Information processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus which can make a space for keeping a stock vehicle unnecessary.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus 20 according to the present invention has a condition receiving unit for accepting a condition of a desired vehicle from a purchase applicant 42, a matched vehicle detecting unit for detecting a vehicle matched with the condition from vehicle information on a plurality of vehicles 52A to 52D owned by a plurality of owners 50, and a purchase offer notifying unit for notifying an owner owning the detected matched vehicle of a purchase offer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device that manages information relating to vehicle buying and selling. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a used car information search system in which dealerships located within the area the user can actually see search for used cars that meet the conditions entered by the user from among their used car inventory. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-312493 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the used car information search system of Patent Document 1, the search targets stock vehicles, so it is necessary to hold a large number of used cars in stock, which requires space to store the stock vehicles, and there is room for improvement in terms of the space for storing stock vehicles.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device that can eliminate the need for space for storing stock vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device of the present invention described in claim 1 comprises a condition receiving unit that receives conditions for a desired vehicle from a buyer, a relevant vehicle detection unit that detects relevant vehicles based on the conditions from vehicle information of multiple vehicles owned by multiple owners, and a purchase request notification unit that notifies the owner of the detected relevant vehicle that there is a purchase request.

[0007] In the information processing device according to the present invention described in claim 1, the vehicle that matches the conditions of the vehicle desired by the prospective buyer is detected from the vehicle information of multiple vehicles owned by multiple owners, so the search targets are the vehicles currently owned by the owner. Therefore, there is no need to hold used cars as inventory, and space for storing inventory cars is not required. Effect of the Invention

[0008] As described above, the information processing device according to the present invention has the excellent effect of making it possible to eliminate the need for space for storing stock vehicles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle buying and selling system including a center server according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a center server according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a CPU in a center server according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of information processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A vehicle buying and selling system 10 including a center server 20 as an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle buying and selling system 10 of the present embodiment includes, as an example, the center server 20, a user terminal 44 operated by a user 42 who is a buyer 40, and a car navigation system 54 installed in a plurality of vehicles 52A to 52D owned by a plurality of owners 50. The user 42 is an example of a person who wishes to purchase a vehicle, and the center server 20 is an example of an information processing device. Note that the number of user terminals 44, the number of vehicles 52A to 52D, the number of owners 50, and the number of car navigation systems 54 included in the vehicle buying and selling system 10 are not limited to the numbers shown in FIG. 1. The center server 20, the user terminal 44, and the car navigation system 54 are each connected to each other via a network 30.

[0011] (User terminal) The user terminal 44 is a terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a computer owned by a user 42 who is a buyer of a vehicle. A known terminal can be used as the user terminal 44, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. In this embodiment, an application for buying and selling vehicles (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle buying and selling app) described later is installed in the user terminal 44.

[0012] (Center server) 2, the center server 20 includes a CPU 20A, a ROM 20B, a RAM 20C, and a communication I / F 20G. The CPU 20A, the ROM 20B, the RAM 20C, and the communication I / F 20G are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via an internal bus 20H.

[0013] The CPU 20A is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 20A reads out the programs from the ROM 20B and executes the programs using the RAM 20C as a working area.

[0014] The ROM 20B stores various programs and various data. The RAM 20C temporarily stores programs or data as a working area.

[0015] In the present embodiment, the ROM 20B stores an information processing program. The information processing program is a program for implementing each function of the center server 20.

[0016] The communication I / F 20G is an interface for connecting to the network 30.

[0017] 3, CPU 20A has a condition receiving unit 200, a vehicle information acquiring unit 210, a corresponding vehicle detecting unit 220, a purchase request notifying unit 230, a selling permission receiving unit 240, and a notifying unit 250. Each functional configuration is realized by CPU 20A reading out and executing an information processing program stored in ROM 20B.

[0018] The condition receiving unit 200 receives conditions for a desired vehicle from the user 42. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the condition receiving unit 200 receives information output from a user terminal 44 operated by the user 42. In this embodiment, a vehicle buying and selling app is installed in the user terminal 44. The user 42 operates the user terminal 44 to launch the vehicle buying and selling app and input the conditions for the desired vehicle.

[0019] The vehicle buying and selling app presents one or more pieces of information included in the vehicle information described below as selection items to the user 42. Specifically, as one example, a plurality of pieces of information are displayed as a plurality of selection items on the display screen of the user terminal 44, and selectable check boxes or the like are displayed near each selection item, making each selection item selectable. Note that the method of selecting the selection items is not limited to the above, and any known selection method can be adopted. The vehicle buying and selling app also prompts the user 42 to input a desired purchase price.

