INCENTIVE PROVISION SYSTEM AND INCENTIVE PROVISION METHODS

Abstract

The present invention discloses an incentive system (1) that provides incentives for reduced CO2 travel by a user of a vehicle (10) that directly or indirectly emits CO2. The incentive system (1) includes one or more processors (22), and is configured to provide reward points to a user, on a vehicle (10) traveling from a current location to a destination, based on at least one of selecting a travel route where the amount of CO2 emissions is reduced with respect to a standard travel route, selecting a travel mode, and reducing the actual amount of CO2 emissions with respect to a standard amount of CO2 emissions. Selected image: Image 2

Description

Description INCENTIVE PROVISION SYSTEM AND INCENTIVE PROVISION METHODS Invention Engineering Field This disclosure relates to incentive systems and incentive methods that provide incentives for CO2 reduction traveling by vehicle users who directly or indirectly emit CO2. Background of the Invention Japanese Patent Publication Application No. 2011-141272 (JP 2011141272 A) discloses a navigation device. The navigation device calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2 emission amount) emitted by traveling along a guide route from a departure point to a destination, and obtains CO2 emission credit trading price information. Then, the navigation device calculates the price of CO2 emission credits emitted by traveling along the guide route based on the CO2 emission amount and the emission credit trading price information, and displays the emission credit price on a display together with the CO2 emission amount. Furthermore, the navigation device can present to a user a plurality of guide routes with which CO2 emission amounts and emission credit prices are associated. Brief Description of the Invention In JP 2011-141272 A, user awareness of CO2 emissions is expected to increase, allowing users to know the amount of CO2 emitted by traveling from the point of departure to the destination and the price of emission credits. However, it cannot be said that measuring the notification of emission credit prices in this way is sufficient to stimulate active action from users for CO2 reduction, and it is considered that there is still room for improvement. This disclosure has been made taking into account the above-mentioned issues, and provides an incentive system and incentive method that contribute to the evocation of user action for CO2 reduction. The incentive reward system of a first aspect of the present disclosure is configured to provide incentives for reduced CO2 travel by a user of a vehicle that directly or indirectly emits CO2. The incentive reward system includes one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to provide reward points to a user, on a vehicle traveling from a current location to a destination, based on at least one of selecting a travel route where an amount of CO2 emissions is reduced relative to a standard travel route, selecting a travel mode where an amount of CO2 emissions is reduced relative to a standard travel mode, and reducing an actual amount of CO2 emissions relative to a standard amount of CO2 emissions. In a first aspect of the present disclosure, one or more processors may award more reward points as the amount of reduction of the actual CO2 emission amount relative to the standard CO2 emission amount is greater. In a first aspect of the present disclosure, one or more processors may award more reward points as the amount of CO2 emissions associated with a travel route selected by the user is less than the amount of CO2 emissions associated with a standard travel route. In a first aspect of the present disclosure, one or more processors may award more reward points as the amount of CO2 emissions associated with the travel mode selected by the user is less than the amount of CO2 emissions associated with the standard travel mode. In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a standard CO2 emission amount may be determined based on an average value of the CO2 emission amount emitted when a plurality of vehicles of the same model as the vehicle travel according to a travel route selected by the user. In the first aspect of this disclosure, the standard emission amount CO2 can be decided based on the average value of the amount of emissions CO2 emitted when a number of vehicles of the same model as the vehicle travel according to a standard travel route. The incentive method of a second aspect of the present disclosure is configured to provide incentives for reduced CO2 travel by a user of a vehicle that directly or indirectly emits CO2. The incentive method provides reward points to a user, on a vehicle traveling from a current location to a destination, based on at least one of selecting a travel route where an amount of CO2 emissions is reduced relative to a standard travel route, selecting a travel mode where an amount of CO2 emissions is reduced relative to a standard travel mode, and reducing an actual amount of CO2 emissions relative to a standard amount of CO2 emissions. According to the incentive system of the first aspect and the incentive method of the second aspect of the present disclosure, reward points are awarded to users who have made a reduced CO2 trip involving at least one action of selecting a travel route, selecting a travel mode, and reducing the amount of CO2 emissions during the trip. Users who have made a reduced CO2 trip in this manner are awarded reward points as an incentive for the reduced CO2 trip, so