed with the case where the correct answer is to output the vehicle information of the second vehicle as vehicle information recommended to the customer and output the negotiation information when purchasing the second vehicle as negotiation information related to the vehicle.

[0033] S3: The control unit 11 uses the trained learning model and obtains the vehicle information of the recommended vehicle and the negotiation information of the recommended vehicle based on the customer's customer information and the vehicle information of the vehicle purchased by the customer in the past.

[0034] Customer information and vehicle information can be associated with a serial number and stored in the storage unit 13. The control unit 11 can receive the serial number input to the input unit 23 of the terminal device 20 and input the customer information and vehicle information associated with the serial number into the learning model.

[0035] The negotiation information for a recommended vehicle may include one or more promotional elements to encourage the customer to purchase the recommended vehicle. The negotiation information may also include reasons for recommending at least one of the promotional elements. These reasons increase the likelihood of purchasing the recommended vehicle. The reasons may be based on at least one of the customer information and the vehicle information of the first vehicle. For example, if the customer information includes the customer's age (30 years old), gender (male), and hobby (fishing), the negotiation information for the recommended vehicle may include the model (RAV4 (registered trademark)), options (coating), and reasons for recommending these promotional elements. For example, reasons for recommending the RAV4 could include that the RAV4 has sufficient space for fishing gear and a "TRAIL mode" that allows it to handle rough road conditions on the way to the fishing spot. Reasons for recommending the coating could include that the coating helps prevent dirt buildup during driving on rough road conditions on the way to the fishing spot. For example, if the vehicle information of a vehicle previously purchased by the customer includes the model (YARIS CROSS (registered trademark)), purchase date (3 years ago), and mileage (50,000 km), the negotiation information for the recommended vehicle may include the purchase timing (current). Reasons for recommending now as the time to buy include the possibility that the used car price of the Yaris Cross may drop, and considering the purchase time and driving distance, selling the Yaris Cross now would allow sufficient funds to purchase the recommended vehicle.

[0036] The negotiation information for recommended vehicles can include multiple sets of negotiation information. Furthermore, at least one of the more than one promoting factor in these multiple sets of negotiation information can be different from each other. For example, the negotiation information for recommended vehicles can include multiple sets of negotiation information for different models. By presenting multiple sets of negotiation information, the customer's options are increased. Moreover, the multiple sets of negotiation information can include reasons why some negotiation information takes precedence over others. For example, in the case where the multiple sets of negotiation information include negotiation information for the RAV4 and negotiation information for the LANDCRUISER (registered trademark), this reason could include the difference in maximum power. By comparing based on this reason, an effective recommendation can be provided to the customer, increasing the likelihood of purchasing the recommended vehicle.

[0037] S4: Control unit 11 will notify the customer of the vehicle information and negotiation information of the recommended vehicle.

[0038] The control unit 11 can send this information to the terminal device 20 and display it on the display unit 24 of the terminal device 20. When a customer uses the terminal device 20, the information processing unit 10 can automatically notify the customer of the recommended vehicle's information and the negotiation details based on the input from the customer's terminal device 20. When a salesperson at a vehicle dealership uses the terminal device 20, the salesperson can notify the customer of the recommended vehicle's information and the negotiation details verbally or via email, thereby enabling the customer to access this information.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, those skilled in the art should note that various modifications and alterations can be made based on the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that these modifications and alterations are included within the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be reconfigured in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided. For example, in the above embodiments, it is also possible to implement an embodiment in which the structure and operation of the information processing device 10 are distributed among multiple computers capable of communicating with each other.

[0040] Symbol Explanation

[0041] 1-System, 10-Information processing device, 11-Control unit, 12-Communication unit, 13-Storage unit, 20-Terminal device, 21-Control unit, 22-Communication unit, 23-Input unit, 24-Display unit, 30-Network.

Claims

1. A method for recommending goods, executed by an information processing device, characterized in that it includes the following steps: The customer information of the customers in the vehicle dealership, the vehicle information of the first vehicle purchased by the customer in the past, the vehicle information of the second vehicle purchased by the customer after purchasing the first vehicle, and the negotiation information when purchasing the second vehicle are stored in the database. The information stored in the database is used as learning data to train the learning model; Using the trained learning model, and based on the customer's customer information and the vehicle information of the vehicles the customer has previously purchased, information on recommended vehicles to be recommended to the customer and negotiation information regarding the recommended vehicles are obtained; and The vehicle information and negotiation details of the recommended vehicle will be communicated to the customer.

2. The method for recommending goods according to claim 1, characterized in that, The negotiation information for the recommended vehicle includes one or more promotional factors for facilitating the purchase of the recommended vehicle and a reason for recommending at least one of the more than one promotional factors.

3. The method for recommending goods according to claim 2, characterized in that, The reason given is based on at least one of the customer's customer information and vehicle information of vehicles previously purchased by the customer.

4. The method for recommending goods according to claim 2, characterized in that, The negotiation information for the recommended vehicle includes multiple sets of negotiation information, and at least one of the more than one promotional element in the multiple sets of negotiation information is different from each other.

5. The method for recommending goods according to claim 4, characterized in that, The multiple sets of negotiation information include reasons why some negotiation information takes precedence over other negotiation information.

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