[0020] The vehicle information acquisition unit 210 acquires vehicle information of a plurality of vehicles 52A-52D owned by a plurality of owners 50, and stores the information in a database (not shown) on a cloud, for example. The vehicle information is information on the state and running of the vehicle, and includes basic information such as the type, model, and year of the vehicle, as well as all information related to the value and evaluation of the vehicle, such as the usage status of the vehicle after it is sold, and records of repairs and inspections of the vehicle. The information on the state and running of the vehicle may be processed as necessary. Specifically, the vehicle information includes one or more of information acquired via a communication device (not shown) such as a DCM (Data Communication Module) mounted on the vehicle, information acquired from a company that performs maintenance and inspection of the vehicle, and information including an evaluation of the vehicle state by a company that manufactures the vehicle.

[0021] Examples of vehicle information include information classified into "basic information," "important information," "usage status information," and "connected data performance diagnostic information." "Basic information" includes, for example, vehicle name, grade, body color, chassis number, model, year, first registration date, and manufacturing date. "Important information" includes, for example, the presence or absence of items such as odometer replacement / rewinding possibility, warning light illumination, diagnostic code (DTC) detection, impact detection above the standard, and recall not yet addressed. "Usage status information" includes items such as fuel efficiency value based on past driving records, average number of driving days, average mileage, and number of coastal and heavy snow driving trips. "Connected data performance diagnostic information" includes the presence or absence of data indicating abnormalities for items such as the engine, transmission, motor system, suspension, brake pressure, and battery. In addition, the vehicle information may include records of regular inspections at dealerships, engine oil change history, and the like.

[0022] The relevant vehicle detection unit 220 detects relevant vehicles (hereinafter referred to as relevant vehicles) from vehicle information of multiple vehicles owned by multiple owners 50 that is stored in a database or the like, based on the vehicle conditions accepted by the condition acceptance unit 200. Here, the number of relevant vehicles detected by the relevant vehicle detection unit 220 may be one or multiple. The relevant vehicle detection unit 220 detects all relevant vehicles.

[0023] The buyback offer notification unit 230 notifies all owners 50 who own the vehicle detected by the vehicle detection unit 220 that there is a buyback offer. Specifically, as an example, the buyback offer notification unit 230 displays an alert 54A (see FIG. 1) of "Buyback offer received" on the display screen of the car navigation system 54 mounted on the vehicle via the communication I / F 20G. In addition, in this embodiment, the buyback offer notification unit 230 notifies the desired purchase price accepted by the condition acceptance unit 200. Specifically, the buyback offer notification unit 230 displays the desired purchase price on the display screen of the car navigation system 54 mounted on the vehicle via the communication I / F 20G.

[0024] The sale permission receiving unit 240 receives sale permission from the owner 50 who owns the vehicle. Specifically, as an example, a selection button such as "sale consent" is displayed on the display screen of the car navigation system 54 installed in the vehicle, and the sale permission receiving unit 240 receives a signal output when the selection button is pressed, thereby receiving the sale permission. Note that the method of receiving sale permission is not limited to this, and any known method can be adopted.

[0025] The notification unit 250 acquires vehicle information of the vehicle for which the sale permission acceptance unit 240 has accepted the sale permission of the owner 50 from among the relevant vehicles. Specifically, the notification unit 250 acquires vehicle information of the vehicle for which the sale permission of the owner 50 has been accepted from a plurality of vehicle information stored in a database or the like. Then, the notification unit 250 notifies the user 42, who is the prospective purchaser, of a vehicle list of the relevant vehicles that can be sold, including the acquired vehicle information. Specifically, the notification unit 250 displays the relevant vehicles, for example, in order of lowest price, on the user terminal 44 operated by the user 42 via the communication I / F 20G, and when the displayed relevant vehicle is selected, the vehicle information of the relevant vehicle is displayed. The user 42 can check the vehicle information of the relevant vehicle by selecting the relevant vehicle displayed on the user terminal 44.

[0026] Furthermore, when a corresponding vehicle is not detected by the corresponding vehicle detection unit 220, the notification unit 250 notifies the user 42, who is the prospective purchaser, that there is no corresponding vehicle. Specifically, the notification unit 250 causes the user terminal 44 operated by the user 42 via the communication I / F 20G to display "There is no corresponding vehicle." The user 42 can know that there is no corresponding vehicle by visually checking the "There is no corresponding vehicle" displayed on the user terminal 44.

[0027] Next, the flow of information processing related to vehicle buying and selling by the center server 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The CPU 20A reads out an information processing program from the ROM 20B, expands it in the RAM 20C, and executes it to perform information processing.

[0028] 4, first, in step S11, the vehicle information acquisition unit 210 acquires vehicle information of the multiple vehicles 52A-52D owned by the multiple owners 50 as described above. Note that the vehicle information acquisition unit 210 successively acquires new vehicle information and accumulates it in a database or the like.

[0029] Next, in step S12, the CPU 20A determines whether or not the condition receiving unit 200 has received the conditions of the desired vehicle from the user terminal 44 operated by the user (wanted purchaser) 42 who is the buyer 40. If the conditions have not been received (step S12; NO), the CPU 20A repeats the process of step S12 until the conditions of the desired vehicle are received.