that the user's generating action for CO2 reduction can be encouraged. Short Description of Image The technical and industrial features, advantages and benefits of exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same numerals represent the same elements, and wherein: Figure 1 is a diagram that schematically shows an example of an incentive system configuration according to an embodiment; Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow executed on an incentive system during a CO2 reduction challenge in accordance with an embodiment; Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a candidate travel route provided to the user by processing steps S102; Figure 4 is a table showing examples of candidate travel modes selected by users; Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a specific processing example of determining the award of reward points in step S208; Figure 6 is a graph to illustrate another example of awarding reward points based on the amount of CO2 reduction; Figure 7 is a graph to illustrate another example of awarding reward points based on travel route selection; Figure 8 is a graph to illustrate an example of awarding reward points based on travel mode selection; and Figure 9 is a flowchart showing another example of the specific processing of reward point calculations. Complete Description of the Invention Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. While quantities, such as number of articles, quantity, number, range, and the like of each element are mentioned in the embodiments shown below, except when the quantity is explicitly stated or when the quantity is clearly specified in principle, the technical ideas related to the present disclosure are not limited to the quantities mentioned above. System configuration Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example configuration of an incentive delivery system (1) according to an embodiment. Figure 1 shows a vehicle (10) utilizing the incentive delivery system (hereinafter herein, also referred to as the system) (1). Vehicle (10) is a vehicle that directly or indirectly emits CO2. More specifically, vehicle (10) is, for example, a vehicle that emits CO2 from vehicle (10) during travel because the internal combustion engine is included as a power source. Specific examples of such vehicles include pure internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV), hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). Furthermore, battery electric vehicles (BEV) do not directly emit CO2 during travel. However, when CO2 is emitted in the process of generating electrical power to charge the battery, the BEV's travel directly emits CO2. Therefore, BEVs are also included in the example of vehicle (10). As shown in Figure 1, a vehicle (10) includes a powertrain (12), an electronic control unit (ECU) (14), a mode change switch (16), a sensor (18), and a human machine interface (HMI) device (20). The powertrain (12) includes, for example, one or both of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. The ECU (14) includes a processor and storage devices, and controls the powertrain (12) for vehicle travel. The mode change switch (16) is operated by the user (driver) of the vehicle (10) and can change the travel mode. Examples of travel modes are normal mode, sport mode, and eco mode, as will be described later with reference to Figure 4. The sensor (18) includes a plurality of sensors for obtaining various travel information, such as the number of accelerator operations, vehicle speed, and travel distance. Furthermore, in the example of BEVs and PHEVs that can run on electric power from an externally supplied battery, the sensor (18) includes a voltage sensor that detects the voltage between the battery terminals and a current sensor that detects the current consumption of the battery. The HMI device (20) is an interface for providing information to the vehicle user (10) and receiving information from the user. The HMI device (20) includes a processor (22), a storage device (24), a communication device (26), and a display (28). When the processor (22) executes a program stored in the storage device (24), various processing by the HMI device (20) is realized. A mode change switch (16) can be integrated into the HMI device (20). The display (28) is, for example, a touch panel type. The processor (22) executes the processing of acquiring various travel information using the sensor (18). The storage device (24) stores the map information. Furthermore, the HMI device (20) has a built-in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver. The processor (22) executes the processing of specifying the current position (current location) of the vehicle (10) on the map based on the map information and the information from the GNSS receiver. The communication device (26) executes communication information (transmission and reception of information) with the communication device (36) from the cloud server (30), which will be described later, via a wireless communication network (100) such as 4G or 5G. The display (28) displays various information (navigation information, reward point information, and the like) to be transmitted to the user. The HMI device (20) has a navigation function. Specifically, the processor (22) executes the processing of searching for a travel route from the current location to a destination set by the user. The processor (22) is configured to search for a plurality of different travel routes (e.g., see Figure 3 described later) associated with information on the amount of CO2 emissions during the trip corresponding to each travel route. The plurality of searched travel routes is displayed on the display (28). Furthermore, the system (1) includes a cloud server (30) (hereinafter referred to as simply “the cloud”). The cloud (30) includes a processor (32), a storage device (34), and a communication device (36). When the processor (32) executes a program stored in the storage device (34), various processing by the cloud (30) is realized. The vehicle user (10) has a mobile terminal (40). The mobile terminal (40) is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet PC (personal computer), and includes a processor, a storage device, and a communication device. The communication device can execute information communication with the cloud communication device (36) (30) via a wireless communication network (100). CO2 Reduction Challenge In order to encourage user-generated action for CO2 reduction, the incentive system (1) of this embodiment is configured so that users can execute CO2 reduction challenges during vehicle trips. The CO2 reduction challenge is an effort to encourage users to actively execute reduced CO2 trips by providing reward points as an incentive for CO2 reduction to users who travel with a low amount of CO2 emissions (reduced CO2 trips). The management of reward points for each user is executed by the cloud (30). Reward points have a monetary value that can be used for payment of purchases and the like. Specifically, reward points can be used in various situations, such as payment of fuel costs or vehicle charging costs (10) by users, and payment of purchases in street shopping or Internet shopping. Furthermore, reward points can be constructed so that reward points can be redeemed for cash or converted into electronic money, mileage, or various other points. As a result, the flexibility and convenience of reward points can be further enhanced. For example, a user who has downloaded an application dedicated to the CO2 reduction challenge can perform such financing or conversion by operating a mobile terminal (40) and issuing a request to the cloud (30).The issuers of reward points are, for example, governments, local governments, or car manufacturers. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow executed in an incentive system (1) during a CO2 reduction challenge according to an embodiment. The processing of the flowchart is executed by a processor (22) on the vehicle side and a processor (32) on the cloud side. However, if a user has a mobile terminal (40), at least part of the processing by the processor (22) on the vehicle side may be executed by the processor of the mobile terminal (40) operated by the user. Users participating in the first CO2 reduction challenge operate an HMI device (20) (e.g., a display (28) of the touch panel type) to run a navigation screen and set a destination. In step S100, the processor (22) on the vehicle side determines whether a destination has been set. Once the destination is set, the processor (22) searches for a predetermined number (e.g., three) candidate travel routes in step S102. After the search for candidate travel routes is completed, the processor (22) requests the cloud (30) to transmit information on the amount of CO2 emissions obtained by the travel according to each travel route. The request transmission also includes the transmission of vehicle information, such as the vehicle model (10) participating in the current CO2 reduction challenge. The processor (32) on the cloud side that receives the above request from the vehicle (10) transmits the CO2 emission amount information (more specifically, the “standard CO2 emission amount described later) of each candidate travel route to the vehicle (10) in step S200. The processor (22) that receives the CO2 emission amount information displays each candidate travel route associated with the standard CO2 emission amount, on the viewer (28). The standard CO2 emission amount of each of a plurality of travel routes can be specified using, for example, so-called big data. Specifically, the cloud storage device (34) (30) stores data of the actual CO2 emission amount when vehicles of the same model as the vehicle (10) for which the current CO2 reduction challenge is being carried out have traveled on the same travel route in the past, a predetermined number of times (e.g., for 100 vehicles). The processor (32) calculates an average value of the predetermined number of CO2 emission amounts, and calculates the standard CO2 emission amount of the travel route based on the calculated average value. The storage device (34) stores the standard CO2 emission amount for each of the vehicle models and for each of the travel routes.More specifically, the standard CO2 emission amount can be the same as the average value, or can be set higher or lower than the average value based on a predetermined determination index. Here, the calculation method of the actual CO2 emission amount (more specifically, the total CO2 emission amount Xt during a trip on a specific travel route) used to calculate the standard CO2 emission amount will be described. In the case of ICEV and HEV, the CO2 emission amount Xeng corresponding to the operation of the internal combustion engine is an example of the total CO2 emission amount Xt. In the case of BEV, the CO2 emission amount Xbat corresponding to the amount of battery electric power consumed during the trip is an example of the total CO2 emission amount Xt. In the case of PHEV, the sum of the CO2 emission amount Xbat in EV mode from the