[0030] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that the desired vehicle conditions have been accepted (step S12; YES), the corresponding vehicle detection unit 220 detects the corresponding vehicle from the multiple vehicle information as described above. If the corresponding vehicle has not been detected by the corresponding vehicle detection unit 220 in step S14 (step S14; NO), the CPU 20A causes the notification unit 250 to notify the user (potential purchaser) 42 that there is no corresponding vehicle in step S15, and ends the series of processes.

[0031] In step S14, if a relevant vehicle is detected by the relevant vehicle detection unit 220 (step S14; YES), in step S16, the buyback request notification unit 230 notifies all owners 50 of the relevant vehicle detected by the relevant vehicle detection unit 220 that there is a buyback request, as described above.

[0032] Next, in step S17, CPU 20A determines whether or not sale permission acceptance unit 240 has accepted sale permission from owner 50 who owns the vehicle, and if not (step S17; NO), CPU 20A proceeds to step S15. If sale permission has been accepted in step S17 (step S17; YES), in step S18, notification unit 250 acquires vehicle information of the vehicle for which sale permission has been accepted from owner 50.

[0033] Next, in step S19, the notification unit 250 notifies the user 42, who is the prospective purchaser, of a vehicle list of the vehicles available for sale, including the acquired vehicle information, and then ends a series of processes.

[0034] Next, the effects of the center server 20 as an information processing device in this embodiment will be described.

[0035] The center server 20 of this embodiment detects a vehicle that matches the conditions of the vehicle desired by the user 42 who is a potential purchaser, that is, the relevant vehicle, from vehicle information of a plurality of vehicles 52A-52D owned by a plurality of owners 50, and therefore the search targets are the vehicles 52A-52D currently owned by the owner 50. Therefore, it is not necessary to hold used cars as inventory, and space for storing inventory cars can be eliminated.

[0036] In the center server 20 of this embodiment, the condition receiving unit 200 receives the desired purchase price, and the buyback notification unit 230 notifies the desired purchase price. Therefore, the owner 50 can determine whether or not to sell according to the desired purchase price.

[0037] In addition, in the center server 20 of this embodiment, the notification unit 250 notifies the user 42, who is a potential purchaser, of a vehicle list of the vehicles available for sale, including the vehicle information acquired. Therefore, the user 42 can decide which vehicle to purchase based on the vehicle information.

[0038] In the center server 20 of this embodiment, the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 210 includes one or more of the following information: information acquired via a communication device (not shown) such as a DCM mounted on the vehicle, information acquired from a company that performs maintenance and inspection of the vehicle, and information including an evaluation of the vehicle condition by the company that manufactures the vehicle. Therefore, the relevant vehicle detection unit 220 can detect relevant vehicles that meet the conditions based on more detailed information about the vehicle.

[0039] In addition, in the center server 20 of this embodiment, the condition receiving unit presents one or more pieces of information included in the vehicle information as check items to the user 42 who is a potential purchaser. This allows the user 42 to set conditions in more detail, and thus allows the purchase of a vehicle that more closely matches his or her desires.

[0040] [remarks] In the above embodiment, the buyback notification unit 230 displays the alert 54A (see FIG. 1) of "Buyback offer received" on the display screen of the car navigation system 54, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the alert may be displayed on a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer owned by the owner 50. The buyback notification unit 230 may also notify the owner 50 of the purchase offer by email or the like. The method of notification is not particularly limited, and any known method may be adopted.

[0041] The present invention can also be employed in cases where one owner 50 owns multiple vehicles.

[0042] The vehicle may be, for example, a gasoline-powered automobile, an electric vehicle (BEV; Battery Electric Vehicle), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV; Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV; Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), or a large vehicle such as a truck or a bus. The vehicle is not particularly limited, and may be a two-wheeled vehicle, etc.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the vehicle information is stored in a database on the cloud, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The vehicle information may be stored in a storage device such as the ROM 20B or storage included in the center server 20.

[0044] In addition, the processing executed by the CPU after reading the software (program) in the above embodiment may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. In this case, examples of the processor include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and a dedicated electric circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed exclusively for executing a specific process. The above-mentioned process may be executed by one of these various processors, or may be executed by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs, a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, etc.). The hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0045] In the above embodiment, each program is prestored (installed) in the ROM, but the present invention is not limited to this. The programs may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The programs may be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0046] The process flow described in the above embodiment is also one example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the process order may be changed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0047] Furthermore, the configurations of the center server 20, the user terminal 44, and the car navigation system 54 described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and may be changed according to circumstances without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 20 Center server (information processing device) 42 users (purchasers) 50 Owner 52A~52D Vehicles 200 Conditions Reception Department 220 Applicable vehicle detection unit 230 Purchase Request Notification Department

Claims

[Claim 1] a condition receiving unit that receives conditions of a desired vehicle from a purchaser; a corresponding vehicle detection unit that detects a corresponding vehicle based on the conditions from vehicle information of a plurality of vehicles owned by a plurality of owners; and a buyback notification unit that notifies the owner of the detected vehicle that there is a buyback request.

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