state where the internal combustion engine is stopped, and the CO2 emission amount Xeng in hybrid mode (HEV mode) where both the internal combustion engine and electric motor are used for the trip is an example of the total CO2 emission amount Xt. The amount of CO2 emissions of Xeng can be calculated, for example, according to the following equation (1). D is the total distance traveled (km) of the vehicle during a trip on a certain route, and can be calculated based on, for example, the output of the wheel speed sensor. Fe is the fuel consumption (km / l) and can be calculated, for example, by dividing the total distance traveled D by the amount of fuel consumed. The amount of total fuel consumption is the amount of fuel consumed in the internal combustion engine during the trip for the total distance traveled D, and can be calculated from the integrated value of the fuel injection amount of the injector measured on the fuel injection device. Kf is the CO2 emission coefficient (kg-CO2 / l) of the fuel per unit amount of fuel, and is a value specified according to the type of fuel, such as gasoline.In addition, the CO2 emission coefficient Kf is the product of the calorific value unit (MJ / l) and the CO2 emission coefficient (kg-CO2 / MJ) per calorific value unit. Xeng = D ^ Fe x Kf ... (1) Therefore, the cloud processor (32) (30) can obtain the CO2 emission amount Xeng, which is the basis for calculating the standard CO2 emission amount, using equation (1) by obtaining the total travel distance D and fuel consumption Fe data of the vehicle that has traveled on a certain travel route. The amount of CO2 emissions Xbat can be calculated, for example, according to the following equation (2). Ee is the electricity cost (km / kWh), and can be calculated, for example, by dividing the total travel distance D by the total electric power consumption. The total electric power consumption referred to here can be calculated, for example, by multiplying the voltage between the battery terminals, the current consumption, and the time, in relation to the total travel distance D. Ke is the CO2 emission coefficient (kg-CO2 / kWh) of electric power per unit of electric energy (more specifically, in relation to power generation), and varies depending on the city or region. This is because the composition of resources differs depending on the city or region. Xbat = D a Ee x Ke ... (2) Therefore, the processor (32) can obtain the CO2 emission amount Xbat, which is the basis for the calculation of the standard CO2 emission amount, using equation (2) by obtaining data from the travel distance D and the electricity cost Ee of the vehicle that has traveled on a certain travel route. In addition, to calculate more accurately the amount of CO2 reduction (= standard CO2 emission amount - actual emission amount CO2), it is desired that data of the CO2s emission amounts Xeng and Xbat, which are the basis for the CO2 standard emission amounts, be obtained not only for the same vehicle model but also for the same model year. Furthermore, in the case of a vehicle, such as vehicle (10) where the travel mode can be selected, it is desired that data of the CO2s emission amounts Xeng and Xbat be obtained for each travel mode, such as the normal mode. Furthermore, the congestion status of each travel route (presence or absence of congestion and degree of congestion) differs depending on the time zone. Therefore, it is desired that data of the CO2s emission amounts Xeng and Xbat be obtained for each time zone. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned example relating to the acquisition of CO2 emission amounts Xeng and Xbat, big data of fuel consumption Fe and electricity cost Ee were used. However, obtaining such big data depending on, for example, the travel route can be difficult. In such cases, predefined travel mode values ​​(so-called catalog values) published by each car manufacturer can simply be used as fuel consumption Fe and electricity cost Ee to calculate the CO2 emission amounts Xeng and Xbat. In the above example, the calculation of the CO2 emission amounts Xeng and Xbat is executed by the cloud processor (32) (30) which obtains the travel information (travel route, total travel distance D, fuel consumption Fe, electricity cost Ee, and the like) from each vehicle. Instead of the above example, the calculation of the CO2 emission amounts Xeng and Xbat can be performed on the vehicle side. Then, the cloud (30) can store the CO2 emission amount information (travel route, CO2 emission amounts Xeng and Xbat, and the like) received on each vehicle in the storage device (34), and can use the CO2 emission amount information as a basis for the calculation of the CO2 standard emission amount. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a candidate travel route provided to a user by processing step S102. In the above example, travel routes A through C, where there are three candidate travel routes, are provided. The current location (i.e., the starting point of the CO2 reduction challenge) is, for example, the departure point after the user boards, but is not specifically limited to the departure point, and can be any optional point during the vehicle's journey. The amount of standard CO2 emissions displayed in association with each travel route A through C is the value in the same travel mode (e.g., standard travel mode). Route A is the route that has the shortest distance from the current location to the destination and does not use toll roads. The amount of CO2 emissions from traveling along route A is medium (the section between routes A and C). Route A is given as a standard travel route. Route B is a toll road route. Route B has the longest distance to the destination but the shortest travel time. Route B's CO2 emissions are high (the highest among routes A through C). Travel route C is a route that does not use toll roads like travel route A. Travel route C is longer than travel route A, but is an empty route as compared to travel route A. Therefore, the amount of CO2 emissions from travel route C is “small (the lowest among routes A to C). In step S104 following step S102, the processor (22) on the vehicle side determines whether a travel route and a travel mode have been selected by the user. In the example shown in Figure 3, the user selects a desired travel route from travel routes A to C which include the standard travel route A. Further, in the example of a vehicle, such as a vehicle (10) where the travel mode can be selected, the user selects the desired travel mode when the user participates in a CO2 reduction challenge. Figure 4 is a table showing examples of candidate travel modes selected by a user. When the vehicle (10) accepts the user's travel mode selection, for example, the information shown in Figure 4 is displayed on the display (28). In Figure 4, three travel modes that can be selected using the mode change switch (16), namely, normal mode, sport mode, and eco mode, are shown along with information on the amount of CO2 emissions associated with each travel mode. Normal mode is set as the standard travel mode with a good balance between at least one of fuel consumption Fe and electricity cost Ee, and travel performance, and is an example of a standard travel mode. Sport mode (or power mode) is a mode in which the responsiveness of the driving force to the depression of the accelerator pedal is increased as compared to the normal mode, and high travel performance is demonstrated. Eco mode is a mode in which the responsiveness of the vehicle's driving force to the depression of the accelerator pedal is suppressed to be low as compared to the normal mode, and the performance of at least one of fuel consumption Fe and electricity cost Ee is improved. Therefore, as the level of the CO2 emission amount, the normal mode is “medium”, the sport mode is “large”, and the eco mode is “small”. As described above, the CO2 emission amount information displayed on the display (28) for the user to select the travel mode is, for example, the difference in the relative level of the CO2 emission amount between each travel mode. However, for example, by using the large data of the CO2 emission amount, for each given travel route (e.g., travel routes A to C), the specific numerical value of the standard CO2 emission amount at the time of selecting each travel mode can be displayed. In addition, in the example where the vehicle (10) is a PHEV, the travel modes to be selected in the CO2 reduction challenge may include, for example, the following control modes A to C. That is, control modes A to C are modes for providing a plurality of options for switching patterns between EV mode and HEV mode executed by the ECU (14). Control mode A is the standard mode of PHEV in which EV mode is selected first at the start of the trip and then switched to HEV mode after the battery electric power is consumed. Therefore, control mode A is an example of a standard travel mode in control modes A to C. Control mode B is the mode required when, for example, an urban area is the destination. Control mode B is the mode in which battery electric power is reserved by accelerating the switching time from EV mode used at the start of the trip to HEV mode as compared to control mode A, to perform EV mode during the trip in urban areas near the destination. Control mode C is the mode in which EV mode and HEV mode are switched accordingly (when necessary, frequently) to maximize fuel consumption Fe and electricity cost Ee considering the set travel route.Specifically, in control mode C, the HEV mode is selected, for example, when the vehicle travel load is high, such as at high vehicle speeds, and the EV mode is selected, for example, when the vehicle travel load is low, such as at low vehicle speeds. The levels of CO2 emissions of control modes A, B, and C are medium, “large,” and small, respectively. After the travel route and travel mode are selected by the user in step S104, processing continues to step S106. In step S106, the processor (22) determines whether the vehicle (10) has started moving. As a result, when the journey of the vehicle (10) starts, the processor (22) executes the measurement of the relevant journey information to calculate the actual CO2 emission amount of the vehicle (10) at the current CO2 reduction challenge in step S108. The journey information referred to herein includes the journey distance and the fuel injection amount integrated after the journey start when the internal combustion engine operation is involved. Furthermore, when the battery electric power consumption is involved, the journey information includes the journey distance and the electric power consumption integrated after the journey start. The measurement is carried out until the vehicle (10) arrives at the destination. In step S110, the processor (22) determines whether the vehicle (10) has arrived at the destination. As a result, when the vehicle (10) arrives at the destination, the processor (22) transmits the final trip information (i.e., the total trip distance D and the minimum fuel consumption Fe and electricity cost Ee) obtained by measurements during the trip in step S112, to the cloud (30). Furthermore, the processor (22) transmits related information (i.e., information regarding the trip route and the travel mode selected by the user in the current CO2 reduction challenge) to the cloud (30). When the processor (32) on the cloud side receives the trip information and related information from the vehicle (10) in step S202, the processor (32) calculates the actual CO2 emission amount of the vehicle (10) in the current CO2 reduction challenge based on the trip information and related information received. The calculation of the actual CO2 emission amount can be performed using at least one of equations (1) and (2). Next, in step S206, the processor (32) calculates the CO2 reduction amount. The CO2 reduction amount is calculated by subtracting the standard CO2 emission amount from the actual CO2 emission amount. The standard CO2 emission amount used in the calculation is the value associated with the travel route selected by the user for the current CO2 reduction challenge. Furthermore, it is desirable that the standard CO2 emission amount be the value associated with the travel mode selected by the user at that time. Next, in step S208, the processor (32) executes the awarding determination of the reward points. Specifically, Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the specific processing of awarding determination of the reward points in step S208. The award point management is executed in the cloud (30) as described above. Therefore, the storage device (34) stores personal information (e.g., name) of the user who undertakes the CO2 reduction challenge. In Figure 5, at step S300, processor (32) determines whether a CO2 reduction route is selected for the current CO2 reduction challenge. Specifically, processor (32) determines whether the currently selected travel route is a travel route with less CO2 emissions than the default travel route. As a result, when the CO2 reduction route is selected (in the example shown in Figure 3, when travel route C is selected), the processor (32) executes the processing of increasing the number of points held by the user by one point in step S302. After that, the processing continues to step S304. The number of points that can be added can be two or more. On the other hand, if the CO2 reduction route is not selected at step S300 (in the example shown in Figure 3, when travel route A or B is selected), the reward points are not added, and processing continues directly to step S304. In step S304, the processor (32) determines whether the amount of CO2 reduction (see step S206) is greater than a predetermined threshold value TH. As a result, if the result of the determination is affirmative, the processor (32) executes the processing of increasing the number of points held by the user by one point in step S306. The number of points that can be added can be two or more. On the other hand, if the amount of CO2 reduction is equal to or less than the TH threshold value in step S304, no reward points are added. In addition, at step S304, the processor (32) may compare the CO2 reduction amount with the current (i.e., one-time) CO2 reduction challenge with a threshold value TH, as in the example above. Instead of the example, the integrated value of the CO2 reduction amount obtained with a plurality of CO2 reduction challenges may be compared with the threshold value TH. More specifically, if the CO2 reduction amount is equal to or less than the threshold value TH at step S304, the processor (32) may store the CO2 reduction amount in a storage device (34). The CO2 reduction amount stored in the storage device (34) in this manner may be integrated whenever the CO2 reduction amount is determined to be equal to or less than the threshold value TH at each CO2 reduction challenge.Then, if the integrated value of the CO2 reduction amount is greater than the TH threshold value in the next CO2 reduction challenge, the number of points owned can be increased by a predetermined number of points (for example, one point), and the integrated value determined above can be reset to zero. In Figure 2, at step S210 following step S208, the processor (32) transmits the CO2 reduction amount in the current CO2 reduction challenge and reward point information to the vehicle (10). The reward point information includes, for example, the number of reward points currently earned and the number of points held reflecting whether reward points have been earned currently. Further, the information transmitted to the vehicle (10) may include the cumulative CO2 reduction amount due to the reduced CO2 trips of the user. In step S114, the processor (22) that has received the CO2 reduction amount and reward point information from the cloud (30) displays the CO2 reduction amount and reward point information on a viewer (28) (step S116). Furthermore, for example, the cumulative CO2 reduction amount described above may also be displayed on the viewer (28). The processing shown in Figure 2 can be modified as follows. That is, the calculation of the actual CO2 emission amount (step S204) can be executed by the processor (22) on the vehicle side, and the calculated actual CO2 emission amount can be transmitted to the cloud (30). Alternatively, the processor (22) on the vehicle side can receive the standard CO2 emission amount from the cloud (30), and can calculate not only the actual CO2 emission amount but also the CO2 reduction amount. Then, the processor (22) can display the calculated CO2 reduction amount on the display (28) and transmit the calculated CO2 reduction amount to the cloud (30). Furthermore, the CO2 reduction amount and reward point information can be transmitted to the mobile terminal (40) of the user directly from the cloud (30) or from the cloud (30) via the vehicle (10) and can be displayed on the mobile terminal (40). Additionally, in the processing shown in Figure 2, if the travel mode is changed by the user during the vehicle's journey to the destination, the current CO2 reduction challenge may be invalidated or invalidated. Alternatively, the calculation of the CO2 reduction amount and the evaluation of whether or not reward points will be awarded can be performed based on the trip results up to the point where the travel mode is changed. The incentive system (1) of the first aspect of the invention described above enables, on a vehicle journey from a current location to a destination, reward points to be awarded to a user who has made a CO2-reduced journey by selecting a journey route (a CO2-reduced route) where the amount of CO2 emissions is reduced relative to a standard journey route. Furthermore, reward points are awarded to a user who has made a journey with a CO2-reduced amount exceeding a threshold value. The system (1) enables a user who has made a CO2-reduced journey in this manner to be awarded reward points as an incentive for the CO2-reduced journey, so that the user's generating action for CO2 reduction can be encouraged. In addition, the incentive system (1) of the first aspect of the present invention enables, for example, by informing the user of the cumulative CO2 reduction amount, the user can know how much the user's trips have been able to contribute to the environment so far. As a result, the user's CO2 reduction awareness with regard to the selection of travel routes and travel methods (including the selection of travel modes) can be maintained. Then, the user can enjoy financial benefits by converting the degree of contribution to CO2 reduction into points. Furthermore, the cumulative CO2 reduction amount with all users who have participated in the CO2 reduction challenge can also be displayed on the display (28). As a result, the significant CO2 reduction challenge provided by the system (1) can be further propagated to users, passengers, and surrounding people who have seen the results. Another Example of Awarding Reward Points Figure 6 is a diagram to illustrate another example of awarding reward points based on the amount of CO2 reduction. In the example shown in Figure 5 above, when the amount of CO2 reduction is greater than the threshold value TH, a uniform reward point (e.g., one point) is added. On the other hand, the processor 32 can award more reward points when the amount of CO2 reduction is greater. As a result, the generation action of users for CO2 reduction, as compared to the example of awarding uniform reward points can be further encouraged. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 6, when the amount of CO2 reduction is greater than the threshold value TH, the number of points added increases as the amount of CO2 reduction increases. Figure 7 is a diagram to illustrate another example of awarding reward points based on the choice of a travel route. In the example shown in Figure 5 above, uniform reward points are selected to be added when a travel route (a CO2 reduction route) has a smaller amount of CO2 emissions than a standard travel route. On the other hand, the processor (32) may award more reward points when the amount of CO2 emissions associated with the travel route selected by the user is smaller than the amount of CO2 emissions associated with the standard travel route. As a result, the user's generating action for CO2 reduction, as compared to the uniform reward points award example, may be further encouraged. Specifically, the horizontal axis in Figure 7 is the amount of CO2 standard emissions from the travel route selected by the user. The amount of CO2 standard emissions can be obtained by the methods described above (e.g., methods using big data). In the example shown in Figure 7, when the amount of CO2 standard emissions from the selected travel route is less than the amount of CO2 standard emissions from the standard travel route, the number of points added increases as the amount of CO2 standard emissions decreases. Figure 8 is a diagram to illustrate an example of awarding reward points based on the travel mode selection. Furthermore, in the aforementioned example shown in Figure 5, reward points are not awarded based on the travel mode selection by the user themselves. Instead, reward points can be awarded based on the result of the travel mode selection. For example, with the same processing as the processing of steps S300 and S302 shown in Figure 5, uniform reward points can be awarded when a travel mode (CO2 reduction mode) that has a lower amount of CO2 emissions than the standard travel mode is selected. In the example shown in Figure 4, reward points can be awarded when the eco-friendly mode is selected. Furthermore, the processor (32) may award more reward points if the amount of CO2 emissions associated with the travel mode selected by the user is less than the amount of CO2 emissions associated with the standard travel mode. As a result, the user's generating action for CO2 reduction, as compared to the example of uniform awarding of reward points may be further encouraged. In the example shown in Figure 8, if the amount of standard CO2 emissions from the selected travel mode is less than the amount of standard CO2 emissions from the standard travel mode, the number of points awarded increases as the amount of standard CO2 emissions decreases. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing another example of the specific processing of reward point calculation. In the example shown in Figure 5 above, the awarding of reward points based on the selection of the CO2 reduction route and the awarding of reward points based on the CO2 reduction amount are performed separately. Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 5, the standard CO2 emission amount, which is the basis for calculating the CO2 reduction amount, is decided based on the average value of the CO2 emission amount emitted when a number of vehicles of the same model as vehicle (10) travel according to the “travel route selected by the user”. On the other hand, the standard CO2 emission amount, which is the basis for calculating the CO2 reduction amount in the example shown in Figure 9, is decided as follows. That is, the standard CO2 emission amount is decided based on the average value of the CO2 emission amount emitted when a vehicle of the same model as vehicle (10) travels according to the “standard travel route”. In the example of a vehicle, such as vehicle (10) where the travel mode can be selected, the average value can be calculated based on, for example, the data of the CO2 emission amount when selecting the standard travel mode. In the example shown in Figure 9 where the standard CO2 emission amount decided as described above is used, in step S400, the processor (32) determines whether the CO2 reduction amount whose comparison target is the time of selecting the standard travel route is more than a threshold value. If the result of the determination is affirmative, the processing of step S402 (similar to the processing of step S306) is executed, and reward points are added. Reward points can be awarded as shown in the example in Figure 9 above. According to this example, the awarding of reward points is determined based on the amount of CO2 reduction when the user's travel route and travel method are comprehensively evaluated. In addition, the awarding of reward points from users in the incentive award system and incentive award method according to the present disclosure, can be executed in a mode other than the examples mentioned above, based on at least one of selecting a travel route where the amount of CO2 emissions is reduced with respect to a standard travel route, selecting a travel mode where the amount of CO2 emissions is reduced with respect to a standard travel mode, and a reduction of the actual amount of CO2 emissions with respect to the amount of 10 standard CO2 emissions.

Claims

Claim 1. An incentive system (1) that provides incentives for reduced CO2 travel by a user of a vehicle (10) that directly or indirectly emits CO2, the incentive system (1) being characterized by including one or more processors (22), wherein the one or more processors (22) are configured to provide reward points to a user, on a vehicle (10) traveling from a current location to a destination, based on at least one of selecting a travel route wherein an amount of CO2 emissions is reduced with respect to a standard travel route, selecting a travel mode wherein an amount of CO2 emissions is reduced with respect to a standard travel mode, and reducing an actual amount of CO2 emissions with respect to a standard amount of CO2 emissions.

2. The incentive system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more processors (22) provide more reward points as the amount of reduction of the actual CO2 emission amount relative to the standard CO2 emission amount is greater.

3. An incentive system (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that one or more processors (22) provide more reward points when the amount of CO2 emissions associated with a travel route selected by the user is less than the amount of CO2 emissions associated with a standard travel route.

4. An incentive system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the one or more processors (22) provide more reward points as the amount of CO2 emissions associated with the travel mode selected by the user is less than the amount of CO2 emissions associated with the standard travel mode.

5. An incentive system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the standard CO2 emission amount is decided based on the average value of the CO2 emission amount emitted when a plurality of vehicles (10) of the same model as vehicle (10) travel according to a travel route selected by the user.

6. An incentive system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the standard CO2 emission amount is decided based on the average value of the CO2 emission amount emitted when a plurality of vehicles (10) of the same model as vehicle (10) travel according to a standard travel route.

7. An incentive method that provides an incentive for reduced CO2 travel by a user of a vehicle (10) that directly or indirectly emits CO2, the incentive method being characterized by providing reward points to the user, on the vehicle (10) traveling from a current location to a destination, based on at least one of selecting a travel route wherein an amount of CO2 emissions is reduced with respect to a standard travel route, selecting a travel mode wherein an amount of CO2 emissions is reduced with respect to a standard travel mode, and reducing the actual amount of CO2 emissions with respect to a standard amount of CO2 emissions.

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